Some of this is more than a book review. It’s a personal take on some of the historical and current events Charlie Daniels talks about in his book. I may disagree with some, the reader may disagree, but he has opinions, and is intelligent.
I’ve always enjoyed Charlie Daniels music. I just finished reading his autobiography, Never look at the Empty Seats. It’s a well written book, by someone who is more than a musician. He’s a bit of a renaissance man. Obviously, he describes his North Carolina upbringing, how his musical career began and thrived. It wasn’t all milk and honey, there were some tragedies along the way.
He also weighs in on racism, global warming, Judaism and Israel. North Korea Greenland, Russia, and China get honorable mentions.
He spoke about a man, who should’ve been his supervisor in a job he had as a young man, but the man was African-American, so in the Jim Crow American South, this man could not supervise white people. Mr. Daniels explained how he grew up in that environment.
He speaks about his religion. He grew up attending church, but explains how much he learned about Christianity as an adult. I can’t say much about Christianity, as I am not one.
I can say things about being Jewish, though. I’m 95% Ashkenazic Jewish (at least according to 23andme). I’m not religious, but fascinated by the history and culture.
Anyway, back to Mr. Daniels. During the era of Jesus, he describes the Pharisees as self righteous and pompous. I think back to the Mark Burnett, Roma Downey series The Bible, and Boris Johnson’s Dream of Rome. The Pharisees, through the Sanhedrin, were really running Jewish affairs, with the approval of the Roman Empire. Messiahs had been talked about in Jewish tradition before. What scared the Sanhedrin about Jesus was he would threaten their position with the Romans. That’s why they wanted him done away with.
Being Jewish is tough. Why I’ve paraphrased Malcolm X. We didn’t land in Rome, Rome landed on us!
The stories about visiting American troops in Afghanistan and Iraq are touching. Never forget, freedom isn’t free.
Thank you, Mr. Daniels.
Author Michael Charton 