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marogers18's review
4.0
This was a tough read. Not only because of the hate rhetoric used during his time as a skinhead. But seeing such an innocent, impressionable child (he was only 14 when recruited!) be preyed upon by hate mongers and then what he went through when realizing he was wrong and going through he change. What happened with his brother. His family. It was quite sad but also moving. You can tell that he is trying to make up for his sins by writing this book. That’s he’s spending his life doing good. I think he’s an incredibly brave man to put his story out there.
hosborneauthor's review
5.0
Reviewed on behalf of Readers' Favorite
Romantic Violence: Memoirs of an American Skinhead by Christian Picciolini chronicles the author’s experiences growing up in Blue Island, a working class neighborhood in Chicago during the 1980s-1990s. Christian’s life as the son of first generation Italian immigrants is difficult, and he often finds himself left to the care of his grandparents. Not really fitting in anywhere, Christian discovers the world of neo-Nazism through a man named Clark Martell. He swiftly rises through the ranks, displacing the anger and hurt he felt through his absent parents onto the so-called “inferior” races of his blue collar neighborhood. A musician, leader, and criminal, Picciolini finds himself questioning his beliefs after this birth of his sons and the breakdown of his first marriage, and wonders if his convictions are worth the cost of losing his family.
I will admit, I had my reservations going into reading this memoir, yet curiosity got the best of me. I simply could not put this book down. I sat and read, from start to finish, captivated by the engaging writing style and candid confessions of Mr. Picciolini. It certainly could not have been easy to bare his soul in such a way, knowing he may face repercussions from the community of which he had once been so engrained. In truth, I admire him greatly, not only for recognizing that he had been misled, but understanding the cause for his displaced hatred. Although the earlier chapters of the book jump around a bit, the narrative was easy to follow, candid, and compelling. Romantic Violence: Memoirs of an American Skinhead by Christian Picciolini truly opened my eyes to how some racially violent organizations prey on the vulnerabilities of youth in order to sway them from more ethical and moral paths. I only wish I had the ability to rank this higher than five stars. It certainly isn’t a read for everyone, but to those that do take the opportunity, they will not be disappointed.
Romantic Violence: Memoirs of an American Skinhead by Christian Picciolini chronicles the author’s experiences growing up in Blue Island, a working class neighborhood in Chicago during the 1980s-1990s. Christian’s life as the son of first generation Italian immigrants is difficult, and he often finds himself left to the care of his grandparents. Not really fitting in anywhere, Christian discovers the world of neo-Nazism through a man named Clark Martell. He swiftly rises through the ranks, displacing the anger and hurt he felt through his absent parents onto the so-called “inferior” races of his blue collar neighborhood. A musician, leader, and criminal, Picciolini finds himself questioning his beliefs after this birth of his sons and the breakdown of his first marriage, and wonders if his convictions are worth the cost of losing his family.
I will admit, I had my reservations going into reading this memoir, yet curiosity got the best of me. I simply could not put this book down. I sat and read, from start to finish, captivated by the engaging writing style and candid confessions of Mr. Picciolini. It certainly could not have been easy to bare his soul in such a way, knowing he may face repercussions from the community of which he had once been so engrained. In truth, I admire him greatly, not only for recognizing that he had been misled, but understanding the cause for his displaced hatred. Although the earlier chapters of the book jump around a bit, the narrative was easy to follow, candid, and compelling. Romantic Violence: Memoirs of an American Skinhead by Christian Picciolini truly opened my eyes to how some racially violent organizations prey on the vulnerabilities of youth in order to sway them from more ethical and moral paths. I only wish I had the ability to rank this higher than five stars. It certainly isn’t a read for everyone, but to those that do take the opportunity, they will not be disappointed.
radidag's review
5.0
When I started the book I thought how appropriate it was to read something like this in 2017. But what "Romantic Violence" ultimately does is teach you to be kind and compassionate, and that makes it relevant for any time in history.
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