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Early Writings
Book by Walter Lippmann
356 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1970
About the author
Walter Lippmann
173 books188 followersWalter Lippmann was an American intellectual, writer, reporter, and political commentator who gained notoriety for being among the first to introduce the concept of Cold War. Lippmann was twice awarded (1958 and 1962) a Pulitzer Prize for his syndicated newspaper column, "Today and Tomorrow."
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
October 18, 2026
I am very much an admirer of Lippmann and have read his later work, A Preface to Morals, several times. He was intelligent, insightful, and clever. This collection of his earliest professional writing provides an interesting insight into his development as a communicator and helps a reader of Lippmann understand the political environment that helped to shape him.
What I saw in these New Republic articles was a young intellectual deeply reflecting on what he thought America was and should be, both at home and on the world stage. He was strong in his opinions yet not dogmatic. He was clearly a young man wanting to make a statement, to convince and to motivate. He also seemed to be working through a vocabulary. Often his writings seem to focus more on how he might say something well, rather than on saying something meaningful. It's difficult from our vantage point 110 years later to know what his contemporary reader already understood and took for granted.
Outside of Lippmann's sophisticated thought, a modern reader will appreciate how current many of the topics he covered are today. What should America's response be when a foreign aggressor invades a smaller neighbor? How should the government respond when industry poses a risk to life, safety and well-being?
It is always beneficial to read Lippmann, even when he is just maturing.
What I saw in these New Republic articles was a young intellectual deeply reflecting on what he thought America was and should be, both at home and on the world stage. He was strong in his opinions yet not dogmatic. He was clearly a young man wanting to make a statement, to convince and to motivate. He also seemed to be working through a vocabulary. Often his writings seem to focus more on how he might say something well, rather than on saying something meaningful. It's difficult from our vantage point 110 years later to know what his contemporary reader already understood and took for granted.
Outside of Lippmann's sophisticated thought, a modern reader will appreciate how current many of the topics he covered are today. What should America's response be when a foreign aggressor invades a smaller neighbor? How should the government respond when industry poses a risk to life, safety and well-being?
It is always beneficial to read Lippmann, even when he is just maturing.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review