Children of the Days: A Calendar of Human History

Starting this book I did not know what to expect. Such short snippets for each day of the year. It works and Eduardo has managed to produce a minor masterpiece of profound insights, vision, and historical perspective that is unique in my experience. I suggest that anyone even slightly interested in understanding the human condition throughout history give the book a try.

Eduardo Galeano, who died earlier this year, was truly one of the great writers of the last century, a man who took on as his project nothing less than the entire scope of Latin American and world history as experienced by the oppressed. He aimed to tell the stories that have been omitted from the textbooks and restore the memories that have been (often intentionally) erased by our cultural consciousness and institutions of power. His work is both heart-wrenching and inspiring, tragic and infused with hope. Galeano shatters the idea that progress is linear and inevitable or that things have changed as much as we are told, while leaving his readers with a sense of mission and of possibility that real justice is achievable.Children of the Days is the second-to-last of his books, and follows in the footsteps of his Memory of Fire trilogy. In the latter, he retells the creation stories of the indigenous people of Latin America and goes on to write a brief vignette for each year beginning in 1492 through the 20th century of how those people and those who came after them confronted the arrival of the Old World and its ways. In this book, he repeats that feat for each day of the calendar year.The result is incredibly powerful. It serves as an indictment of imperialism, colonialism, capitalism, sexism, racism, the dehumanization of the indigenous citizens of the planet, homophobia, militarism, industrialization, corporate power, the global finance structure, American foreign policy, the degradation of our environment, the War on Terror, advertising and propaganda, international aid, appropriation, the Catholic Church and organized religious institutions as a whole and the idea that ‘progress,’ ‘development,’ ‘decency,’ ‘morality’ and ‘civilization’ mean what they’ve often been used to mean. It also serves as a celebration of the individual and groups of people who were abused in the name of these systems and rose up against them, sharing their bravery and successes with the world and not permitting them to be forgotten. It is a people’s history in the truest sense of the words, one that puts those at the bottom at the center and never ignores what their resistance cost them, written by a man with no small amount of faith and wonder in people.Children of the Days is beautifully written, with a sharp sense of irony along with the outrage and a respect for the power of language. Subject matter aside, Eduardo Galeano could’ve written a software licensing agreement that you wouldn’t be able to put down. He has real insight to offer about humanity and the human condition along with our social structures, and it’s not just the people’s stories he reveals that will haunt you long after you’ve finished.This book and its efforts to protect the collective memory of ordinary citizens of Latin America and the world join the Memory of Fire trilogy and Open Veins of Latin America as must-reads.

This is my read every morning with my coffee. It wakes me up to the reality of our world. Each anecdote -- half to one page -- is written for each date of the year. Half way through the book i.e. half way through the year, you realize what a blessing this unique South American writer brings to the world. Where else would you sip your coffee and open the anecdote for June 21, 2001, a soccer match between Genoa and Treviso, in Italy. The latter had one black player, a Nigerian, who would always be greeted with racial chants. On this day, the stadium was silent. All the other ten players from Treviso were on the field with their faces painted black. Wow! Maybe there is some hope for humanity after all!

The author takes each day of the year and gives you a short few paragraphs or a page about a person in history connected to that date. The author is South American, so many of the pages reflect people and events from his continent. It is not a book to cheer you up. One day's event was the execution of a woman who stood up against tyranny, and the odd twist that caused her story to be so obscure.. But these short insights into the lives and deaths of people who made a difference, good or bad, captivated me and I read the book through in less than two days then loaned it to a friend. When I get it back I will read it again.

This is a stirring book with 365 examples of people whose courageous lives live on for us. While I said I loved it, my reason has more to do with Galeano's beautiful writing and piercing, penetrating accounts of historical events that shaped life as we know it today and hopefully makes us all think about our actions and our contributions to life today.

Galeano's daily "entries" sparked my curiosity. He tells stories that have been buried under the "big stories" of history that everybody gets in the scholarly texts. His heart is with all of those who have been abused, neglected and ignored. But Galeano writes with wit, irony, humility and sometimes simple humor about the shared human experience. His love for all life radiates through his words.This book will make you love history.

I adore Mr. Galeano ever since I listened to him on BookTV. He's so poetic, erudite, bold, and consistent in his writing. He takes the world's worst offenses against humanity and turns each offense into an offering of outrage, hope, chastisement, and truth. He's lovely. In every respect. And this book is really powerful. I read a few pages each evening. There's plenty to think about.

An interesting way to progress through the year. Galeano takes us through history, day by day, commemorating dates and events that normally slip through our attention. His writing style is gripping and poetic. One of my favorite writers.

Interesting and poetical in places, revealing people and places I did not know about, but found the short format frustrating, often found myself wanting to know more. As a starting point, to spark interest, it's excellent.

Lesson in history

A gentle read through 365 days of the year informing us of little known events, of heroes and heroines, many from Latin America, who have touched the world of the author and who illuminate our world.

Loved it, wonderfully written, insightful, distressing but also funny at times. Very poignant.

Excellent and worth rereading.