With a Happy Eye But . . .: America and the World, 1997--2002

by George F. Will

A seventh collection by the Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist imparts his views on such topics as Whitewater, Monica Lewinsky, the impeachment trial of Clinton, the debate over partial-birth abortions, the 2000 election, baseball, and the deaths of his mentor and father. 75,000 first printing.

Genres: Politics

384 pages, Hardcover

First published September 19, 2002

About the author

George Frederick Will is an American newspaper columnist, journalist, and author. He is a Pulitzer Prize-winner best known for his conservative commentary on politics. By the mid 1980s the Wall Street Journal reported he was "perhaps the most powerful journalist in America," in a league with Walter Lippmann (1899–1975).

Will served as an editor for National Review from 1972 to 1978. He joined the Washington Post Writers Group in 1974, writing a syndicated biweekly column, which became widely circulated among newspapers across the country and continues today. His column is syndicated to 450 newspapers. In 1976 he became a contributing editor for Newsweek, writing a biweekly backpage column until 2011.

Will won a Pulitzer Prize for Commentary for "distinguished commentary on a variety of topics" in 1977.[6] Often combining factual reporting with conservative commentary, Will's columns are known for their erudite vocabulary, allusions to political philosophers, and frequent references to baseball.

Will has also written two bestselling books on the game of baseball, three books on political philosophy, and has published eleven compilations of his columns for the Washington Post and Newsweek and of various book reviews and lectures.

Will was also a news analyst for ABC since the early 1980s and was a founding member on the panel of ABC's This Week with David Brinkley in 1981, now titled This Week with George Stephanopoulos. Will was also a regular panelist on television's Agronsky & Company from 1977 through 1984 and on NBC's Meet the Press in the mid-to-late 1970s. He left ABC to join Fox News in early October 2013.

Reviews

[Michael Lortz · Rating 3 out of 5]

George Will is an interesting read in small doses. This was a chore to get through. Reading his thoughts on politics and people from 20 years ago is not easy. Agree or disagree with his views, so much has changed since the early 2000s, Will seems like a dinosaur and a curmudgeon.
Despite being a slog of a book, I did like Will's intellect. Politics used to appreciate people who were well-read and philosophical. Now it is a contest to see who can yell the loudest.
I recommend reading George Will's essays. Just not ones that are 20 years old and not in book form.

[Tucker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a hefty collection of newspaper columns and speeches. One shortcoming is that the same idea is often repeated a half-dozen times (in a half-dozen columns) and so we never get the depth that would otherwise be expected from a 350-ish page book with small print, because it's like reading a similar column over and over rather than reading chapters that build on each other.

Opponents' arguments are not explored in detail either, so sometimes I felt he was making straw man arguments. Just because some spokesperson of some organization made a statement to the media does not mean that whatever they said is at the heart of the worldviews of most actual Americans nor that what they said accurately or meaningfully reflects any of the various possible meanings of liberalism.

That aside, he remains a very strong columnist, even if I disagreed with some of his positions and approaches.

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps a strange title. One not so catchy, but what would you expect from a rather stiff, conservative journalist. I've always liked Will because his intelligence and wit are not and never have been loud and debasing. He's a reasonable man with an agenda rooted less in swaying political opinion and more in just compelling writing. As I flip through it now I see numerous underlines and asterisks I've written on the nearly 100 or so articles. I was surprised at how much I liked it and will likely read more of his books in the future.

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was frankly surprised at how frequently I found myself in agreement with his essays. Enjoyable reading.