Buckley

The erudite and entertaining provocateur William F. Buckley was a founding father of modern conservatism. Bogus (law, Roger Williams Univ.; Why Lawsuits Are Good for America) hasn't written a straight biography but circles his subject as he tells the story of the conservative movement's origins. Despite the handicaps of being both a lawyer and an academic, Bogus is a first-rate writer. He clearly and fairly explains the competing philosophies of different conservative sects—Burkean conservatism, libertarianism, Ayn Rand's objectivism. His penned portraits of Whittaker Chambers, William F. Buckley Sr., Russell Kirk, and others are sharp and revealing. He has a deep conversance with the material, yet he wears his knowledge lightly. The entire book is lucid and flows beautifully. The only flaw: Bogus sometimes loses focus explaining background material—yet those tangents are done so well they are worthwhile diversions.