Young Adult Fiction

A large chunk of my reading this year was YA (30 of 79 books were roughly in this category) so I had a lot of books to chose from in 2011. So here are ten of my favorites in no particular order:

1. 

   Cover of The Wednesday Wars

   I am going to cheat a little and put two books by Gary D. Schmidt on the list, Okay or Now and The Wednesday Wars.  ”Great stories, great characters, imaginative settings and clear writing make these two books great reads. I highly recommend them.”

2. I am also going to put N.D. Wilson here because I can’t choose just one of his wonderful books I read this year: The Dragon’s Tooth (start of the new Ashtown Burials series) and the entire 100 Cupboards series)  ”… if you like large, complex and imaginative fantasy series this one is a must read.”
3. Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby “Kirby weaves a great tale. There is historical detail, psychological insight, mystery, intrigue and more.”
4. Skellig by David Almond “It is a simple and yet powerful story of friendship, family, compassion and faith.”
5. The Search for Wondla by Tony DiTerlizzi “The world DiTerlizzi has created is captivating and mysterious enough that you want to keep reading; not just to see the next illustration but to dig a little deeper into the mystery.”

Non-Fiction

I also read more non-fiction in 2011 (25 books) so this a large list to choose from as well.

1. Love Wins by Rob Bell – The most controversial book of 2011 – and of recent years – in the evangelical world. I have avoided reviewing it because of the difficulty of covering all of the various issues and debates but it is a powerful book (I read it three times).  ”… the overwhelming reaction I had to the book was one of inspiration and deeper thought. Few people I have read challenge you to rethink your ideas and reshape your perspective better than Bell.”
2. Three and Out: Rich Rodriguez and the Michigan Wolverines in the Crucible of College Football by John U. Bacon  “… if you are simply a fan of college football, or interested in big-time college athletics more generally, it is a fascinating read. “
3. God Is Red by Liao Yiwu.  ”If you feel sorry for yourself, read this book. If you think American politics are bad, read this book. If you need some inspiration for your faith, read this book.”
4. James Madison by Richard Brookhiser  ”Brookhiser writes popular history as it should be: learned and insightful but not exhausting; with sharp writing not afraid to offer an opinion but not polemical for the sake of scoring points; with prose that is clear and a joy to read.”
5. American Grace by Robert Putnam, David E. Campbell  ”… a fascinating and informative look at religious life in America.”

Adult Fiction

I read very little “adult” fiction this year and so don’t have much to recommend. One of my goals for 2012 is to read more and better fiction.

1. The Magician King by Lev Grossman “Even if you don’t think he quite pulls it off I think he will keep you entertained and intrigued about the process; make you think about your expectations and conceptions of genre and story.”
2. The Break by Pietro Grossi “… further proof that you don’t need a thousand pages to create evocative and beautiful prose – or to create a compelling story.”
3. Little Elvises by Timothy Hallinan “… another enjoyable romp through Los Angeles with a memorable cast of characters, Hallinan’s dry and wry sense of humor, and a twisting plot that leaves you rushing to figure out the mystery at the heart of the story.”

What books were your favorites from 2011?

Sure enough, Buckley is as fair-minded a study of its subject’s career as you could possibly expect from a contributor to The Nation and Tikkun. It deals bluntly but honestly with such difficult topics as his equivocal views on civil rights, and it gives him full credit for having purged the conservative movement of such “loonies” (Buckley’s word) as the members of the John Birch Society. Above all, Bogus recognizes that “Buckley and his colleagues changed America’s political realities,” both by making conservatism intellectually and socially respectable and by turning the GOP into something not far removed from a genuine conservative party.

But Buckley is too soberly written to be of interest to the average reader, and the only full-scale biography, John B. Judis’s William F. Buckley, Jr.: Patron Saint of Conservatives (1988), is both outdated and overly partisan. The best thing published so far about Buckley is Richard Brookhiser’s Right Time, Right Place: Coming of Age with William F. Buckley Jr., and the Conservative Movement (2009), a sympathetic, at times startlingly candid memoir that describes him more vividly than anything other than Buckley’s own autobiographical volumes, of which Cruising Speed: A Documentary(1971) is the first and best. What is now needed is an up-to-date biography written by someone with the twin gifts of literary portraiture and historical perspective. This, alas, isn’t it.

Frustrating because I was looking forward to reading it (and probably still will).

Speaking of Richard Brookhiser, Richard Beeman finds his bio of James Madison worth reading:

The amount of scholarship chronicling these events is immense, and although Brook­hiser is somewhat sparing in acknowledging his debts to historians who have preceded him, his sprightly narrative will serve as an entertaining introduction for those who are making their first acquaintance with Madison. Moreover, Brookhiser’s book is a useful corrective to some of the recent works in the fields of political science and law that place excessive emphasis on Madison the theorist.

For more on Brookhiser from my perspective, see the related articles links below.

And from a completely different perspective, Eloisa James brings a book to my attention (Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact By A. J. HARTLEY) that I think will be added to the ever-growing TBR pile:

Post Harry Potter, we can all sketch the outlines of a paranormal private school novel. Darwen Arkwright is a far odder and more creative addition to the genre than I have read in years. Darwen has powers of a sort…but he also has the ability to behave like a bumbler, like a dunce, like a grieving boy. The book never relies on paranormal flourishes alone to carry the reader’s interest. A. J. Hartley shows an uncanny, brilliant ability to shape the inner life of an unmoored child, who realizes that the worst thing of all is that there’s no one to be disappointed in him.

This sounds like a great fit for me and a potential read aloud book for my daughter.

Related articles

• Q&A with Richard Brookhiser on Right Time, Right Place (therightreads.com)
• James Madison by Richard Brookhiser (collectedmiscellany.com)
• Is James Madison an under-appreciated founding father? (collectedmiscellany.com)
• Right Time, Right Place by Richard Brookhiser (therightreads.com)

But in his biography of founding father James Madison, Richard Brookhiser argues that politics is the working out of our ideals; that for freedom, democracy and republican government to function in the real world requires politics and all the baggage that entails.

We pay much less attention to James Madison, Father of Politics, than we do James Madison, Father of the Constitution. That is because politics embarrasses us. Politics is the spectacle on television and YouTube, the daily perp walk on the Huffington Post and the Drudge Report. Surely our founders and framers lefts us something better, more solid, more inspiring than that? They did. But they all knew - and Madison understood better than any of them – that ideals come to life in dozens of political transactions every day. Some of these transactions aren’t pretty. You can understand this and try to work with this knowledge, or you can look away. But ignoring politics will not make it stop. It will simply go on without you – and sooner or later will happen to you.

Madison is one of, if not the, smartest of the founders but he lacked the stature of Washington, or the eloquence of a Thomas Jefferson or a Patrick Henry, and so his intelligence is sometimes overlooked. Madison may not have been an eloquent speaker – he often spoke so quietly that the audience couldn’t hear him – or writer but he learned to master many of the important skills necessary to move public opinion, pass legislation and build coalitions.

In fact, he developed a conception of political action that modern readers will recognize.  At a time when most people understood the role of the public as cyclical (citizens vote, let their leaders lead and then either vote them out or return them to power based on the results) Madison began to develop a view of public opinion as a necessary part of leadership and governing.

Madison also realized that in order to succeed long-term, he needed another tool: a political party. And so with the help of Thomas Jefferson he built the Republican Party – which rather confusingly eventually changed its name and became today’s Democratic Party. Where parties, often known as factions, were once looked down upon Madison played a big role in making them a standard part of elections and governance.

And in many ways Madison’s story is the story of how that party triumphed while the party of Washington and Hamilton faded away. This led to the Virginia Dynasty; two terms each for Jefferson, Madison and Monroe. And it ended the long friendship and partnership between Madison and George Washington.

Madison also sought to use public opinion as part of coalition building and governing; while seeking to mold that opinion to his ends. This included journalism, public speaking, lobbying and more – in other words what we call politics.

As a result, Brookhiser gives a tour of the development of American politics from the battles over the Constitution to the War of 1812 and the battles that prefigured the Civil War.  This included the nature of federal power versus state’s rights; trade and economic development; international relations and military strategy; and a number of important constitutional questions.

Madison played a central role in every major debate of this period and served in government at every level; from state and local bodies and conventions to Congress, the cabinet and eventually the presidency.  His life is a great window into this time period and the issues, ideas and personalities involved.

And this is where Brookhiser shines. His writing is crisp and clear.  He is not afraid to make judgments and offer assessments. He doesn’t feel the need to drown the reader in detail, but rather offers an overview and quick sketches of important events and characters.

The story is full of one line descriptions and aphorisms; of memorable opinion and useful insights.

On John Adams:

If Adams had had to make a living as a journalist, he would have starved; he hid diamonds of psychological insight in dunghills of pedantry.

On John Randolph of Roanoke:

All his life, his voice never broke and he never used a razor. He kept the world in awe with his quick tongue and quicker temper. In his twenties and thirties, he was not as crazy as he would later become, after alcohol, opium, and disappointment had done their work. But he was always willful and domineering.

On Thomas Jefferson:

Jefferson had a gift of seeing views and making leaps. He was a prophet; he was also a bluejay, snatching at every shiny idea that caught his eye. He expressed his thoughts in crystal-clear words; the words in turn brightened the thoughts.

On Madison’s relationship with Jefferson:

Madison was like a box in which Jefferson could deposit his savvy, on occasions when it conflicted with his other impulses or emotions. But Jefferson always remembered how to find it again.

Brookhiser writes popular history as it should be: learned and insightful but not exhausting; with sharp writing not afraid to offer an opinion but not polemical for the sake of scoring points; with prose that is clear and a joy to read.

If you are interested in the founders and framers, the politics of the immediate post constitution era, or just good and engaging history you should check out Richard Brookhiser’s books.

And this biography of James Madison has much to teach us today as we engage in politics:

Politics can be low, sometimes sordid. Much of that has to be endured, because that is the way men are. “If men were angels,” as Madison wrote, “no government would be necessary.”  But some of the shortcomings of politics may be capable of improvement. So say why and do better.  As Madison also wrote, “The censorial power is in the people over the government, and not in the government over the people.” Both of those remarks were addressed to government, but they also apply to politics.

Madison at his best, and worst, belongs not just to his family, but to every citizen. We have been working together for a long time.

Worth thinking about this primary season and heading into 2012.

Related articles

• Is James Madison an under-appreciated founding father? (collectedmiscellany.com)

Listen below.

1) John the Baptizer by Brooks Hansen:

No matter your faith background, or lack of it, or your knowledge of the Bible, or lack of it, I highly recommend John The Baptizer.  Its blends the historical and the literary in ways that defy genre and subject matter to create a powerful story.

2) Right Time, Right Place by Richard Brookhiser

For anyone wanting to understand the conservative movement, and its flagship magazine, Right Time, Right Place is a must read.  And anyone interested in becoming a journalist/writer would do well to read it. But at its heart is a more humane vision: that being true to your ideals and friends is what’s important.

3) The Everafter War by Michael Buckley

With the Everafter War Michael Buckley again shows why this series has won the acclaim and popularity it has.  Each book has just the right amount of humor and seriousness; of plot and character development mixed with satire and slapstick.  He keeps the reader guessing – although both the traitor and the master are pretty easy to spot – and despite all the silliness (and the YA audience) the characters are surprisingly well developed. It is just an ideal light read for me and for kids of all ages.

4) The New Policeman by Kate Thompson

So whether you are fascinated by Celtic lore, love traditional Irish music, or just enjoy creative storytelling, there is plenty to like in The New Policemen.  Thompson’s love of Ireland – its culture, history, people, and land – comes shining through and it is infectious.  When combined with a unique adventure story it makes for enjoyable reading. I recommend it for readers young and old.

5) Through Black Spruce by Joseph Boyden

This is something of a big complicated mess.  And yet it is a big complicated beautiful mess.  And not to sound cliche, but ain’t that life?

6) Leap Over a Wall by Eugene Peterson

Eugene Peterson takes the story of David and reveals the important theological insights it offers in accessible and yet poetic language. Each chapter is a short read but packed with insights into the Christian life and deep thoughts about what it means to be human.

7) Children of Odin by Padraic Colum

So whether you are looking for an accessible introduction to these myths, something interesting for the younger readers you know or if, like me, you just like exploring myths and ancient stories check out the Children of Odin.

8) The Sorceress by Michael Scott

If you have been living in a cave and haven’t stumbled on this series yet, and you like fantasy adventure, I highly recommend it.

This is one of those great series where each book seems to get better and each wait for the next one to come up seems more intolerable.

9) The End of Secularism by Hunter Baker

If you are interested in the subject of secularism or the interaction of faith in the public square you will want to read this book.  It can serve as a useful introduction or an interesting argument/debate kickoff for those with more of a background in the subject.

10) Secret Son by Laila Lalami

Secret Son has many traditional elements: coming of age; rags to riches to rags; East meets West; family versus individual identity; fate versus free will; etc.  But it has a simplicity and honesty that makes it fresh and avoids cliche or a preachy tone.

So there you have it. Ten books I really enjoyed in 2009. What were your favorites in 2009?

It is a temptation that book reviewers must guard against—and will often succumb to anyway. The Great Gatsby and the Declaration of Independence are about the same thing, more or less (the pursuit of happiness), but they are very different works, and neither should be faulted for not being the other.

Worth thinking about for my next review …

–> The American Revolution: A History by Gordon S Wood

The American Revolution is no stranger to the tug and pull of partisan cheerleading posing as scholarship (not to say that some of that cheerleading isn’t accurate and worthwhile). I am sure that those with strong interest and/or knowledge in the subject would say that Gordon S. Wood has a bias and/or “a take” on many of the issues involved but he attempts in this book not to make this a moralistic story of right and wrong but instead views “how the Revolution came about, what its character was, and what its consequences were” as “the questions this brief history seeks to answer.”

In my opinion Wood gives a great overview of the historical, political, and intellectual ideas and events that make up this fascinating time in our country’s history. He does so in a way that is accessible to the average reader but that is still thought provoking and interesting.

–> The American Cause By Russell Kirk

If you were looking for a succinct and well-written primer on traditional American conservatism and the enduring values of the American Founders, you would be hard pressed to do better than The American Cause by Russell Kirk. Henry Regnery originally published this short work in 1957 during the early days of the Cold War. It was later republished in 1966 in the heart of the revolutionary 1960’s. The Intercollegiate Studies Institute has recently decided to again publish this short but timely work. Kirk scholar, and speech writer for former Michigan Governor John Engler, Gleaves Whitney has edited the volume and provided an introduction and afterword. The original work had a heavy emphasis on communism and the communist threat that was appropriate to its time. Whitney has seen to abbreviate or generalize some of the focus on communism as such.

This helps to preserve the meat of the book and to limit the distraction of dated political issues. Much discussion remains about communism as an ideology but Whitney’s editing prevents the work from being seen as merely an anti-communist polemic. The result is a book that is still very pertinent to today’s conflicts. In fact, Kirk’s succinct description of American exceptionalism remains one of the most clearly written and eloquently argued synopses of traditional conservatism around.

–> What Would the Founders Do by Richard Brookhiser

The ever brilliant Richard Brookhiser’s latest work, What Would the Founders Do?, seems well suited to be read this weekend. In WWFD Brookhiser uses his witty and urbane style to outline what the Founding Fathers might think about a variety of issues confronting us today.

If you need something to read on the beach or on the porch swing but you prefer history to the typical summer fare of thrillers or romance novels, Brookhiser would be a good choice.

–> Saratoga by John Luzador

The Battle of Saratoga – the pivotal, some say the most important, battle of the Revolutionary War.  It conjures up images of the British march through the wilds that took weeks to travel a few miles and of Benedict Arnold coming to the rescue of the Americans.  These events and many more are covered in detail in John Luzador’s Saratoga: A Military History of the Decisive Campaign of the American Revolution.

I hope all of you have a safe and wonderful 4th of July weekend!

Since becoming a book reviewer/blogger – and as my life has grown busy with kids, work, etc. – I have gotten more comfortable in not finishing books.  I guess I have less time to waste and so feel less charitable towards bad books.

But it isn’t always a bad book either.  Sometimes a book just doesn’t work for me at the time.  I am not able to focus on it or my mood doesn’t match the book’s style or form. Sometimes things just don’t click and I find it necessary to abandon a book or keep reading out of guilt.

I thought it might be interesting, as a sort of confession, to offer five books I have failed to finish in the last year or so. At least this way the books get a little publicity (there’s no such thing as bad, right?).

Here is my list:

1. Amerika: The Missing Person: A New Translation, Based on the Restored Text by Franz Kafka.  This is one of those that I don’t blame the book so much as my inability to focus.  When I picked this up I had a lot going on and was only reading it in small snippets before bed.  I just never got into it and so put it aside.  I still plan to read it in the future.
2. Binu and the Great Wall by Tong Su.  This one just fell flat for me.  I have read most of the Canongate Myths books and enjoyed them.  But at some point I had to recognize that this one was a chore to read and I didn’t want to finish.  It had some interesting aspects to it, but the story didn’t seem to be going anywhere and held no insights for me.  Perhaps, my unfamiliarity with the source of this myth and the underlying culture handicapped me.
3. George Washington on Leadership by Richard Brookhiser.  This is another one where I blame me rather than the author (who is one of my favorites).  If you are interested in history and leadership this is actually an interesting and informative book.  But I had a lot of other reading to do for my job at the time and I put it aside to work on a project and never picked it up.  It has joined its brothers on the To Be Finished pile.
4. Wide Awake: The Future Is Waiting Within You by Erwin Raphael McManus.  I am not sure what to make of this one.   A publisher was kind enough to send me an advance copy and I thought it would be an interesting book.  But, while I didn’t hate it, it just never seemed to connect for me.  It was a little to close to Christian pop psychology for my tastes and I never finished it.
5. Enduring Justice (Defenders of Hope Series #3) by Amy N. Wallace.  This was a combination.  I was reading it when I had a lot of books I was trying to review and this one was part of a blog tour where I need to post by a certain date.  I had two choices: finish it and all likelihood write a negative review or drop it and move on.  I chose the later.

As you can see, there isn’t really one type of book or genre involved.  What also jumps out at me is the circumstances surrounding my reading.  If I am very busy, under a lot of stress, or doing a lot of reading for work my patience seems to give out quickly.  If I am reading for pleasure, and particularly when I have a lot of books I am really excited about reading, I just have a hard time reading something I don’t enjoy or that seem like work.

When do you stop reading a book?  Do you feel guilty or do you see it as an essential time management tool (life is to short to read bad books)?  Do you put books aside and pick them up again later?  I would love to know your experience.

Image via Wikipedia

I have not posted in a while.  A variety of things contributed to that which I will not bore you with.  On the bright side, I really like the new look of the site and WP 2.8 is working well.

I have for the most part tried to keep partisan politics off this blog.  This is for a number of reasons.  I started this blog to get away from politics and feel that books can be a source of common ground for people who disagree politically.

I started The Right Reads as a place to review and discuss non-fiction dealing with right of center politics.  It seems better to keep that separate from a site that still mostly reviews fiction, history and creative non-fiction rather than political activism and philosophy. I will link to content here when it seems appropriate – and vice versa – that way readers are aware of it and can read it if they so choose but it doesn’t distract from the focus

With that in mind, here are some links from a couple of memoirs tied to William F. Buckley Jr.:

–> Right Time, Right Place by Richard Brookhiser

As the subtitle – Coming of Age with William F. Buckley Jr. and the Conservative Movement –indicates, RTRP is a blend of history, memoir, and political commentary.  I find this type of “creative non-fiction” can lack focus, often jumping between subjects and styles, but Brookhiser’s unique perspective, style and flair for language make this a remarkably focused and powerful read.

It is a very personal and honest look at the man and magazine at the heart of the conservative movement’s rise to power, and eventual return to earth, while at the same time a meditation on the dangers of hero worship and the nature of mature relationships.

–> Q&A with Richard Brookhiser on Right Time, Right Place

–> Losing Mum and Pup by Christopher Buckley

I was prepared to be angry about Christopher Buckley’s latest book Losing Mum and Pup.  I have been a fan – idealized is probably more accurate – of his father’s since a very young age and worried about any attempt at sullying that reputation.  I was so sure a tell-all book about losing both of his parents within a year would be offensive.  Throw in Christo’s (the name his parents used for him) less than astute political judgment of late and I had all but pronounced him beyond the pale.

But I decided to read the book first.  And, despite the difficult nature of the subject, I am glad I did.

Well, to be fair Brookhiser had his first NR cover story at the age of 14; became a senior editor, then managing editor at National Review; was close friends with and, for a time, heir apparent to Buckley; and has written highly successful biographies of the founding fathers.  But take away the talent, ambition, and career success and it’s like we’re the same person!

Joking aside, it would be impossible to calculate how many young writers and politicos idealized and were inspired by Buckley and National Review.  Particularly in the period leading up to Ronald Regan’s election, WFB and NR were at the center of American conservatism.  And Brookhiser’s latest book – Right Time, Right Place – tells the story of what it was like to be at the very inner circle of this fully operational conservative battle station.

As the subtitle – Coming of Age with William F. Buckley Jr. and the Conservative Movement –indicates, RTRP is a blend of history, memoir, and political commentary.  I find this type of “creative non-fiction” can lack focus, often jumping between subjects and styles, but Brookhiser’s unique perspective, style and flair for language make this a remarkably focused and powerful read.

It is a very personal and honest look at the man and magazine at the heart of the conservative movement’s rise to power, and eventual return to earth, while at the same time a meditation on the dangers of hero worship and the nature of mature relationships.

The “hook” of much of the publicity behind the book is the revelation that Buckley promised Brookhiser the helm of NR when he retired and nine years later reneged.  Still in his twenties Brookhiser is taken out to lunch and promised control of the magazine in stages (contributing, senior, managing, editor in chief and sole stock holder) but the promise is to be a secret.  With this in mind, Brookhiser moves up the chain of command at NR.

Then one day he returns to his desk to find an envelope marked confidential.  It contains a letter from the out of town Buckley explaining that he no longer feels Brookhiser is suited to succeed him.  The letter refuses to document details but states that Brookhiser lacks “executive flair” and would be better off utilizing his clear writings talents in a different way.

Remarkably, Brookhiser builds a career as a freelance writer and successful author, but keeps his connection to National Review where he still contributes to this day.

It is clear why the publicists focus on this aspect of the story as it is clearly a compelling one; particularly to anyone interested in the conservative movement and its journalism. It almost seems a cliche at times: prodigy rises to dizzying heights only to have his hero turn on him; prodigy then must rebuild his career and come to peace with his former mentor/idol. But just because it is a classic story arc doesn’t make it any less interesting.

As any conservative writer interested in politics would, Brookhiser clearly idolized Buckley and NR, but his unique and early relationship with WFB made this a particularly strong connection.  For awhile it had to seem as if his dreams were coming true and then, suddenly, all bets were off and he had to rebuild not only his career but a relationship at the center of his life.

Brookhiser himself provides a great summary of this theme:

This is, finally, the story of a relationship. Bill was a generous and devoted man; he was also willful, capricious, impulsive. The former qualities generally prevailed over eruptions of the latter, but the latter could give you a wild ride. I went on a number. One fine day he announced that I would succeed him; another, he announced that I would not (there were other little surprises in store besides those). I was the more susceptible because I was thirty years younger than he was, because I was looking for someone to look up to, because it took me thirty years to realize that friendship is one of the few solid things you can have in this world, and rare enough.

What keeps it from devolving into emotionalism or melodrama is Brookhiser’s style and larger purpose. Brookhiser isn’t interested in writing a sort of conservative kiss-and-tell story where he drops dirt on various conservative luminaries.

Instead he brings his crisp and honest writing style to the history – including his own – of this critical time period.  As he learns his craft, he describes the approach he developed as impressionistic:

If I listened and looked hard enough, the story would tell itself, and if I wrote well enough, I could make you see and hear it too.

Brookhiser writes well enough, of that there is no doubt.  He tells the story of Buckley and NR at the height of their success with candor and insight because he was there; he saw it happen.  And he makes you see it and feel it.  Along the way he gives the reader a much fuller picture of Buckley the man then any hagiography could.

This really is a “coming of age” story.  Brookhiser literally grows up at NR and under the shadow of Buckley.  But he must find his own place.  And although the fracture is painful, and changed the relationship permanently, Brookhiser went on to build his own career and “become his own man.”

The reader is also treated to a sharp and perceptive narrated history of the politics of the period and the figures involved.  Brookhiser offers wonderful sketches of the writers and personalities that were part of NR; the challenges, scandals, and triumphs they experienced; and the politicians and leaders they covered.

In fact, the one thing that struck me while reading it was the wonderful collection of aphorisms it contains; sharp, insightful, biting, and humorous.  A sampling:

On Jimmy Carter:

Jimmy Carter is the worst ex-president in history, but he was also, after an erratic start, a very bad president: small-minded, moralizing, and incompetent.

Describing the way James Baker seemed to pop up everywhere not matter his previous success:

Like carbonation, he rose with every shake-up.

On the role of intellectuals in politics:

Intellectuals are the Kleenex of administrations – used, then discarded.

On Buckley’s particular weakness:

Bill, like time, worshipped language and forgave everyone by whom it lived

On writers selling out for Bill Clinton:

The wizard in The Firebird keeps his sold in an egg. Writers keep their souls, or great parts of them, in their words.  If they throw words away, they destroy themselves.  And what, after that sacrifice, would he [Sid Blumenthal] and other Clintonites be willing to do for their leader?

On the Adamses as a political dynasty:

The Adamses were hands-on fathers, which was equally bad: John had three sons, two alcoholics and a president; John Quincy had three sons, two alcoholics and a candidate for president. In that family, if you weren’t presidential material, you could tell it to the bartender.

Just as Brookhiser’s biographies get to the heart of their subject without the often dry writing of academic history, his retelling of the conservative movement gives you a lively and interesting broad overview but this time it comes with an insider’s glimpse into the figures involved.  For anyone interested in the movement, its history and personalities, this is great stuff.

Here he describes the birth of a new form of television via John McLaughlin (one time Washington correspondent for NR):

The most important thing that McLaughlin accomplished had nothing to do with National Review; he transformed the medium of political talk, incidentally sounding the death knell for Firing Line.  The McLaughlin Group invented the political sitcom.  Each character was a personality; what they said counted for nothing.

Or here he attempts to explain the break between the first President Bush and conservatives:

Why were conservatives sick of George H. W. Bush as his re-election approached? We pointed to specific mistakes, from raising taxes to his tied tongue, but we also judged hum by the unforgiving standard of nostalgia, comparing him with the man he had replaced.  Because Reagan was family, we forgave him many sideslips.  Bush had come in as the executor of the estate, and no one forgives an executor even if he only bungles a few bequests.

And here he gets to the difference between father and son:

Both he and his father mangled the language, but George H.W. Bush did so out of awkwardness and deference, as if speaking well would be an unacceptable act of self-assertion.  George W. Bush spoke badly out of confidence and indifference, believing that whatever he said was said well enough, and there was no point making the effort to say it better.

The book is full of these wonderful impressions and observations.

For anyone wanting to understand the conservative movement, and its flagship magazine, Right Time, Right Place is a must read.  And anyone interested in becoming a journalist/writer would do well to read it. But at its heart is a more humane vision: that being true to your ideals and friends is what’s important.

And that is worth remembering no matter what your politics.