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How Do We Get Out of Here?: Half a Century of Laughter and Mayhem at The American Spectator—From Bobby Kennedy to Donald J. Trump
How Do We Get Out of Here? is R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr.’s intimate memoir, detailing his leadership in the conservative movement and his relationships with its major personalities from 1968 to the present.
When R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr. was a conservative college student in 1968, he watched as Senator Robert Kennedy gave a rousing campaign speech. When Senator Kennedy asked him, “How do we get out of here?” Tyrrell—the only other person onstage—not only escorted the candidate to his car but boldly pressed a “Reagan for President” button into the legendary Democrat’s hand.
This early, irreverent political prank marked Tyrrell’s entrance into what would become a decades-long engagement at the heart of American politics as founder and publisher of the legendary conservative magazine, The American Spectator. Tyrrell has now written a candid memoir of those tumultuous years, complete with fascinating—and often, uproarious—behind-the-scenes vignettes of the turbulent politics and the most prominent political and literary personalities of the era, including the Spectator’s furious political battles with Bill Clinton, the author’s close association with Ronald Reagan, his warm relations and competition with William F. Buckley of the National Review, his friendship with a post-presidential Richard Nixon, and the chaotic years of Donald Trump’s presidency.
Written in Tyrrell’s trademark unfailing and bitingly satirical style, How Do We Get Out of Here? is an invaluable and intimate recount of the political and cultural battles that shaped our contemporary politics, written by a raconteur whose fearless muckraking materially impacted the politics of the modern era.
When R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr. was a conservative college student in 1968, he watched as Senator Robert Kennedy gave a rousing campaign speech. When Senator Kennedy asked him, “How do we get out of here?” Tyrrell—the only other person onstage—not only escorted the candidate to his car but boldly pressed a “Reagan for President” button into the legendary Democrat’s hand.
This early, irreverent political prank marked Tyrrell’s entrance into what would become a decades-long engagement at the heart of American politics as founder and publisher of the legendary conservative magazine, The American Spectator. Tyrrell has now written a candid memoir of those tumultuous years, complete with fascinating—and often, uproarious—behind-the-scenes vignettes of the turbulent politics and the most prominent political and literary personalities of the era, including the Spectator’s furious political battles with Bill Clinton, the author’s close association with Ronald Reagan, his warm relations and competition with William F. Buckley of the National Review, his friendship with a post-presidential Richard Nixon, and the chaotic years of Donald Trump’s presidency.
Written in Tyrrell’s trademark unfailing and bitingly satirical style, How Do We Get Out of Here? is an invaluable and intimate recount of the political and cultural battles that shaped our contemporary politics, written by a raconteur whose fearless muckraking materially impacted the politics of the modern era.
400 pages, ebook
Published September 26, 2023
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January 20, 2024
R. Emmett Tyrrell is a few years older than I am but I've been a big fan since the 80's when I first subscribed to the "The American Spectator", the iconic conservative magazine he founded. I liked it because the writing was sharp, witty and interesting for those of us with a conservative, America first, world view. Like today's media driven globalism, the philosophy of political/personal conservatism stood in the way of America's post war progress toward universal liberalism. The writers in the "American Spectator" focused on American exceptionalism that in my opinion, only William Buckley's "National Review" competed. The "American Spectator" was for me, the livelier publication that waged a protracted war of words in a hostile media environment indifferent to American history and the preservation of our Judeo-Christian values.
My subscription lapsed once during the 90's and I called the magazine to try to get a much more affordable promotional price but the deadline had passed. Much to my surprise, Bob answered the phone. I explained my purpose in calling and he graciously extended me the promotional price. I only knew Bob Tyrrell as the founder and publisher but reading his memoir, I was impressed by his educational and athletic background at Indiana University and his subsequent efforts at building a publication that enabled him to become a preeminent leader of the post war Conservative movement. He had a special relationship with Ronald Reagan and other, mostly Republican politicians, writers and thinkers over the last fifty year and includes his uniquely entertaining anecdotes about those individuals, left, right and center!
My subscription lapsed once during the 90's and I called the magazine to try to get a much more affordable promotional price but the deadline had passed. Much to my surprise, Bob answered the phone. I explained my purpose in calling and he graciously extended me the promotional price. I only knew Bob Tyrrell as the founder and publisher but reading his memoir, I was impressed by his educational and athletic background at Indiana University and his subsequent efforts at building a publication that enabled him to become a preeminent leader of the post war Conservative movement. He had a special relationship with Ronald Reagan and other, mostly Republican politicians, writers and thinkers over the last fifty year and includes his uniquely entertaining anecdotes about those individuals, left, right and center!
Displaying 1 of 1 review