Lurigancho
Lurigancho
by Edward Padilla, with Paul Wood, Co-author
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A sensational-and true-prison escape story in the tradition of Papillon and Midnight Express. Edward Padilla, an American, is the only living person ever to escape from the world's foulest prison -- Lurigancho Prison in Peru. Here is the true story of his four-year ordeal and his miraculous flight to freedom. A founding member of the now notorious "hippie" church called The Brotherhood of Eternal Love, Ed is one of the few surviving core members of that group, the only one to come forward with brutal honesty in the telling of this story.
Media Reviews for LURIGANCHO
"A wonderfully gritty story of transcendence of the physical and the spiritual. Serve time with Ed and discover hell and heaven. Unique and extraordinary."
--Jeremy Tarcher
publisher, Tarcher Books and "Seven Years in Tibet"
"An astonishing true story that has every twist and turn you could imagine. Eddie's is a story that plunges to the bleakest depths and soars to the greatest heights. Guns, drugs, girls, South American hell-holes-it has it all...."
--Nick Green
director of the National Geographic documentary "The Hippie Mafia"
"Edward Padilla's gritty street prose takes the reader into a desperate Heart of Darkness from which not many could ever emerge. But this gripping narrative turns emergence into a transcendent awakening and genuine rebirth. This is the real stuff, no modifiers required."
--John Kent Harrison
film screenwriter/director
"A harrowing account of one of the most infamous hell-holes on earth, and a thrilling tale of betrayed ideals, adventure, escape and redemption."
--Nicholas Schou
author of Kill the Messenger, Orange Sunshine,
and The Weed Runners (forthcoming)
"Eddie Padilla embodies so much of the promise and peril of post-War Southern California that it makes your head spin: a multiracial child of the New West; schooled by surfers, street fighters, and smugglers; turned on as a '60s seeker; turned out as a '70s nihilist. In Lurigancho Prison, Peru, a Dante-esque catalog of horrors, Padilla paid for California's broken dreams as much as his own. His brave escape and ongoing recovery offer a dagger of redemption and hope in the fight against 21st century cynicism and apathy."
--Joe Donnelly
co-editor/founder Slake: Los Angeles,
author of "The Pirate of Penance"
Publication Date:May 17 2013
ISBN/EAN13:0970620055 / 9780970620057
Page Count:410Binding Type:US Trade PaperTrim Size:5.5" x 8.5"
Language:English Color:Black and White
Related Categories:Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs
STORE: https://www.createspace.com/4245678
Customer Reviews for LURIGANCHO
5.0 out of 5 starsCrossing the Border and crossing the LineByDrumhammeron June 19, 2013
Just under the surface of the Romantic Adventures we all associate with the Drug Culture of the 60s,70s and 80s were many lives lost and wasted. Having spent many years involved with the Laguna Beach drug scene, the book LURIGANCHO by Edward Padilla was a must read for me. The members of the Brotherhood of Eternal Love were Pioneers in the Drug Culture of those times. The story that Mr. Padillo tells of his time in Lurigancho prison and of his Spiritual awakening in Peru is so well done, the discomfort of those incarcerated felt moved off the pages and into my Heart. If you have been involved in the Drug Culture I speak of, you must read LURIGANCHO. If you were not involved, you must read LURIGANCHO. If you are considering crossing the Border and crossing the Line, you must read LURIGANCO. Many of us go through Life never recognizing the Shadows we cast.
Lurigancho - Wonderful story of redemption!ByVictoria Benceon May 20, 2013
Lurigancho is an amazing true story about a man's escape from one of the world's toughest prison in Peru. Despite the harsh realities of Ed's true story, this book still has a few laughs too. It has it all too--love, adventure, danger and forgiveness. As Mr. Padilla says in the intro, he is telling his story "...all the way, right down to the terrible bottom, and all the way up." The courage it takes in telling his full story has to be respected. I must say too that learning more about The Brotherhood of Eternal Love was a real education. There is so much that I never knew...
I would recommend this book for adults interested in an uplifting (not preachy) story of personal redemption or those who want a book that they won't be able to put down!
5 starsWow!ByGail Tredwellon September 1, 2013
My initial impression was that this book is not for the faint of heart. However, as I read further I realized that hiding in plain sight behind the mine field of doodoo, blood, gore, and "f" bombs is a heart-rending and captivating story of brotherly love, and the amazing power of the human spirit when it must fight for survival. Even though the majority of the plot is set behind bars, the mastery with which this story is written kept me turning page after page. This true story is shocking, powerful, eye-opening, suspenseful, heart-warming, and delightfully witty and humorous where possible.
Gail Tredwell, author of Holy Hell: A Memoir of Faith, Devotion, and Pure Madness
LuriganchoByhowziton June 24, 2013
Surely this will be turned into a movie. When I had to put Lurigancho down, I woke up at night wondering what happened next. The United States consulate system did not do well by the hero, who was pretty much hung out to dry by his own country. Some of the characters who seemed the lowest of the low turned out to be merely human beings who had found a way to make peace with their fate. At times it was hard to believe this book was not fiction. I googled Lurigancho prison, and am even more amazed that anyone survived it, much less escaped. This is a fascinating picture of a man who willed his way home, in more ways than one.
Wasn't excepting thisByMichael Pooleyon August 21, 2013Format: Paperback
I watched the National Geographic TV show "Busted Abroad" and after watching I heard there was a book out about the same story "Lurigancho" so I wasn't excepting this book to be as good as it really is. When I started reading it, I had a hard time putting it down. As many others have commented I wanted to see what happened next. To be in such a horrendous situation as being locked up in Lurigancho (the casa de Diablo) and with no way out, with no help from their own country in fact the DEA is making sure they stay there without a trail. It is hard to believe how bad this place really is but you can find information about it and it is truly the casa de Diablo. People die daily from disease or being stabbed to death if not beaten to death. The guards or the inmates are killing many inmates. The story is full of violence, romance, fellowship, tails of spirituality, hope and mostly despair. With determination alone and not ever wanting to spend another day within this hell and with the help of God they escape and they live to tell the story. I recommend everyone to read this book, you will be happy you did. You will realize your life is so much better no matter where you are.
This book would make a good movie along the likes of "Midnight Express" and others. The story line is compelling and truthful enough to be a movie hit. When reading the book you become one of the inmates smelling what he smell and seeing what he sees and worse living what he was experiencing but at home reading knowing you wouldn't have survived what they just did. Truly a good read.
Comment ByKim S Goldbergeron July 16, 2013
This true story will grip you & reel you in from the very beginning and the fact that it is true will stun you even more as you turn each page. Edward Padilla goes to Peru to buy drugs to finance and spread the ideals of the Brotherhood of Eternal Love, established by himself and some close friends in the early 1960's in Laguna Beach, CA. Things go awry soon after the drug deal and Ed and two buddies are caught with cocaine and immediately incarcerated into the worlds most notoriously dangerous prison just outside Lima, Peru called Lurigancho. The storyline is so intense and masterfully written that the sights, sounds and even the smells described will make you feel like you are right there. Even though the story spans over 4 years in this prison, there is never a dull moment. Once you start reading what goes on in a prison like this, it is unfathomable to believe that they even survived one month, let alone 4 years. There is amazing insight into the corruption of the Peruvian government which in hindsight was incited by the United States governments War on Drugs program. Padilla's personal commentary comes from deep inside his soul and the fact that he was able to somewhat keep his sanity, sense of humor and make the most bizarre connections with fascinating and extremely corrupted characters within the prison system will astonish anyone that reads this. The fact that he has made amends & lives to this day as a drug counselor is just awe-inspiring. I would not be surprised in the least bit if this becomes a movie, it's that riveting.
"Be prepared to bleed" Joni Mitchell ByCarl Keaneon June 13, 2013
Not for the faint of heart, but if you picked up Lurigancho, Edward Padilla's cathartic memoir then you already know what you are getting in to....third world filth, fatalism and betrayal. And that's just the first few pages! But the real beauty, as another reviewer pointed out, is how Mr. Padilla and Mr. Wood don't simply set up the work as black and white. Perhaps a mirror of Mr. Padilla's mixed heritage, Hispanic father, white mother, and a dose of moving from south central LA to ultra-white Orange County,California, the characters he encounters are painted as multi-dimensional save for the infamous general Del Gado. Amazingly, in the midst of the prison stink and death-walks thru "the big hall," there is humor. It would help if you grew up surfing or at least around surfers because there is a history of sarcasm amongst us, it just seems inate, perhaps as a way of dealing with being held underwater for what seems like days as you bounce off a coral reef :)But the bond Mr. Padilla has with the other gringo prisoners and their unique coping mechanisms brings to mind a perverse version of wave riding Hogan's Heroes, (as an aside, he chooses to name one of the characters Richard Brewer...which I love). Again, if you surf, you'll get the insiderism there.
In summary, I will say this, I started the book at 11 am on my rear deck under a cloudless mid-morning sky and finished it on the front porch just before the sun dropped below the mountain....it was a fast, terrifying ride!
Betrayal, fall and redemptionByWarren A Allenon May 26, 2013
God only knows how Eddie Padilla survived this dark saga of lust, betrayal, loss of human dignity, suffering, and -- finally -- redemption. It's lucky for us that he seized his opportunity to slip away, because he was then compelled to start writing.
This story has been written up in Slake magazine, and recently profiled in a National Geographic TV special, but those fractional accounts leave one hungry for the whole story -- the full depth of the brutality of his incarceration, certainly... but also the greater breadth of the tale -- the backstory that allows us to better understand how all of this could ever have happened... How a tough and ethnically complex kid from South Central LA and the car-club-strewn streets of Ahaheim could find Om Tao with the Brotherhood of Eternal Love, only to have it all come undone on the beaches and cottages of Maui and Tahiti... paving the way toward a final takedown and incarceration in Peru.
Because Eddie doesn't pull his punches, we are hit with the full unnerving force of the account, permitting it to resonate as a true human myth -- one that stretches to the extremes of human endurance... and yields, eventually, to a more complete understanding, and to the profound need to be of service.
A Gripping ReadByLaurie Rohreron August 11, 2013
Lurigancho is a gripping read, a page-turner of a story filled with lurid (no pun) circumstance, characters that range from colorful to demented, international politico-legal intrigue, and, believe it or not, even a love theme that grows like a lotus from the mud. It is not published as fiction, non-fiction or memoir, only the author's claim of true story, which is okay with me. You couldn't make this stuff up. It rings too true and, visually, it fits right alongside The Midnight Express and the Mexican prison scenes from All the Pretty Horses. Both brutal and uplifting. At times I wanted more information, such as resolution of pending problems when returned to the U.S. and more detail on the scheme that led to arrest and imprisonment. One also wonders if subsequent effort to contact the story's lotus ever took place. There are occasional lapses of literary finesse here and there, all forgivable in the reader's need to get to the next page. Four and a-half stars out of five. Bravo! I imagine this review will be in my wife's name as is our Amazon account. Though we seem to live on the same island, I've never met the author, but do know his co-writer. Jake Rohrer, Haiku, Maui
5.0 out of 5 starsCrossing the Border and crossing the LineByDrumhammeron June 19, 2013
Just under the surface of the Romantic Adventures we all associate with the Drug Culture of the 60s,70s and 80s were many lives lost and wasted. Having spent many years involved with the Laguna Beach drug scene, the book LURIGANCHO by Edward Padilla was a must read for me. The members of the Brotherhood of Eternal Love were Pioneers in the Drug Culture of those times. The story that Mr. Padillo tells of his time in Lurigancho prison and of his Spiritual awakening in Peru is so well done, the discomfort of those incarcerated felt moved off the pages and into my Heart. If you have been involved in the Drug Culture I speak of, you must read LURIGANCHO. If you were not involved, you must read LURIGANCHO. If you are considering crossing the Border and crossing the Line, you must read LURIGANCO. Many of us go through Life never recognizing the Shadows we cast.
Lurigancho - Wonderful story of redemption!ByVictoria Benceon May 20, 2013
Lurigancho is an amazing true story about a man's escape from one of the world's toughest prison in Peru. Despite the harsh realities of Ed's true story, this book still has a few laughs too. It has it all too--love, adventure, danger and forgiveness. As Mr. Padilla says in the intro, he is telling his story "...all the way, right down to the terrible bottom, and all the way up." The courage it takes in telling his full story has to be respected. I must say too that learning more about The Brotherhood of Eternal Love was a real education. There is so much that I never knew...
I would recommend this book for adults interested in an uplifting (not preachy) story of personal redemption or those who want a book that they won't be able to put down!
5 starsWow!ByGail Tredwellon September 1, 2013
My initial impression was that this book is not for the faint of heart. However, as I read further I realized that hiding in plain sight behind the mine field of doodoo, blood, gore, and "f" bombs is a heart-rending and captivating story of brotherly love, and the amazing power of the human spirit when it must fight for survival. Even though the majority of the plot is set behind bars, the mastery with which this story is written kept me turning page after page. This true story is shocking, powerful, eye-opening, suspenseful, heart-warming, and delightfully witty and humorous where possible.
Gail Tredwell, author of Holy Hell: A Memoir of Faith, Devotion, and Pure Madness
LuriganchoByhowziton June 24, 2013
Surely this will be turned into a movie. When I had to put Lurigancho down, I woke up at night wondering what happened next. The United States consulate system did not do well by the hero, who was pretty much hung out to dry by his own country. Some of the characters who seemed the lowest of the low turned out to be merely human beings who had found a way to make peace with their fate. At times it was hard to believe this book was not fiction. I googled Lurigancho prison, and am even more amazed that anyone survived it, much less escaped. This is a fascinating picture of a man who willed his way home, in more ways than one.
Wasn't excepting thisByMichael Pooleyon August 21, 2013Format: Paperback
I watched the National Geographic TV show "Busted Abroad" and after watching I heard there was a book out about the same story "Lurigancho" so I wasn't excepting this book to be as good as it really is. When I started reading it, I had a hard time putting it down. As many others have commented I wanted to see what happened next. To be in such a horrendous situation as being locked up in Lurigancho (the casa de Diablo) and with no way out, with no help from their own country in fact the DEA is making sure they stay there without a trail. It is hard to believe how bad this place really is but you can find information about it and it is truly the casa de Diablo. People die daily from disease or being stabbed to death if not beaten to death. The guards or the inmates are killing many inmates. The story is full of violence, romance, fellowship, tails of spirituality, hope and mostly despair. With determination alone and not ever wanting to spend another day within this hell and with the help of God they escape and they live to tell the story. I recommend everyone to read this book, you will be happy you did. You will realize your life is so much better no matter where you are.
This book would make a good movie along the likes of "Midnight Express" and others. The story line is compelling and truthful enough to be a movie hit. When reading the book you become one of the inmates smelling what he smell and seeing what he sees and worse living what he was experiencing but at home reading knowing you wouldn't have survived what they just did. Truly a good read.
Comment ByKim S Goldbergeron July 16, 2013
This true story will grip you & reel you in from the very beginning and the fact that it is true will stun you even more as you turn each page. Edward Padilla goes to Peru to buy drugs to finance and spread the ideals of the Brotherhood of Eternal Love, established by himself and some close friends in the early 1960's in Laguna Beach, CA. Things go awry soon after the drug deal and Ed and two buddies are caught with cocaine and immediately incarcerated into the worlds most notoriously dangerous prison just outside Lima, Peru called Lurigancho. The storyline is so intense and masterfully written that the sights, sounds and even the smells described will make you feel like you are right there. Even though the story spans over 4 years in this prison, there is never a dull moment. Once you start reading what goes on in a prison like this, it is unfathomable to believe that they even survived one month, let alone 4 years. There is amazing insight into the corruption of the Peruvian government which in hindsight was incited by the United States governments War on Drugs program. Padilla's personal commentary comes from deep inside his soul and the fact that he was able to somewhat keep his sanity, sense of humor and make the most bizarre connections with fascinating and extremely corrupted characters within the prison system will astonish anyone that reads this. The fact that he has made amends & lives to this day as a drug counselor is just awe-inspiring. I would not be surprised in the least bit if this becomes a movie, it's that riveting.
"Be prepared to bleed" Joni Mitchell ByCarl Keaneon June 13, 2013
Not for the faint of heart, but if you picked up Lurigancho, Edward Padilla's cathartic memoir then you already know what you are getting in to....third world filth, fatalism and betrayal. And that's just the first few pages! But the real beauty, as another reviewer pointed out, is how Mr. Padilla and Mr. Wood don't simply set up the work as black and white. Perhaps a mirror of Mr. Padilla's mixed heritage, Hispanic father, white mother, and a dose of moving from south central LA to ultra-white Orange County,California, the characters he encounters are painted as multi-dimensional save for the infamous general Del Gado. Amazingly, in the midst of the prison stink and death-walks thru "the big hall," there is humor. It would help if you grew up surfing or at least around surfers because there is a history of sarcasm amongst us, it just seems inate, perhaps as a way of dealing with being held underwater for what seems like days as you bounce off a coral reef :)But the bond Mr. Padilla has with the other gringo prisoners and their unique coping mechanisms brings to mind a perverse version of wave riding Hogan's Heroes, (as an aside, he chooses to name one of the characters Richard Brewer...which I love). Again, if you surf, you'll get the insiderism there.
In summary, I will say this, I started the book at 11 am on my rear deck under a cloudless mid-morning sky and finished it on the front porch just before the sun dropped below the mountain....it was a fast, terrifying ride!
Betrayal, fall and redemptionByWarren A Allenon May 26, 2013
God only knows how Eddie Padilla survived this dark saga of lust, betrayal, loss of human dignity, suffering, and -- finally -- redemption. It's lucky for us that he seized his opportunity to slip away, because he was then compelled to start writing.
This story has been written up in Slake magazine, and recently profiled in a National Geographic TV special, but those fractional accounts leave one hungry for the whole story -- the full depth of the brutality of his incarceration, certainly... but also the greater breadth of the tale -- the backstory that allows us to better understand how all of this could ever have happened... How a tough and ethnically complex kid from South Central LA and the car-club-strewn streets of Ahaheim could find Om Tao with the Brotherhood of Eternal Love, only to have it all come undone on the beaches and cottages of Maui and Tahiti... paving the way toward a final takedown and incarceration in Peru.
Because Eddie doesn't pull his punches, we are hit with the full unnerving force of the account, permitting it to resonate as a true human myth -- one that stretches to the extremes of human endurance... and yields, eventually, to a more complete understanding, and to the profound need to be of service.
A Gripping ReadByLaurie Rohreron August 11, 2013
Lurigancho is a gripping read, a page-turner of a story filled with lurid (no pun) circumstance, characters that range from colorful to demented, international politico-legal intrigue, and, believe it or not, even a love theme that grows like a lotus from the mud. It is not published as fiction, non-fiction or memoir, only the author's claim of true story, which is okay with me. You couldn't make this stuff up. It rings too true and, visually, it fits right alongside The Midnight Express and the Mexican prison scenes from All the Pretty Horses. Both brutal and uplifting. At times I wanted more information, such as resolution of pending problems when returned to the U.S. and more detail on the scheme that led to arrest and imprisonment. One also wonders if subsequent effort to contact the story's lotus ever took place. There are occasional lapses of literary finesse here and there, all forgivable in the reader's need to get to the next page. Four and a-half stars out of five. Bravo! I imagine this review will be in my wife's name as is our Amazon account. Though we seem to live on the same island, I've never met the author, but do know his co-writer. Jake Rohrer, Haiku, Maui
Eye opener to say the least...ByShaNaeon October 20, 2013Format: Paperback
I read Lurigancho in a matter of days. Simply stated, I couldn't put it down. Not only is Eddie my family, so the book really hit home for me, but the way it's written and the stories within, are absolutely riveting. He takes you to the depths of hell, keeping the reality of his time in Lurigancho very real. It's authentic and personal. You are allowed into some of Eddie's most personal moments and self realizations. He managed to tie in spirituality to a place where peace and holiness are non-existent. He found himself at rock bottom, like many of us do. He wound up in a place that wreaked of evil, abandoned by his own country and people he trusted and loved. But while there, he took time to prioritize his life, create dreams and aspirations, take personal responsibility for his life's mistakes, and re evaluate his place and purpose in this world. His story of self redemption has it all. Love, horror, forgiveness, dedication, suspense, and even humor. It's a MUST READ for anyone seeking to expand their knowledge. Eye opening, and educational, this book was one of the best. You won't be disappointed!
5.0 out of 5 starsLurigancho ... Great Storytelling!ByEugene Belmonton June 20, 2013
This possibly one of the best books I've read in a very long time. You don't have to be of the Drug Culture to enjoy the read. The story is not specifically about drugs. It's about the experience of being an inmate of a notorious, evil prison system--Lurigancho. That's the story. And it's skillfully told.
Wood and Padilla have, it appears, taken great pains not to mess up the story line. There are many characters other than Padilla, that would have warranted greater detail, but the authors were not seduced by that temptation. They grabbed the detail by lively edgy dialogue ... sometimes harsh, but real, Padilla's awakening to prison relationships, and his own introspection.
If the story makes you angry, good. If some of the more grisly incidents make you cringe, good. If the some of the relationships, that unexpectedly unfold, give you a better understanding of the human spirit, excellent. That's what the story is all about.
5.0 out of 5 starsAn Absolute Must-Read!Bymary webbon December 23, 2014
Anyone wondering what they might do if they were abandoned in Hell needs to read this book. Edward Padilla shares his harrowing years in Lurigancho Prison (the prison Amnesty International labels the worst prison in the world) in such a real and raw way that the reader can feel his pain, his determination and his will to survive against the greatest of odds. I will be forever touched by what I read and learned from this generous insight into a most remarkable life and and into the spirit and soul that is Edward Padilla. Without giving away too much of this great story, suffice it to say that most "Locked Up Abroad" episodes (including the one outlining this story) look like a slap on the wrist compared to the reality of Edward Padilla's astonishing experience in Lurigancho. This needs to be a major motion picture.
5.0 out of 5 starsI couldn't put this book down!ByCatherineon May 12, 2014
I read this riveting and historical book in two days. This is one of the better biographies that I have ever read. When I finished reading Lurigancho, I was left hoping that Mr. Padilla would write another follow-up account of this life-defining saga of human will, determination, hope, greed, despair, betrayal, suffering, and temptation. The description of the characters involved and daily life in this God-forsaken prison was fascinating. What a study in human nature on many levels, that also captured an era, and a secret society, the Hippie Years and the Brotherhood Of Eternal Love, which hopefully won't be forgotten any time soon. I'm hopeful that this book will evolve into a feature film one day.
5.0 out of 5 starsLuriganchoByMauigirlon June 24, 2013Format: Paperback
A brutally honest, true story of being locked up abroad. In hell. Ending with finding Spirit.
An intense read, which you will not be able to put down, and one which will have a chilling effect on you.
I knew some of the members of 'The Brotherhood of Eternal Love' personally while attending high school and beyond on Maui, however, I never really knew.......
Mahalo Eddie Padilla for sharing your incredible journey. Aloha.
5.0 out of 5 starsCompelling!! Absolutely one of the best books I've ever read.ByCarolyn Rose Bonneron July 28, 2013
This is the most compelling book I've ever read. I grew up in this era and my son has heard Mr. Padilla speak. He's a wonderful man a great speaker and quite concerned about all people. He's made it his life's work to help people who have addiction, but this book talked about the HELL he went through to get there, in a foreign Country facing life or death. It's a must read, I loved it.
5.0 out of 5 starsA Page TurnerByK. Weissbergon June 24, 2013
Although the reader knows up front that the main character escapes, the process was amazing. If you are looking for `gory and graphic' you'll find it. I was aghast at the inhumane treatment of prisoners. If you are looking for a `god thing' you will definitely find divine intervention. Against all odds, doors opened. I highly recommend this book. You won't be disappointed.
4.0 out of 5 starsSkip the romantic notion and go right to dialogue!ByElaine Gon April 26, 2014
This book is well written and engaging; frightening and eye opening. It is also a book that should be read...not so much for the romantic notion of comparing it to Papillon or Midnight Express, but for opening dialogue, awareness and debate. Lurigancho, the prison, sounds as frightening as Padilla says it is, but then so does the PIP and Padilla himself at his worse. The coercion, corruption, bribes, and duplicity (or complicity) of the United States even, exemplify the lunacy of justice in Peru. No wonder - right or wrong - Padilla and Brewer escaped. It's mind boggling to think how much longer they would have been detained otherwise. And that's just half the story...then there's Zoila...hmmm.
5.0 out of 5 starsLurigancho Palace A Place Not To VisitByDavid Hallon January 24, 2014
Fantastic story told by the person who lived it. You could feel the emotional highs and lows of life in a Peruvian prison, cherishing small treats when they came on the edge every day just trying to stay alive. Always nice to have a happy ending an angel was with them.
5.0 out of 5 starsSurreal and a must read for so many reasons!ByJohn Wm Hopenon March 27, 2014
Startling and gripping to say the least. It's hard to believe that's it's a true story. It's like an amazing authors vivid imagination come to reality! It's true though and Mr. Padilla telling this story at all is miraculous due to his, now surprising "in the past" circumstances. So raw, so human. Awesome!
Comment Bychemical007on March 26, 2015
Let me preface by saying I have enormous respect for the Brotherhood Of Eternal Love, and for the author, having read avidly on the extraordinary and often glorious history of the organization. These were exceptionally courageous and visionary people who, in a unique and extremely potent and well-organized, attempted to make the world a far better place.
Given that, I was anxious to read a personal account by one of the major protagonists in this history.
What first struck me about this book was how well it was written and how very polished the prose and outlay were.
It was highly readable, intelligent and energetic. On that account, it deserved four stars or higher.
I was less favorably impressed by the prominent role lavish accounts of gratuitous violence overwhelmed what could have been an important document into the philosophy and action of a principal in the BEL. There is no doubt that the subject matter of this account was inescapably and horrifically violent, but to use this as a vehicle to introject tension into the narrative was unnecessary. And, while the author claims there is no fictionalization in his story, it is clear that
the book is patterned along the lines of a bloodthirsty, action-packed adventure and many tired cliches and tales too representative of the genre to be realistic abound, to the point where it is clear the need to aggrandize for the sake of thrills dominates over the more serious need to fashion a serious, historically-based account.
So, we have a situation where a great opportunity has been seconded to the need for sensationalism and yet all is not lost: the author nevertheless retains a cool lucidity and intelligent assessment of the story as it unfolds.
As long as the reader has the ability to filter out the garish and lurid superficial facade that appears on casual examination to be the sole purpose of the book, he or she will be rewarded by the smooth and savvy perspective of
a truly remarkable man who travelled a route through life powered by a cosmic energy and faith largely lost to the world today.
If only people such as the author would return in force to try to change the world once again
5.0 out of 5 starsI laughed, cried and dreamt about the characters in Mr. Padilla's book that I was introduced to.ByVirginiaon November 10, 2013
Mr. Padilla wrote a profound and moving story about choices and situations that transformed his life. His story telling style spoke to me about humanity, love and hope on all levels. I could not put it down. I highly recommend it and have bought copies for several of my friends who want to read a fantastic book.
5.0 out of 5 starsA really great read!ByRick Emenson September 18, 2013
A very harrowing, exciting, and suspenseful story. It's hard to imagine being in a situation like this and that a place like this even exists today. I highly recommend it to anyone who appreciates a real life thriller. Buy it, you won't be sorry.
5.0 out of 5 starsGreat read!BySuSuon October 2, 2013
Would recommend to anyone who likes true stories that are really well written. It's a page turner - read it now!
Mr. Padilla wrote a profound and moving story about choices and situations that transformed his life. His story telling style spoke to me about humanity, love and hope on all levels. I could not put it down. I highly recommend it and have bought copies for several of my friends who want to read a fantastic book.
5.0 out of 5 starsA really great read!ByRick Emenson September 18, 2013
A very harrowing, exciting, and suspenseful story. It's hard to imagine being in a situation like this and that a place like this even exists today. I highly recommend it to anyone who appreciates a real life thriller. Buy it, you won't be sorry.
5.0 out of 5 starsGreat read!BySuSuon October 2, 2013
Would recommend to anyone who likes true stories that are really well written. It's a page turner - read it now!