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21 Works 649 Members 14 Reviews

About the Author

George Jonas was born on June 15, 1935 in Budapest, Hungary. Without formal education beyond secondary school, he worked in radio broadcasting in Budapest. He emigrated to Canada after the Soviet Union invaded Hungary in November 1956 to suppress a popular revolt. For more than three decades, he show more was affiliated with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He wrote, produced, and edited dramas and documentary programs including The Scales of Justice. As a newspaper columnist, he worked at The Toronto Sun for 20 years before joining The National Post. He was the author of over 15 fiction and non-fiction books including Beethoven's Mask, Final Decree, A Passion Observed, Reflections on Islam, and By Persons Unknown: The Strange Death of Christine Demeter written with Barbara Amiel. His book, Vengeance: The True Story of an Israeli Counter-Terrorist Team, was adapted into a television movie entitled Sword of Gideon and a movie entitled Munich. His collections of poetry include The Absolute Smile and Selected Poems, 1967-2011. He also wrote the librettos for two one-act operas by Tibor Polgar. He died on January 10, 2016 at the age of 80. (Bowker Author Biography) show less

Works by George Jonas

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Common Knowledge

Birthdate
1935-06-15
Date of death
2016-01-10
Gender
male
Nationality
Canada
Country (for map)
Canada
Birthplace
Budapest, Hungary
Place of death
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Places of residence
Budapest, Hungary
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Education
Lutheran Gymnasium (Hungary)
Occupations
Journalist
newspaper columnist
Relationships
Amiel, Barbara (wife)
Organizations
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Toronto Sun
National Post
Radio Budapest
Short biography
After attending the Lutheran Gymnasium between 1945 and 1954, Jonas worked briefly as a program editor for Radio Budapest. Following the Hungarian uprising of 1956, he emigrated to Canada. He became a script editor (1962), and later TV producer (1971), for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, where he worked until 1985. Since then he has been a freelance journalist, writer, and TV producer based in Toronto. In 2005 he has been appointed Senior Policy Advisor to the Aurea Foundation.

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Reviews

Possibly as near to the truth that one can get, life as a special agent is not necessarily glamourous, and men do not take up this occupation for money. Many young men may dream of being a special agent, few will ever become one, and fewer will in the end derive satisfaction or fulfillment from such an occupation. An informative read, an unpleasant subject.
 
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David-Block | 12 other reviews | Mar 7, 2021 |
*Any political comments will be deleted. I don’t discuss political/religious/social issues on the Internet. So, don’t waste my time and yours. Want a political discussion? Head over to Twitter. Seriously, though.*

For us Greeks, the Olympic Games run in our blood. It is one more reason to be proud. All the citizens of the world associate the 15 days of peace and togetherness with strength, pride, honour. With images of the sacred ceremony of the Olympic Flame, the Olympic movement, the Flag of Peace with the circles of equality and solidarity.

But there are certain people who refuse to learn the meaning of peace, who refuse to respect anything that goes beyond their twisted notion of religion.

When I was ten, I watched a documentary dedicated to the events of the Munich Massacre that took place in the 1972 Olympics. Since that day, one of the strongest images I associate with the global celebration is a monster with a raised gun, standing on the balcony. A monster who didn’t even have the balls to uncover his face. One of the eight beasts that violated every sense of morality, peace and every basic principle that makes us human beings, causing the death of eleven Israeli athletes. It is the memory of a child beginning to understand that no, all is not well with the world. It is the memory of the Games that should have never continued but hey, let’s hear it for the show, right? Not to mention the incompetence (or unwillingness) of the German authorities. And my money is on the second option…

This book is a journey. The 2005 film by Steven Spielberg is a masterpiece. No written words, no movie can depict the horror, the violation, the flag of peace that was torn to pieces by the Black September monsters. But books and films are there for the younger generations.

Lest we forget…

‘’How can we possibly consider merely turning the other cheek to adversaries who are willing to commit crimes on the order of the Munich Massacre or 9/11 - or, for that matter, the Holocaust?’’

And that’s how simple it is...
… (more)
 
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AmaliaGavea | 12 other reviews | May 14, 2020 |
I read this autobiography sometime between my grade 11 and 12 law classes, just before Eddie Greenspan participated in a televised mock re-trial of Louis Riel on the CBC, not because I wanted to be a lawyer but to fight the crushing boredom and tedium of high school. Though this biography was dry and dated, it nevertheless conveyed to me in clear and effective writing a sense of the practice of law, the usual legwork, its tedium, and the hard work necessary to succeed. However, there really needs to be a revised edition, especially one that covers Greenspan's most recent defence cases, e.g. Garth Drabinsky and Conrad Black.… (more)
 
Flagged
GYKM | Jun 8, 2013 |
Sarà tutto vero?
Sarà tutto falso?
Diciamo che è vero un po' e non vero un po' u_u

In fondo se uno vuole informarsi su questa storia ci saranno altri libri, immagino... dei saggi più autorevoli, non come questo che è molto ma molto romanzato.

In ogni caso, chissenefrega della storia vera, è un ottima lettura, appassionante, intrigante e scorrevole. Anche se di parte >_>

Mi era piaciuto quando l'avevo letto per la prima volta anni fa e mi è piaciuto anche stavolta u_u… (more)
 
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Malla-kun | 12 other reviews | Sep 22, 2012 |

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Associated Authors

Black September, Associated Name
Mossad Associated Name
Schwarzer September, Associated Name

Statistics

Works
21
Members
649
Popularity
#38,891
Rating
3.8
Reviews
14
ISBNs
53
Languages
10

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