William F. Buckley, Jr.: Patron Saint of the Conservatives

A nice read and a good follow-up to Christopher Buckley's book about his mother and father. The Buckeley family was certainly a group of originals and William F. Buckley, Jr. was a standout. I am more of a East Coast Liberal Republican (ala Rockefeller) but understanding more conservative views is helpful. Right of center to a degree fits my belief system with some exceptions. Most questions require clarification..."Depends"... Read Full Review

I couldn't disagree more with cxlxmx's review of this book. John Judis has written a remarkably interesting book about one of the most important figures in the history of modern conservatism. It would be fair to say that William F. Buckley was the most important figure in the political history of the Right, as he provided an intellectual infrastructure for right wing thought. I read this book as part of a seminar I took... Read Full Review

It's been ages since I read this book, but WFB's death yesterday has got me browsing through books by or about Buckley, and I was reminded how much I liked Judis's book. It's a pleasure (and seemingly so unusual nowadays) to get to read someone writing respectfully about someone with whom he strongly disagrees, whether it's the leftist Judis writing about Buckley, or Buckley himself writing moving obituaries of those on the... Read Full Review

Great book; very objective, almost a love feast of fascinating Buckley quotes, but also very critical. I recommend Mr. Judis' biography of William F. Buckley, Jr. as a great way to understand the course of American conservatism in the last century, going strong into this one.