Let Us Talk of Many Things: The Collected Speeches

William F. Buckley may be the most influential American writer of the second half of the 20th century. A strong statement, but think about it. When he wielded his pen he defended freedom in an era when that concept was beginning to be considered passe. He famously jumped "athwart history, yelling 'stop!" With his elegant, cosmopolitan prose he made consevativism intellectually respectable. He advocated a philosophy that was faith-based, yet humane and rigorously inqusitive about the world. And he's one of the funniest damn writers around. One of his greatest contributions in the 1950's and 60's was his adamant insistence that anti-Semites, racists, and extremists like the John Birch Society weren't a legitimate part of the consevative movement. This advocacy of tolerance and respect for rationality sprang from the charity that comes from a properly understood religious faith. He always strongly supported Israel as the vessel of Western values in a dangerous part of the world.This is a collection of speeches that Buckley gave over the course of a 40-year career. Because they were meant to be heard instead of read, they are more informal and less intimidating than some of his other work. One can find here a rich slice of recent American history from the perspective of one of the good guys.

Back in my college days I first saw Bill Buckley in a TV ad imploring me to read NATIONAL REVIEW. He never directly stated the magazines leanings, but promised that they were decidedly different and quite possibly much like my own. He was right on both counts. I've spent the subsequent years reading about every splinter brand of American Conservatism, but Mr. Buckley's views are still most like my own. For this, I can highly recommend this collection.For those of you whose views may substantially differ with Mr. Buckley, I can name a couple of reasons why this book might be of interest. 1) You'll learn the components of a wonderfully given speech. Buckley is able to tie in the locale and group he's speaking to in such a way that it seems that he has been waiting his whole life to give this particular speech at this particular location. 2) He blends humor into the most serious of speeches in such a way that it never seems forced. He's good at relating a particularly good barb leveled at him (laughter) to be followed by an even sharper retort (more laughter). 3) He has a gentle nature that comes through again and again. His overachieving hasn't seemed to get in the way of his many friendships or in the love of his family.I don't know if history will speak of William F. Buckley Jr., 200 years, but any evidence that need be shown to his importance could be summed up in this volume. If you have never read Mr. Buckley this would be a great way to start.

An admirer of Mr. Buckley for many years, this is precisely the book I have been wishing him to publish. The only drawback here is that it will know doubt need to be updated as I doubt Mr. Buckley has ended his public discourse.Any American interested in public policy and modern conservatism needs to have this book on their shelf. As presumptuous as this may sound, I am also looking forward to at least two more volumes: The Collected Essays and The Collected Debates.My best wishes to Mr. Buckley.

I am a great admirer of Mr. Buckley, which hardly distinguishes me, as those who admire him even though it may pain them to do so are legion. In deference to Mr. Buckley's specificity of language I use legion as defined by Oxford as found within definition number 3.You have only to look at those people who admire and respect him to understand that his thoughts and beliefs go well beyond the moniker of "Conservative". That this is the case is a tribute to his mind, to him as a person, and to the body of written work he has produced and which he continues to expand.He is an accomplished novelist, he can speak as an equal on Constitutional Law when addressing a gathering of judges, and he shared a deeply personal book on his faith in God. His range is not limited to that of an Author, he also is an Orator of Historic talent and near limitless range. As a Debater I always felt those who stepped up to cross swords with him to be fools, willing sacrifices, or both. Or perhaps they picked up the gauntlet so they could say that they did, that they too were a victim of his wit, his intellect, his passion, and his exacting logic of his beliefs.This book covers 50 years of his public speaking and is remarkable for a plenitude of reasons. You will be struck by the consistency that is this man. He knew what he believed in while at Yale, and those beliefs and values are the same to this day. Were we all so consistent, so confident, were our elected leaders even aware of the concept.His facility with the spoken and written word is to be marveled at not derided. His remarks or ripostes are sometimes brutal, but they are forged from belief not hurled as slander. His humor is as brilliant as it is sometimes oh so subtle, and if you challenge, and are not sufficiently armed, you and your position will find company with many other pretenders to his level of thought.At times he was gentle, when asked "Why did we purchase Louisiana, when we got all the other States free? He explained, "that Louisiana was owned by two women, Louise and Anna Wilmot, and that they sold it to General Winfield Scott, provided he name it after them. This was called the Wilmot Proviso, and his closing of the deal was the Dred Scott decision". She answered, "Never mind the details. Why did we let them talk us into it at all?"The mind reels.This book will show him take on as sensitive a moment in our History in front of 6,000 people with an off the cuff questioning of the audience that few would ever attempt and even fewer would survive. You will hear him speak of Family, not in the abstract as a politician, but as a father, a son, a son in law.An accomplished classical musician, a sailor who has crossed several oceans more than once, syndicated writer to 300 papers, orator, advisor to Presidents, a true original.His admirers on the book jacket range from George Will to Michael Kinsley, Henry Kissinger to Milton Friedman.John Kenneth Galbraith summed this