A Colossal Wreck
A Road Trip Through Political Scandal, Corruption and American Culture
by Alexander Cockburn
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Pub Date Sep 10 2013 | Archive Date Sep 10 2013
Verso Books | Verso
Description
Alexander Cockburn was without question one of the most influential journalists of his generation, whose writing stems from the best tradition of Mark Twain, H.L. Menchken and Tom Paine. Colossal Wreck, his final work, finished shortly before his death in July 2012, exemplifies the prodigious literary brio that made Cockburn’s name.
Whether ruthlessly exposing Beltway hypocrisy, pricking the pomposity of those in power, or tirelessly defending the rights of the oppressed, Cockburn never pulled his punches and always landed a blow where it mattered. In this panoramic work, covering nearly two decades of American culture and politics, he explores subjects as varied as the sex life of Bill Clinton and the best way to cook wild turkey. He stands up for the rights of prisoners on death row and exposes the chicanery of the media and the duplicity of the political elite. As he pursues a serpentine path through the nation, he charts the fortunes of friends, famous relatives, and sworn enemies alike to hilarious effect.
This is a thrilling trip through the reefs and shoals of politics and everyday life. Combining a passion for the places, the food and the people he encountered on dozens of cross-country journeys, Cockburn reports back over seventeen years of tumultuous change among what he affectionately called the “thousand landscapes” of the United States.
Advance Praise
“A tremendously influential figure … a journalist who would say all the outrageous things his bland counterparts lacked the wit, courage, erudition, or épater-spirit to utter on their own.”—Atlantic
“An unapologetic leftist, condemning what he saw as the outrages of the right but also castigating the American liberal establishment when he thought it was being timid.”—New York Times
“He blazed the trail that Hitchens and others followed.”—Daily Beast
“Cockburn became well known, and controversial … his searing wit was a frequent staple of his columns.”—Huffington Post
“He had the courage to take on anything and anyone, from the most powerful organisations in the world to his closest friends, and the energy and persistence to follow his own path wherever it took him.”—Guardian
“Crusading reporter and polemicist … with his Wildean wit, love of elegant women, penchant for hunting and fondness for PG Wodehouse, Cockburn defied the stereotype of the disgruntled left-wing scribe.”—Independent
“Quite unlike anyone else among intellectual commentators in the United States.”—Edward Said
“Alexander Cockburn was a man that spoke truth to power—and that’s a good enough obit for anyone.”—Greg Palast
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Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781781681190 |
| PRICE | $29.95 (USD) |
