Friday, July 3, 2009

Book Review: RIGHT TIME, RIGHT PLACE by Richard Brookhiser (Basic Books, 2009)

Best-selling author -- and former NATIONAL REVIEW wunderkind -- Brookhiser tells, in his usual engaging fashion, the story of how he came to work for NR (starting with a piece he wrote as a 14-year-old that turned into a cover story) and his relationships with the NR crew, above all, William F. Buckley, Jr. The story of NR's rise has been told by others (e.g. Jeffrey Hart) but rarely has it been sketched with such deftness and humor. Brookhiser uses the book to "work out" some lingering "issues" with NR's founder -- namely, the fact that Buckley promised him the job of editor-in-chief after WFB retired but later changed his mind. The overall portrait of Buckley, however, remains quite positive, albeit with some wry overtones. This is a quick and entertaining read that anyone interested in the history of the conservative movement should enjoy.

No comments: