A Torch Kept Lit: Great Lives of the Twentieth Century

A unique collection of eulogies of the twentieth century's greatest figures, written by conservative icon William F. Buckley Jr. and compiled by National Review and Fox News White House correspondent James RosenIn a half-century on the national stage, William F. Buckley Jr. achieved unique stature as a polemicist and the undisputed godfather of modern American conservatism. He knew everybody, hosted everybody at his East 73rd Street maisonette, skewered everybody who needed skewering, and in general lived life on a scale, and in a swashbuckling manner, that captivated and inspired countless young conservatives across that half-century.Among all of his distinctions, which include founding the conservative magazine National Review and serving as host on the long running talk show Firing Line, Buckley was a master of that most elusive of art forms- the eulogy. Buckley drew on his unrivaled gifts in what he liked to call "the controversial arts" to mourn, celebrate, or seek eternal mercy for the men and women who touched his life and the nation; to conjure their personalities, recall memorable moments, herald their greatness; or to remind readers of why a given individual, even with the grace that death can uniquely confer, should be remembered as evil.At all points, these remembrances reflect Buckley's singular voice, with its elegant touch and mordant humor, and lend to the lives departed a final tribute consistent with their own careers, lives, and accomplishments. Of the more than 100 eulogies located in Buckley's vast archive of published works, A Torch Kept Lit collects the very best, those remembering the most consequential lives (Kennedy, Nixon, Reagan), the most famous to today's readers (Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Jacqueline Onassis, Princess Diana), those who loomed largest in the conservative movement (Evan Galbraith, Milton Friedman), the most accomplished in the literary world (Truman Capote, William Shawn, Norman Mailer), the most mysterious (Soviet spy Alger Hiss, CIA spymaster Richard Helms), and those most dear to WFB (his father and wife).

“"William F. Buckley, Jr. was a master of many things.”

"Mr. Rosen has mined this abandoned shaft of Buckley prose, excavating glittering ore: 52 obituaries devoted to luminaries from various walks of life—politics, the military, espionage, the world of arts and letters—as well as less prominent but cherished family members and friends. To each profile Mr. Rosen appends his own nicely measured introduction... Mr. Rosen’s selections capture Buckley’s wit and combativeness, as well as his humanity."  
—The Wall Street Journal 

“Rarely is a writer’s greatest book published nearly a decade after his death… Buckley’s writing was a torch that illuminated many things — a keen sense of politics, a passion for the arts, a love of friends and family, an unwavering Catholic faith. In editing this anthology, Rosen has guaranteed it will be kept lit for the next generation.”
—National Review Online 

“A Torch Kept Lit chronicles the writings of conservative icon William F. Buckley. So if you’re looking for some political definition for yourself, this is the book for you.”
—Bill O’Reilly, The O’Reilly Factor

“William F. Buckley, Jr. was a master of many things.  This collection of obituaries and eulogies that he wrote over the course of his extraordinary career, admirably curated and eloquently introduced by James Rosen, may well establish WFB as the modern master of this literary form.  I have read every single one of my father’s 60-odd books.  I do not exaggerate to propose that this may prove to be William F. Buckley’s finest book ever.”
—Christopher Buckley
 
"William F. Buckley was both an ideological warrior and a bon vivant with a talent for friendship. He understood that a well-lived life should be simultaneously serious and fun, and that a death calls for a summing up, both measured and elegant. This volume gathers some of Buckley's best eulogies, deftly placed in context by James Rosen. It is a timely gift to a nation much in need of a reminder that one can be fervently engaged in public controversies without being coarse or unforgiving."
—George F. Will
 
"Compiling the best eulogies written by William F. Buckley is so inspired a concept that many political writers, myself included, will kick ourselves for not having thought of it first. But the idea was James Rosen’s, and he has executed it with skill and affection—and a great reporter’s nose for the story. The result is a work of literary art."
—Carl M. Cannon, Executive Editor, RealClearPolitics
 
"Acclaimed journalist, author, and Buckleyphile James Rosen has done a masterful job collecting, and contextualizing, these testaments to epic lives of the Twentieth Century by William F. Buckley, Jr. – a figure who indisputably deserves to be counted among them."
—Jonah Goldberg, author, columnist and senior editor, National Review
 
"William F. Buckley's sketches and vignettes of the prominent people of his time are absolute gems, and so are the introductions by James Rosen. A book to own, to read – and read again."
—Brit Hume, Senior Political Analyst, Fox News Channel

“Colorful…deliciously acerbic…Buckley’s descriptions are succinct, often scathing, sometimes disarmingly tender.”
—Boston Globe

"Rosen has done a first-rate job of compiling, selecting, and editing Buckley’s recollections and tributes to the noteworthy deceased. Most impressive, however, are Rosen’s comments setting the stage for each entry. Buckley was an important mentor to young Rosen, as he had been for me a half-generation earlier. Rosen’s personal relationship with Buckley helped him to write with perspective and affection. Some quotes and anecdotes are surely transcriptions of their conversations."
—City Journal

"The book is a great trip through the last half of the 20th century, riding first class with William Buckley." 
—The Readers Exchange

National Review (N.R.) is a semimonthly magazine founded by author WILLIAM F. BUCKLEY JR. in 1955 and is based in New York City. It is "America's most widely read and influential magazine and website for conservative news, commentary, and opinion."In his sixteen years at Fox News, JAMES ROSEN has covered the White House and state department beats, and reported from Capitol Hill, the Pentagon, the Supreme Court, nearly all fifty states, and forty countries across five continents. Rosen's articles and essays have appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, Harper's, The Atlantic, National Review, and Playboy, among many other periodicals. He is the author of The Strong Man- John Mitchell and the Secrets of Watergate.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.