On Democracy, E. B. White
On Democracy, E. B. White
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On Democracy

Author: E. B. White

Narrator: Arthur Morey

Unabridged: 5 hr 12 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: HarperAudio

Published: 05/07/2019


Synopsis

A New York Times Book Review New & Noteworthy Book“For democracy’s weary champions, White’s time-tested prose is a shot of adrenaline.”—Madeleine AlbrightA collection of essays, letters, and poems from E. B. White, “one of the country’s great literary treasures” (New York Times), centered on the subject of freedom and democracy in America. The special book includes an introduction by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jon Meacham. “I am a member of a party of one, and I live in an age of fear.”These words were written by E. B. White in 1947. Decades before our current political turmoil, White crafted eloquent yet practical political statements that continue to resonate. “There’s only one kind of press that’s any good—” he proclaimed, “a press free from any taint of the government.” He condemned the trend of defamation, arguing that “in doubtful, doubting days, national morality tends to slip and slide toward a condition in which the test of a man’s honor is his zeal for discovering dishonor in others.” And on the spread of fascism he lamented, “fascism enjoys at the moment an almost perfect climate for growth—a world of fear and hunger.”This concise collection of essays, letters, and poems from one of this country’s most eminent literary voices offers much-needed historical context for our current state of the nation—and hope for the future of our society. Speaking to Americans at a time of uncertainty, when democracy itself has come under threat, he reminds us, “As long as there is one upright man, as long as there is one compassionate woman . . . the scene is not desolate.”

About E. B. White

E. B. White, the author of such beloved classics as Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little, and The Trumpet of the Swan, was born in Mount Vernon, New York. He graduated from Cornell University in 1921 and, five or six years later, joined the staff of the New Yorker magazine, then in its infancy. He died on October 1, 1985, and was survived by his son and three grandchildren.Mr. White's essays have appeared in Harper's magazine, and some of his other books are: One Man's Meat, The Second Tree from the Corner, Letters of E. B. White, Essays of E. B. White, and Poems and Sketches of E. B. White. He won countless awards, including the 1971 National Medal for Literature and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, which commended him for making a ""substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children.""During his lifetime, many young readers asked Mr. White if his stories were true. In a letter written to be sent to his fans, he answered, ""No, they are imaginary tales . . . But real life is only one kind of life—there is also the life of the imagination.""


Reviews

White is a national treasure. His writing is some of the finest ever published by The New Yorker. This collection of thoughts “On Democracy” primarily resulted from the events in Europe that led to the Second World War and what followed. It now has an introduction by the noted historian, Jon Meacham,......more

Goodreads review by Rebecca

EB White is a master of that peculiarly America form of essaying, which takes democracy and plays it out in the pages of newsprint. His thoughts here felt simple and clear and wholehearted—queer to read now when the words he can use so easily and clearly (freedom being the foremost) are buzzwords us......more

Goodreads review by Tom

Any book that includes "Bedfellows," one of the best essays ever written on the American experiment (and dachshunds), is a must-read. This book, featuring essays and commentaries that were written 50 years ago and more, is designed to serve as a commentary on our current state of affairs. In that re......more