Joseph Sobran: The National Review Years: Articles from 1974 to 1991

by Joseph Sobran, Fran Griffin (Editor), Tom Bethell (Afterword)

Often compared to G.K. Chesterton and H.L. Mencken, Joseph Sobran produced some of the finest essays in the English language. This selection is an engaging look at the politics, culture, and mindset of the late 20th century. Covering a wide range of topics including Christianity, secular humanism, the Constitution, morality, motion pictures, books, music, liberalism, tyranny, so-called gay rights, Shakespeare, and even baseball - Sobran writes with grace, eloquence, and wit. Even more important, considering these turbulent times, his penetrating, timeless insights can help us regain our sanity. "Sobran's voice was unique, his style readily identifiable, his wit irrepressible, his range as wide as that of any columnist of his generation." - Patrick J. Buchanan (from the Foreword) "[Joe Sobran's] literary ability, his originality, learning, eloquence and the sheer speed with which he could produce articles reached the level of genius. ... He was the intellectual equivalent of a natural athlete who can reach Olympic standards with no training." - Tom Bethell (from the Preface) "Now a whole new generation can discover for itself Joe Sobran's uniquely powerful, persuasive, elegant, trenchant - and hilarious - voice; the voice of the twentieth century's greatest essayist; a voice that speaks again in the pages of this marvelous book." - Ronald K. Tacelli, SJ, Boston College "Joe could say in a sentence what most writers would need an entire column to express. [His] specialty was to make blindingly simple points that would cut through mountains of sophistry. Once you heard them no amount of fancy footwork could make that particular liberal humbug work again." - Ann Coulter (from the Afterword)

216 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

American journalist and writer.

In 1972, Sobran began working at National Review. He stayed 21 years.

From 1988 to 2007, Sobran wrote a column for the Roman Catholic newsweekly The Wanderer entitled Washington Watch.

Through much of his career, Sobran identified as a paleoconservative and Constitutionalist. In 2002, Sobran announced his philosophical and political shift to libertarianism.

Reviews

[A · Rating 2 out of 5]

4/10.

Definately a paleoconservative downgrade from ((Paul Gottfried)), who I just read. Gottfried's essays have substance — a deep philosophical, historical, and classical framwork to them. But Sobran is a columnist, like any other. He takes more and more current events and says "woe, this is insane". Of course it is insane, Mr. Sobran, but we need good solutions. Fixing the economy is not the Divinity that we should worship. The whole current events circus is not well suited towards perennial essays, and that is what this collection is filled with.

A small bright point are his essays on abortion, which make you realize the utter singularity of the disconnection between sex and pregnancy and the immorality that comes from such a severing.