Insurrections of the Mind

100 Years of Politics and Culture in America

by Franklin Foer

On Sale: 09/16/2014

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Insurrections of the Mind

100 Years of Politics and Culture in America

by Franklin Foer

On Sale: 09/16/2014

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Amazon Indigo

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About the Book

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of The New Republic, an extraordinary anthology of essays culled from the archives of the acclaimed and influential magazine.

Founded by Herbert Croly and Walter Lippmann in 1914 to give voice to the growing progressive movement, The New Republic has charted and shaped the state of American liberalism, publishing many of the twentieth century’s most important thinkers.

Insurrections of the Mind is an intellectual biography of this great American political tradition. In seventy essays, organized chronologically by decade, a stunning collection of writers explore the pivotal issues of modern America. Weighing in on the New Deal; America’s role in war; the rise and fall of communism; religion, race, and civil rights; the economy, terrorism, technology; and the women’s movement and gay rights, the essays in this outstanding volume speak to The New Republic’s breathtaking ambition and reach. Introducing each article, editor Franklin Foer provides colorful biographical sketches and amusing anecdotes from the magazine’s history. Bold and brilliant, Insurrections of the Mind is a celebration of a cultural, political, and intellectual institution that has stood the test of time.

Contributors include: Virginia Woolf, Vladimir Nabokov, George Orwell, Graham Greene, Philip Roth, Pauline Kael, Michael Lewis, Zadie Smith, William Faulkner, Ralph Ellison, James Wolcott, D. H. Lawrence, John Maynard Keynes, Langston Hughes, John Updike, and Margaret Talbot.

Critical Praise

“Adds up to far more than just a restrospective slideshow of the ‘American Century’. . . . Taken individually, the essays are often prescient or witty . . . . Taken as a whole, they sculpt a model of journalistic sophistication.” — Publishers Weekly

“This collection amply testifies to [The New Republic’s] intellectual heft. . . . A rich anthology.” — Kirkus

“A sparkling anthology. . . . Scintillating reading. . . . A rich volume full of penetrating insights into this country and-for better or worse-its liberal tradition.” — Booklist (starred review)