A great review. I have not read the book yet (was unaware of it) but I will. I grew up on Buckley (Firing Line and the editorial page in the newspaper and National Review). One of my first forays into “serious” writing was a paper I did for high school, senior year, on four books by Buckley. Over the years, my views changed and I mostly fell out of touch with Buckley, but was always delighted when I dipped back in for an hour at a time. Your impressions of his tv presence were delightful.
I only have two bones to pick. To say that he “lacked intellect” is absurd. Maybe you’re grading on a curve, but I never compare intellect to intellect. It is what we do with our intelligence that is the real fruit of intellect. Buckley was not lacking, except maybe in some foolishly ideal race of mimetic desire. And, really, the other bone is the same, that he “lacked major ideas of his own”. We all do. There are no real original ideas. We are mimetic creatures. It is what we do with those ideas that is worthwhile, that is interesting. Buckley was as close to an “individual” as possible in a world that overvalues the individual over the person.
Anyway, thank you for again igniting my passion about one of my early heroes, who incited me when I was a teenager, to become, for better or worse, a wanna be intellectual without an ideological home.
I enjoyed the Christopher Buckley book, Losing Mum and Pup, about dealing with his parents’ passing. It was a very human portrayal of people that were beloved and crazy-making.
Your insights are astute and your reservations about this book well-grounded. I asked a friend who was extremely close to Buckley what he thought of it, and he told me Tanenhaus did not reach out to him, or to anybody else he was aware of, who was close to Buckley in real life.
A much shorter work, but a work that does precisely give a sense of Buckley the man, along with a sense of many of the famous early writers at NR (of whom Jeffrey Hart was one), is Jeffrey Hart's 2005 book "The Making of the American Conservative Mind: National Review and Its Times". Hart was an English professor, but very involved from early on at NR as a young writer and editor. He was closely acquainted with many of the important writers as well as with Buckley himself.
Also, for some of the negative aspects of Buckley and his influence "viewed from the right", Peter Brimelow wrote a number of short remembrances about Buckley that are highly worth reading.
This is a fantastic review. I’ve only just started the Buckley bio but I feel the same way - it fails to truly capture the man. Although they’re different in many ways, I think of Buckley as being similar to George Plimpton: men who had a lust for living and were fascinating people, founded important magazines and yet I don’t much enjoy reading what they’ve written.
Think the Buckley School of Public Speaking may still exist in some form or fashion. For a small sum you may gain some insight unless it is a shell of former self
I agree, in part, that Tanenhaus almost is too breezy in revealing Buckley the man (I too would love to know more about Buckley's misbegotten acid trip, for one example) but will say, I have read only one other biography (Peter Guralnick's bio of Sam Phillips) that made me feel as much sadness at its subject's passing as I did at the conclusion of Tanenhaus' Buckley bio. That, to me, in a sense, affirms the author's ambitious approach. He ties the threads together masterfully.
I really enjoyed this piece, I loved watching Buckley on Firing Line when I was a child.
As for memorable quotes, I always liked something Buckley said in his closing remarks during a 1988 debate titled “Resolved: The Right is Better Able to Deal with the Soviets than the Left;
“We are trapped by the notion that we’re both superpowers, why don’t we do this when they do that, but they have been the aggressors, it is written into their charter that they are the aggressors. To say that we and the Soviet Union are to be compared is equivalent to saying that the man who pushes the old lady into the way of an oncoming bus and the man who pushes the old lady out of the way of the oncoming bus are both people who push old ladies around.”
It was 1976: I was the new kid in my sophomore year in a new town when I met a 6 foot 4 gangly kid named Floyd, who introduced me to partisan "hate":
"I hate that guy from [somewhere]"...
I joined Young Americans for Freedom, a Young Republican-type of youth org, because I thought Floyd was smart. I soured on youth politics very quickly (purge the board! type of passion).
YAF was founded by Buckley and I still hold him in esteem for his oratory. But his legacy, not so much. Fuck Trump / Maga.
A great review. I have not read the book yet (was unaware of it) but I will. I grew up on Buckley (Firing Line and the editorial page in the newspaper and National Review). One of my first forays into “serious” writing was a paper I did for high school, senior year, on four books by Buckley. Over the years, my views changed and I mostly fell out of touch with Buckley, but was always delighted when I dipped back in for an hour at a time. Your impressions of his tv presence were delightful.
I only have two bones to pick. To say that he “lacked intellect” is absurd. Maybe you’re grading on a curve, but I never compare intellect to intellect. It is what we do with our intelligence that is the real fruit of intellect. Buckley was not lacking, except maybe in some foolishly ideal race of mimetic desire. And, really, the other bone is the same, that he “lacked major ideas of his own”. We all do. There are no real original ideas. We are mimetic creatures. It is what we do with those ideas that is worthwhile, that is interesting. Buckley was as close to an “individual” as possible in a world that overvalues the individual over the person.
Anyway, thank you for again igniting my passion about one of my early heroes, who incited me when I was a teenager, to become, for better or worse, a wanna be intellectual without an ideological home.
Your description of Buckley’s mannerisms alone is brilliant.
Thank you!
I enjoyed the Christopher Buckley book, Losing Mum and Pup, about dealing with his parents’ passing. It was a very human portrayal of people that were beloved and crazy-making.
Oh I might try it thanks
Your insights are astute and your reservations about this book well-grounded. I asked a friend who was extremely close to Buckley what he thought of it, and he told me Tanenhaus did not reach out to him, or to anybody else he was aware of, who was close to Buckley in real life.
You beautifully articulated the result.
Oh that’s a shame to hear… I hope someone does get their memories recorded!
Apologies if someone has said this already but…the Buckley / James Baldwin debate of yesteryear (YouTube) is utterly fascinating. WB melts.
This is a wonderful review. On a lighter note, I remember Robin Williams doing a phenomenal impression of Buckley on SNL during the 1980's.
Must look that up!!
I recommend Tannenhaus’ biography of Whittaker Chambers. That does give you an excellent intellectual history of the modern American Right.
On my list for sure
Love the clip. This sort of debate would never get airtime on TV today.
Robin Williams had a fantastic impression he did of William Buckley.
A much shorter work, but a work that does precisely give a sense of Buckley the man, along with a sense of many of the famous early writers at NR (of whom Jeffrey Hart was one), is Jeffrey Hart's 2005 book "The Making of the American Conservative Mind: National Review and Its Times". Hart was an English professor, but very involved from early on at NR as a young writer and editor. He was closely acquainted with many of the important writers as well as with Buckley himself.
Also, for some of the negative aspects of Buckley and his influence "viewed from the right", Peter Brimelow wrote a number of short remembrances about Buckley that are highly worth reading.
This is a fantastic review. I’ve only just started the Buckley bio but I feel the same way - it fails to truly capture the man. Although they’re different in many ways, I think of Buckley as being similar to George Plimpton: men who had a lust for living and were fascinating people, founded important magazines and yet I don’t much enjoy reading what they’ve written.
Great comparison I’d like to read a biography of him too
Think the Buckley School of Public Speaking may still exist in some form or fashion. For a small sum you may gain some insight unless it is a shell of former self
I agree, in part, that Tanenhaus almost is too breezy in revealing Buckley the man (I too would love to know more about Buckley's misbegotten acid trip, for one example) but will say, I have read only one other biography (Peter Guralnick's bio of Sam Phillips) that made me feel as much sadness at its subject's passing as I did at the conclusion of Tanenhaus' Buckley bio. That, to me, in a sense, affirms the author's ambitious approach. He ties the threads together masterfully.
That's a great clip. Where is this kind of freewheeling intellectual discussion among public figures found nowadays? Podcasts?!
Yeah I think so
I really enjoyed this piece, I loved watching Buckley on Firing Line when I was a child.
As for memorable quotes, I always liked something Buckley said in his closing remarks during a 1988 debate titled “Resolved: The Right is Better Able to Deal with the Soviets than the Left;
“We are trapped by the notion that we’re both superpowers, why don’t we do this when they do that, but they have been the aggressors, it is written into their charter that they are the aggressors. To say that we and the Soviet Union are to be compared is equivalent to saying that the man who pushes the old lady into the way of an oncoming bus and the man who pushes the old lady out of the way of the oncoming bus are both people who push old ladies around.”
https://youtu.be/mhd4Wv1i6_Q?si=C8s6GtjnQ4L8143g
Joe Flaherty (RIP) did a brilliant impersonation of him on "SCTV" that really gave me a sense of how pompous he really might have been...
It was 1976: I was the new kid in my sophomore year in a new town when I met a 6 foot 4 gangly kid named Floyd, who introduced me to partisan "hate":
"I hate that guy from [somewhere]"...
I joined Young Americans for Freedom, a Young Republican-type of youth org, because I thought Floyd was smart. I soured on youth politics very quickly (purge the board! type of passion).
YAF was founded by Buckley and I still hold him in esteem for his oratory. But his legacy, not so much. Fuck Trump / Maga.