Bøker av Anne Manne

A searing expose of institutional child abuse, and the remarkable story of the survivors who would not be silenced'A unique story of pain and triumph told superbly by Anne Manne, who follows victims of abuse as they shatter an old alliance between leading citizens of Newcastle and its Anglican cathedral on the hill which for decades protected brazen paedophile priests. In all the writing of the last few years about clerical child abuse, there's nothing like Crimes of the Cross.' - David MarrFor many years, Newcastle was the centre of a sinister paedophile network run by members of the Anglican Church - and protected by parishioners and community members who looked the other way.In this gripping book, Anne Manne reveals how this network avoided detection for so long, and how its ringleaders were finally exposed and brought to justice. At the heart of the story is a survivor, Steve Smith, who endured years of childhood abuse but refused to be silenced.Drawing on extensive research and interviews with survivors, clergy, lay people, police and others, Manne explores how the network operated and how it became entrenched in the upper echelons of Newcastle society. She offers deep insights into the minds and strategies of abusers and pays tribute to the victims and their tireless struggle for justice. Child sexual abuse has previously been thought of as an individual crime; Manne pioneers an examination of it as part of a network.This is an unforgettable story of courage in the face of unthinkable evil.'This story gripped me from the first page and refused to let go. The courage expressed, the clear criminality within the Anglican Church, the vividness of the writing - all of it has remained with me ever since. This book is a singular achievement, and I cannot recommend it more highly.' - Jess Hill

Far from being the work of a madman, Anders Breivik's murderous rampage in Norway was the action of an extreme narcissist. As the dead lay around him, he held up a finger asking for a Band-Aid. Written with the pace of a psychological thriller, The Life of I is a compelling account of the rise of narcissism in individuals and society. Manne examines the Lance Armstrong doping scandal and the alarming rise of sexual assaults in sport and the military, as well as the vengeful killings of Elliot Rodger in California. She looks at narcissism in the pursuit of fame and our obsession with 'making it'. She goes beyond the usual suspects of social media and celebrity culture to the deeper root of the issue: how a new narcissistic character-type is being fuelled by a cult of the self and the pursuit of wealth in a hypercompetitive consumer society. The Life of I also offers insights from the latest work in psychology, looking at how narcissism develops. But Manne also shows that there is an alternative: how to transcend narcissism, to be fully alive to the presence of others; how to create a world where love and care are no longer turned inward."

Anne Manne reflects on her idyllic childhood in rural Australia in this charming collection of vignettes. First published as an occasional series in Quadrant magazine in the early 1990s, this marks the first time these delightful stories have been gathered together in one single anthology.