Read, Relax, be Right
National Review Online recently posted a roundtable discussion with its contributors about their ideal "conservative summer reading list." Basically various writers and editors at NRO talked about their favorite books that happen to exemplify conservatism--and I'm not just talking about books of punditry by Sean Hannity. So I thought I, too, would fill out their survey.
What’s the best political novel you’ve ever read? Why is it the best?
Christopher Buckley's The White House Mess.
Chris Buckley is the best political satirist in the country, and he seems to be the only writer that can really capture the insanity of Beltway shenanigans without being overly critical or condescending. He does a fine balancing act, and actually makes these Washington caricatures into likeable people (he made us sympathize with a lobbyist in Thank You For Smoking for Pete's sake!). But The White House Mess stands out to me as his best purely political novel. It's a memoir of a staffer to a one-term Democratic president who takes office after Ronald Reagan (Buckley actually worked for George H. W. Bush during his only term in office). The funniest aspect of the book is that every character talks about how they can't wait to leave the White House so that they can write their own memoir (all of his have hysterical titles).
The White House Mess is a brief read, but it's incredibly funny and earnest. It's a good starter before you move on to other Buckley novels, like No Way to Treat a First Lady and Boomsday.
If there were only one book on conservatism you could recommend to a newcomer, what would it be and why?
Barry Goldwater's Conscience of a Conservative.
The book was ghost written by William F. Buckley Jr. and not only accompanied Goldwater's bid for the presidency, but launched the movement into mainstream America. It's a brief read that sums up some of the essentials of conservatism. It's a good jumping off point before you dive into Russell Kirk or Buckley.
Is there one book that you’d recommend to uplift and inspire depressed conservatives this summer?
P.J. O'Rourke's Republican Party Reptile.
I found this book used at a local coffee shop, and it's been in my laptop bag ever since. It's not just collecting dust in there, either. Any time I'm looking for something brief and reliably hilarious, I pull it out and read an essay. O'Rourke is a complex individual: he's a gonzo journalist like Hunter S. Thompson and he was a writer for Rolling Stone, but he's also a leading Republican humorist. Reptile was written in the middle of the '80s but is still relevant and awesome today. I'm fairly certain even the coldest of individuals will crack a smile at this book.
What’s your favorite WFB [William F. Buckley Jr.] book and why?
Getting it Right.
I admit that I haven't read some of Buckley's more profound works yet. Nearer, My God is working its way up my reading list, and I'd like to get Miles Gone By and his posthumously-published Goldwater book. But out of the books I have read, Getting it Right is tops. The book is a historical novel about the early beginning of the conservative movement in America. It starts in the middle of the Eisenhower years and follows two characters as they dabble in the John Birch Society, Ayn Rand's Objectivists, and the Young Americans Foundation. It's like Forrest Gump in that these characters just happen to be in the right place at the right time in order to witness historical events. If you're looking for some context about how Republicans shifted towards conservatism, this book is pretty straightforward.
What’s your favorite political movie and why?
The Metropolitan
It's a Wonderful Life
Air Force One
Three movies, each very different. The Metropolitan is about a group of teenage bourgeoisie in New York taking in their Communist friend and converting him to their lifestyle. It's a Wonderful Life isn't really a Christmas movie, but rather is all about a man's dedication to family, tradition, private property, and standing up for his personal beliefs no matter the cost. Air Force One kicks so much butt it's sick. Harrison Ford is the ultimate president as he single-handedly kills the terrorists trying to take over his plane.
If you could read or reread one classic this summer, what would it be? What are the odds you actually do?
Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray.
Not gonna happen... I'm working on Michael Chabon's Yiddish Policeman's Union right now, and then moving on to Mark Frost's The List of Seven and Swanson's Manhunt: The 12-Day Hunt for Lincoln's Killer.
Is there any recent book that’s made you want to buy copies for everyone you know and love? Did you actually make the purchases?
Not really... mainly because I don't know how I would feel if someone I knew was handing out copies of a book telling people to read it. That's a little presumptuous, don't you think? You're asking someone to place this random book in front of their entire reading list.
But if I was going to pick one, I would definitely say Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged, just so I could talk about its ideas with more folks. I don't agree with everything in there, but it sure is fun to discuss.
Are there any summer movies you’re looking forward to?
It seems like every weekend there is another I want to see. Hellboy 2 has been a long time coming. I'm most excited for Ben Stiller's Tropic Thunder. I'm fairly sure that movie is going to be incredibly funny.
Would you rather listen to John McCain’s convention speech or read Dick Morris’s new book?
Both feel a little patronizing... I'll stick with the latest issue of Modern Age.
Name one book we’re going to be shocked you read.
Last year I seriously read The Hardy Boys: Mystery of the Chinese Junk.
I actually went out and paid for it, and then read it in like two days. It was funny in a very awful way, but I felt I was doing some good research for my radio show. That's how I justified it anyways.