William F. Buckley

Christian Encounters Series

by Jeremy Lott

Christian Encounters , a series of biographies from Thomas Nelson Publishers, highlights important lives from all ages and areas of the Church. Some are familiar faces. Others are unexpected guests. But all, through their relationships, struggles, prayers, and desires, uniquely illuminate our shared experience. William F. Buckley Jr. (1925–2008) was a voice to millions, hosting the long-running “Firing Line” TV show, writing more than 50 books, and launching National Review magazine in 1955 to “fix the newly cast conservative cannons on the enemies of collectivism, liberalism, and Communism.” Jeremy Lott makes a nuanced case for the profound influence of Buckley’s faith—he was a Catholic with Irish-Protestant roots—on his emergence as a modern-day Jonah, warning of “the doom to come if America didn’t change course, quickly.” Buckley viewed the challenges of his era as ultimately religious in nature. Like the other members of his colorful family, he believed that God, family, and country—in that order—“demanded our unswerving loyalty.” Lott traces the thread of faith that ran through Buckley’s public life, from his call for a return to orthodoxy at Yale University to his doomed but entertaining run for mayor of New York, from his jaw-dropping verbal joust with Gore Vidal to his surprisingly fresh final thoughts on the end of the Cold War.

Genres: Biography, Politics

153 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2010

Reviews

[Carol Storm · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're looking for a breezy, easy-to-read introduction to the life and works of William F. Buckley, you couldn't ask for a better book. Jeremy Lott does an amazing job covering a lot of ground, from WFB's family background to the years at Yale, the Sixties, and his relationship with several American presidents. High point: Jeremy Lott explains why the Buckley Clan was different from the Kennedys. Low point: WFB promising policemen everywhere that if he becomes mayor they will "never ever" have to deal with civilian review boards or interference of any kind.

[Ginger · Rating 3 out of 5]

An excellent overview. I didn't enjoy this one nearly as much as the St. Patrick bio in this same series. Whether that was because of the writer or the subject is hard to say. I agree with a good bit of William F. Buckley's politics, but this book didn't make him terribly likable, so I'm inclined to think that the writer's treatment wasn't quite as skillful. But it was still quite good, and most importantly, makes me want to explore more of Buckley's own work.

I'm making it a goal to track down a great many of these from Thomas Nelson's Christian Encounters series. These are great little volumes that give an overview of lives we should all be familiar with, without going into the deep recesses of childhood and other minutia that sometimes absorb more comprehensive biographies.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

2025 Reread: I take back what I said about Lee Edwards book, this might be the book to read if you are going to read only one. Edward deals in more detail about the conservative movement and its impact on politics but Lott offers a brisk and entertaining introduction to the man and his life.

Great introduction to WFB. Short and quick read but does a good job of capturing the personality and ideas of this critical figure of the conservative movement and situating him in the larger battle of ideas during his life. Great for those wanting to get a sense of who Buckley was but also enjoyable for those more familiar with his work.

[Matthew Huff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This small book was a great flyover of Buckley's distinguished and remarkable career. Though it is too brief to expect a great level of detail, it certainly captured the wit, charm, and persuasive spark of Buckley's prophetic vision for American conservatism. This fine survey, though tantalizingly quick, has solidified my posture as a 21st century disciple of Buckley's and of his stance athwart history yelling Stop.

[Randy Hass · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a delightful biography of the father of the modern conservative moment, from a Christian perspective. It never seemed preachy, but did convey Mr. Buckley’s devotion to Catholicism. At one point it was pointed out that he had remarked that if it could be conclusively proved that the Resurrection had never happened, he would have no choice but... to become a Jew.

But in this 144 page tome, the author shows the complexity and the depth of this man’s intellectualism. From his first book “God and Man at Yale” to the start of his magazine “National Review” to his long running television series “Firing Line,” we can see the development of modern conservative thinking.

The book moved along quickly and never got too bogged down in any one era. At the end, I think you’ll conclude that he lived a productive life in political thought. He even took the time to run for Mayor of New York as a Conservative Party candidate. His witty answers to all the questions asked him convinces you while he had an acerbic sense of humor, he took his political thinking seriously.

I would like some day to read this book again to pick up the finer points I missed the first time.

[MC · Rating 5 out of 5]

William F. Buckley, Jr., has been called the “patron saint of Conservatives”. The title, though audacious, is pretty well-deserved. Buckley did something that many would have thought impossible. He combined the different strains of conservatism in the country at large into one over-arching philosophy. Moreover, he made conservatism *respectable*. This was not some freak mistake. The ability of Buckley to accomplish this was due to his religious faith.

In the latest edition in the *Christian Perspectives Series* from Thomas Nelson Publishers, author Jeremy Lott undertakes a quick topical examination of Buckley’s life through the facets of his religious beliefs. Lott begins the work by making clear that he is not at all attempting to do a complete study of the topic. Indeed, such a study would take up a much longer book, perhaps more than that. His goal is merely to present the argument that Buckley’s deeply felt Catholic piety is the root of his efforts, and even success in life. Lott actually recommends the reader does research of their own, supplying a brief, but helpful, prospective reading list for those wanting to learn about the man.

Buckley was raised as a Catholic, and this stuck with him his whole life. First as a polemicist writing about the lack of fidelity to the *Protestant* heritage of Yale, to his defense of capitalism and hatred of Communism as an affront to God, to his belief in the supremacy of the individual over the state; all of these various threads linked back to his Catholic roots.

Buckley created the hodge-podge “fusionist” coalition that we know as post-war American conservatism. Up until this time, the various strains of “conservative thought” were at odds with each other. The highly religious felt the market was uncaring, lead to great harm, and caused people to indulge in their base natures. The supporters of the free market (usually libertarians) scoffed at Christians, viewing them as backwards hicks and rubes. Of course, this is still the opinion of many on both sides. Despite all of this, there is a great deal of respect for the ideas of natural law and God-given rights on the part of the Libertarians, and respect for the market on the part of most Christians. Even among Democratic voters, this is the case according to public opinion surveys. This change in course by Buckley affects even self-identifying liberals.

The key to Buckley’s ability to create this movement, and he admitted he was trying to do as much, are the concepts of natural law and natural rights. Natural law and natural rights are concepts that Protestants and Evangelicals have been willing to embrace since C. S. Lewis wrote about the concepts, but they are historically Catholic in nature, with some philosophical supports among the Presbyterians of the Scottish Enlightenment.

Natural law and natural rights can be summed up simplistically as the idea that God has placed a certain law on our hearts. We all know what it is. Sometimes there are different interpretations based on levels of knowledge of agriculture and science, but the general agreement across culture is important. On the other side, natural rights are *God-given rights* that are also universally known to mankind, and that the sole job of government is that of protecting.

Inherent in this worldview is the idea that we each are accountable to God, and have a right to the fruits of our labors as God sees fit to bless us. If we sin, it is between us and the offended parties, both human and Divine. Government is not part of the equation unless the sin is a crime that will harm another person’s ability to enjoy their natural rights before the Almighty. This conception was able to draw together the Christian conservatives and the libertarians together. The hard stance against Communists drew in hawks and the anti-Communists as well.

There is so much more about how Buckley created this movement. I would have to write a book myself to deal with it all, or even just the rest of the ideas that Lott presents in his work.

A final point. As Lott recounts, though Buckley was *never* suicidal, he was cognizant of his upcoming death, due to his age and failing health. After the death of his wife Pat in 2007, he publicly talked of his desire to go on a “final voyage” to Heaven. He yearned to see his family and friends long gone. On the morning of February 27, 2008, he got his wish, and joined his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, in a glorious reunion with loved ones.

I write this last tidbit for the purpose of pointing out that his Catholicism was not a ploy to further his career or politics, but something that deeply informed and supported him throughout his life. If you are interested in knowing the deep piety behind William F. Buckley, Jr., I highly recommend this book. Easily the best argued to date of the *Christian Encounters* series.

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I received this biography of William F. Buckley, Jr., for free from Thomas Nelson publishers via their BookSneeze program. I am obligated to read it and give a review on my blog and on a commercial web site such as Amazon.com. Thomas Nelson emphasizes their desire for honest reviews, whether positive or negative, in order to help them create a better product. The opinions above are my honest viewpoint. I want to thank Thomas Nelson for allowing me to review this book, and thank you all for reading this.

[Jared Beebe · Rating 3 out of 5]

A brief introduction and overview of a man who was a powerhouse in American conservatism. I am not entirely sure that this book should fall under the category of the Christian encounters series. While reading this book, I get the feeling that Buckley was driven by morals and not a saving relationship with Christ. Buckley’s morals are what drove the man in the world of politics as he was extremely intelligent to top it off.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this is written in an engaging style, it is humorous, and it is highly informative. As a non-American I was only vaguely familiar with Buckley (I actually knew more about Goldwater). I definitely have met him in these pages, but I do not feel hugely inspired by the man or his faith. But maybe I need to go watch some archives and see what made him so magnetic.

Liked it.

[Elliot · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book that I have read in the Christian Encounters series from Thomas Nelson, and I must admit that the idea behind the series is a good one: short biographies of well-known people, with an emphasis on their Christian faith. The first book in this series that I read was Peter Leithart’s biography of Jane Austen.

I chose to read Jeremy Lott’s treatment of William F. Buckley because I wanted to know more about Buckley. All I knew was that he was a conservative, a writer, and the founder and editor of National Review. The book certainly did introduce me to Buckley: I learned about his wealthy Catholic upbringing, his time at Yale, his initial writing success, the founding of National Review, his unsuccessful campaign for mayor of New York and how his TV show Firing Line got its start, among other things.

Though the book did teach me about Buckley, I was put off by Lott’s writing. He alternately gushes about Buckley and criticizes those whom he (Lott) dislikes. He calls the announcement of Buckley’s campaign for mayor of New York “legendary” (70). Legendary to whom, exactly? He says that Buckley’s responses to journalists during the announcement of his candidacy “only fueled their cynicism” (74) -- without citing any evidence for this opinion. He never wastes an opportunity to slight Garry Wills, whom he says “ended up endorsing just about any old liberal position you could think of” (47).

Now, I expect biographers to have a certain affection for their subjects. And I suppose Lott has lots of reasons for criticizing the people he criticizes. That’s not the problem. The problem is that Lott never wastes an opportunity to inject his opinions into Buckley’s story. He never gives his readers the chance to make their own judgments, and I ended up wanting more Buckley and less Lott. I’d read more Buckley in a hearbeat, but I’ll have to think twice before I read anything else by Lott.

[Robert Corzine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buckley was a truly remarkable man who lived a truly remarkable life and remarked on it eloquently. Jeremy Lott does a good job of telling the story and of placing it in the context of the birth and growth of the conservative movement.

I like the theme that he introduces of "Buckley as prophet" near the beginning but then he doesn't return to it. He has a great sense of the telling anecdote and it really is impressive how much he was able to get into such a short, readable book. My only substantive difficulty with Lott's book is his treatment of Buckley's relation to his Catholic faith. The treatment of this theme doesn't take up much space but every time it comes up, the author reveals that he doesn't know what he's talking about. His explicit section on it (pp 100-104) is rife with the sort of gross factual errors that will rankle any informed Catholic and would have seriously annoyed Buckley himself.

Even with its faults, however, this is the book I would recommend to someone who wanted a quick introduction to WF Buckley. If you have a little more time to devote, you should read William F. Buckley Jr.: The Maker of a Movement by the great Lee Edwards instead.

[Leona · Rating 5 out of 5]

William F. Buckley by Jeremy Lott
I received this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers to read and review on Booksneeze. The opinions are my own.
This is a very interesting book about William F. Buckley (1925-2008) and portions of his life. It has politics, religion, magazines, history and the United States of America among other interesting facts that surrounded the life of Buckley. The contacts this man had in his lifetime were a range of people and their beliefs; some very controversial. His family and religion (Roman Catholic) were a major part of his life as well as his magazine (The National Review), his TV show (Firing Line on PBS) and political beliefs.
There are many political names in this book: The Kennedys, President Richard Nixon, President Gerald Ford and other political figures that helped make history. I had forgotten that President Nixon was a Quaker and it was just mentioned on FOX the other day.
The book is a small paperback that holds a wealth of information. A good book for a discussion group and especially during an election year.
Leona Olson

[Blake Maddux · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable overview of WFB Jr's life and a good, quick read. (I read it in matter of a few non-consecutive hours within a 15-hour period, which is unusual for me.)

I like the fact that the author mentioned the Buckley reference in the Woody Allen movie "Annie Hall". However, on page 39 it says that the first direct contact b/w WFB and Whittaker Chambers was a letter dated February 7,*2004* (apart from just being incorrect, Chambers died in 1961). On the next page, it says that the Senate censured Joseph McCarthy on December 2, 1964 (it was 1954).

Although I am not and a never have been a conservative, I always look back fondly on the time that I ran into William F. Buckley as we were both leaving the library at Ohio University in, I think, 1999. He was on his way to give a talk, I was on my way to see it.

[Stephanie Ziegler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing up I was taught to never discuss religion or politics. Both always end up in arguments and possibly the loss of someone you care about that has a lot of pride. I’m not the only one who thinks this way. “[T]he social consensus that religion and politics are private things that we do not discuss in polite company.” Everything that we wanted to sweep under the rug and not talk about – he faced it head on. He was dubbed the Patron Saint of the Conservatives. However, Buckley was so religious that it conflicted with political matters. This is a great quick read if you want to learn about the life of William F. Buckley.

If you don’t believe me, check it out for yourself!

Until next time, take life one page at a time!

[Hayley · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I chose to review the book William F. Buckley by Jeremy Lott, I had heard the name William Buckley before but did not really know much about the man. And I find him fascinating. Well, at least the William Buckley according to Jeremy Lott. The book flows really well, and you actually feel like you can picture in your mind Buckley, and his thoughts and ideas. There is humor and seriousness. A fast easy read, but highly entertaining.

[Mark Jakubik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great short intro to Buckley. Lott manages in these few pages to give a good synopsis of Buckley's work, and also breaks some new ground through his focus on the impact that Buckley's faith had on his writing and politics. Well worth reading.

[F.C. Etier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading to review for Amazon.com. Watch for supplemental review on my blog.

Excellent primer on Buckley. Knowledgeable fans will appreciate and novices will learn and see this book as a helpful resource.

Watch for my review at Amazon.

[Andrew Stout · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable. A great survey of the major events and controversies that defined his public life, along with some excellent observations about the sometimes uneasy relationship between his political and religious convictions.

[Rick]

A fine short introductiory biography of the noted conserative writer and journalist.