E-mail a friendJanuary 18, 2007
Former Republic of Ghana president Jerry Rawlings critiques the Bush doctrine. Jarhead author Anthony Swofford talks about the inspiration for his new book, the novel, Exit A.
Jerry Rawlings
Jerry Rawlings
Jerry Rawlings tells about teaching Stevie Wonder to fly a plane.
Jerry Rawlings served twice as president of the Republic of Ghana. Born in Accra, he attended military schools, becoming a skilled pilot and a flight lieutenant. His involvement with some young officers led to an unsuccessful military coup, but he succeeded in overthrowing the government in '79. He relinquished power to an elected government, which he overthrew in '81 and went on to win two free elections. Per constitutional mandate, Rawlings' term of office ended in '00; he retired in '01.
Anthony Swofford
Anthony Swofford
In '91, at age 20, Anthony Swofford went to war in the Gulf, serving in a U.S. Marine Corps platoon. He's now a best-selling author. After the war, Swofford went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts in writing. He taught at several institutions, including St. Mary's College of California, until he sold the film rights to his book, Jarhead - an account of his wartime experience. Swofford's pieces have appeared in various publications, including Harpers, and his first novel, Exit A, was recently released.