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Title: Born Again: What Really Happened to the White House Hatchet Man
ISBN: 1598593676
Author:
Charles Colson
Publicate Date: 2008-10-13
Publish: 2008-10-13
List Price: $45.99
Average Customer Rating: 4.5
Format: Audio CD
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $29.23
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $65.79
Amazon Merchant Price: $34.95
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| Customer Review: |
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1: God is Good
There are a lot of lessons to be learned from Born Again, and Colson shares them as opposed to teaching them, with the fresh, excited style of new convert so that the reader if he is a crusty old saint (like me) is carried back to the days of his first love.
The book is part political insight, part Wartergate/Nixon history, but mostly testimony, and the testimony of God dealing with and finally saving someone who wasn't particularly looking or particularly worthy or even, in spite of prison coming on, particularly desperate. The issue and focus of the book is on God dealing with man, and the backdrop is Watergate and prison which makes it interesting to a broad spectrum, but the focus is always on the gift of the cross. Colson is a decent, in fact, pretty good writer, and unlike many Watergate figures apparently did his own writing. It still flows, but flows within a framework of authenticity as opposed to slick ghost-writing. I've read a few other of his books, but this is the cornerstone, and it is probably worth reading even to the secular because it was such a pivotal story. Not many testimonies become movies, even Billy Graham movies, and that sort of underlines the significance. Probably to the late 70s and early 80s what Cross and the Switchblade was to the earlier Jesus Freak era. I really enjoyed this book, it both informs and inspires. Critics looking for some disavowal of everything America and conservatism stands for will be disappointed, but again, that's not what the book is about- the politics are merely a vehicle for the story of redemption, and it is spiritual and not political redemption.
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2: Interesting, yes; persuasive, less so.
Charles Colson resembles the adulterous minister in the Scarlet Letter. Before his parishioners, Arthur Dimmesdale confesses error freely but gives no specifics. Colson too confesses overweening pride, but gives no, or few, specifics. And where he gives specifics, he confesses no error. He denies involvement in Watergate but acknowledges defaming Daniel Ellsberg, an action that he alleges is no crime. In fact, he says he had to convince the judge to allow him to plead guilty to obstruction of justice in connection with the Ellsberg matter even though technically he broke no law. Colson did nothing, saw nothing, said nothing. He is a great sinner in the abstract but not in the concrete.
His conversion seems to be genuine but limited. He went from being the grandest political operative to being the grandest sinner. After he found Christ, rather than going home, falling to his knees, opening his heart, and closing his mouth, he went to White House prayer breakfasts and discussed his conversion on "60 Minutes." He surrendered all but the spotlight.
An interesting autobiography still. The portion in which he writes about his prison experience sounds authentic.
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3: A Great Story of God's Ability to Change People!
"Born Again" is the story of Chuck Colson's life from the Nixon presidency to his release from the Maxwell AFB prison facility with some comments on his early life.
The first 250 or so pages deal with his time serving Nixon and of the circumstances that led to his accepting Jesus Christ as his personal Savior and Lord. The book's last 100 pages or so deal with his relationships with other prisoners in the Maxwell facility.
Indeed, some skeptics question whether Colson had a true conversion and is using the book to promote himself. If so, then why does Colson mention a positive change in relationships with his political enemies after becoming a Christian? Indeed, one of his strongest supporters (Harold Hughes) was a Democratic senator from Iowa (Colson was a Republican). Oh well!
The book flows freely and is intensely interesting. "Born Again" reflects the popularity and enjoyable reading of other Colson books. Whether you are a Republican or Democrat (sorry political junkies, God is neither!), a Colson supporter or hater, a Nixon supporter or hater, you will enjoy Colson's "Born Again".
Colson's prison experience was not wasted. God used this time to burden Colson with the need to minister to prisoners today through the worldwide Prison Fellowship ministry. Yet again, God can take something good out of something bad.
Read and enjoy the book and be challenged to realize that despite your background, God can work great and mighty things through a person who is surrendered to Him!
Highly recommended.
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4: I enjoy reading books about Watergate . . .
. . . as readers of my reviews have probably figured out. I have been familiar with this book for many years, but only recently have I taken the time to sit down and read it through.
"Born Again" is an honest and forthright admission of sinfulness and forgiveness, tracing Mr. Colson's path through Watergate and prison to the freedom in Christ he now enjoys.
To the best of my recollection, this is the first book to be published by one of the "Watergate figures". Magruder's book came out shortly afterward, and Haldeman wrote two (contradictory) books on the subject. I wonder if the Charles Colson of 2005 would view the events of 1972-1974 as the Charles Colson of 1976 did. I wonder if he would have made some of the same choices now as he did as a brand-new Christian (with a great deal of guilt on his conscience).
Regardless, both as an "insider's account" of the Nixon White House, and as a testimony of how Christ can change a life, "Born Again" is definitely worth a read.
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5: Creative Writing
Colson's version of what happened during Watergate is a self-serving, sanctimonious whitewash of what he did and what he was responsible for. As the self-syled " Go-to guy" when something needed to be done. As Howard Hunt's boss, it defies belief that he was ignorant of what went on. He managed to get away without any responsibility for what he was surely guilty of and plead guilty to a crime of his choosing, which he hoped not to serve any time for.Surely to be "Born Again" he needs to tell the whole truth rather than this sanitized version.
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