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2 unusual facts about In God's Country


In God's Country

The cover art (photographed by Anton Corbijn), sleeve (designed by Steve Averill), and B-sides ("Bullet the Blue Sky" and "Running to Stand Still") were identical to those used for U2's 1988 single "One Tree Hill", released only in New Zealand and Australia.

Bono has stated that he originally didn't know whether the song was about Ireland or America, but eventually dedicated it to the Statue of Liberty.


Bill Radovich

He is best remembered as Moose McCall in "Trouble Along the Way", Ogeechuch in "The World in His Arms", Eunuch in "The Golden Blade", Lagi in "Back to God's Country", Hassan in "Against All Flags", and many other tough character roles.

Cardinal Lamberto

Various theories, such as the one outlined in David Yallop's 1984 book, In God's Name, have suggested that Luciani was murdered because he was investigating and planning reforms for the Vatican Bank, in light of the Banco Ambrosiano scandal.

In God's Name

In conversation with several people, the Pope had indicated that a rethink of the encyclical Humanae Vitae was needed, allowing the use of the contraceptive pill among the faithful.

This corruption was real and is known to have involved the bank's head, Paul Marcinkus, along with Roberto Calvi of the Banco Ambrosiano.

Yallop proposes the theory that the pope was in "potential danger" because of corruption in the Istituto per le Opere Religiose (IOR, Institute of Religious Works, the Vatican's most powerful financial institution, commonly known as the Vatican Bank), which owned many shares in Banco Ambrosiano.

The Gate to Women's Country

In the story's present, Stavia prepares for her role as Iphigenia in Marthatown's annual performance of Iphigenia at Ilium, a reworking of the Greek tragedy The Trojan Women that weaves through the novel as a leitmotif.


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