Episode 4970: A Conversation With Sam Tanenhaus And The Book Buckley: The Life and the Revolution That Changed America Pt. 2

This book is a monumental biography of Robert Moses, who was the single most powerful man in New York City and State during his time. It explores how Moses accumulated and wielded power, shaping the city through his public works projects, including highways, bridges, and parks. The book delves into Moses's early life, his idealistic beginnings, and his transformation into a powerful figure who dominated New York's politics without ever being elected. It also highlights the social and environmental impacts of his projects and his eventual fall from power. The biography is renowned for its detailed and nuanced portrayal of power dynamics in urban politics.

Cruising Speed provides an entertaining and insightful look into the fast-paced life of William F. Buckley Jr., a prominent conservative commentator, through a journal covering one week in his life. The book showcases his intellectual engagements and personal reflections during the 1970s.

The Years of Lyndon Johnson is a multi-volume biography that meticulously details the life of Lyndon B. Johnson. The series includes four published volumes: The Path to Power, Means of Ascent, Master of the Senate, and The Passage of Power. These volumes cover Johnson's early life in the Texas Hill Country, his rise through Congress, his tenure as Senate Majority Leader, and his assumption of the presidency after John F. Kennedy's assassination. The biography is known for its exhaustive research, including interviews with numerous contemporaries of Johnson and a deep dive into the historical context of his life and times.

Written in 1951, God and Man at Yale is a critical examination of Yale University's undergraduate education by William F. Buckley Jr., who had just graduated from the institution. The book argues that Yale's faculty were undermining the university's founding ethos of Christian humanism by promoting atheism, collectivism, and Keynesian economics. Buckley criticized specific courses and professors for their hostility to religion and individualism, suggesting that this was a betrayal of the values held by Yale's alumni. The book is considered a seminal work in the American conservative movement and had a significant impact on Buckley's career and public profile.

David Remnick's 'Lenin's Tomb' provides an in-depth account of the Soviet Union's final years, capturing the political, social, and economic upheaval that led to its collapse. Through extensive interviews and on-the-ground reporting, Remnick explores the lives of ordinary citizens, dissidents, and political figures who shaped this tumultuous period. The book delves into the legacy of Lenin and the ideological contradictions that ultimately undermined the Soviet system. It also examines the rise of leaders like Mikhail Gorbachev and the challenges he faced in attempting to reform the country. Ultimately, 'Lenin's Tomb' offers a profound and nuanced understanding of the forces that brought about the end of an empire.