On Democracy - by E B White (Paperback)

Book 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 Albright

A 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."

• Timeless Political Writing: Discover why White's declaration from 1947--"I am a member of a party of one, and I live in an age of fear"--feels as urgent and relevant today as it did at the dawn of the Cold War.
• Freedom of the Press: Explore White's unwavering defense of a press free from government influence, a core principle he championed decades before today's debates on media integrity.
• Defense of Civil Liberties: Witness his eloquent condemnation of a political climate of defamation, where "the test of a man's honor is his zeal for discovering dishonor in others."
• Hope for the Future: Find inspiration in his enduring belief that as long as one compassionate person remains, the scene is not desolate--a powerful message for uncertain times.
• Historical Context by Jon Meacham: Gain deeper insight from the introduction by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jon Meacham, who frames White's work as essential reading for our own contentious era.

From the Back Cover

"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 government control." He condemned the trend of defamation, arguing, "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 another." And on his staunch opposition to tyranny he maintained, "If it is boyish to believe that a human being should live free, then I'll gladly arrest my development and let the rest of the world grow up."

Anchored by an introduction by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jon Meacham, 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."

Review Quotes

"Some of the finest examples of contemporary, genuinely American prose. White's style incorporates eloquence without affection, profundity without pomposity, and wit without frivolity or hostility. Like his predecessors Thoreau and Twain, White's creative, humane, and graceful perceptions are an education for the sensibilities." - Washington Post

"[E. B. White] had a knack for describing in the plainest detail what it meant to be alive... We all know White for the light his approach threw upon the animal kingdom. As these letters prove, he extended that grace to humans, too." - Philadelphia Inquirer

"His voice rumbles with authority through sentences of surpassing grace. In his more than fifty years at The New Yorker, White set a standard of writerly craft for that supremely well-wrought magazine. In genial, perfectly poised essay after essay, he has wielded the English language with as much clarity and control as any American of his time." - Newsweek on Essays of E.B. White

"Admirers of White, as well as students of democracy, will find a wide range of riches within these pages." - Columbus Dispatch

"This America: The Case for the Nation by historian and New Yorker writer Jill Lepore is a repudiation of the nationalism -- white and otherwise -- that has raised its ugly head in recent years. On Democracy, by the great E.B. White, can be read almost as a companion volume even though it came out in 1947." - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"The abiding spirit of these essays is humane, compassionate, traditionalistic. No matter what his subject, White always keeps his eye on the long view and the larger perspective. There are times when I feel his work is as much a national resource as the Liberty Bell, a call to the best and noblest in us." - San Francisco Examiner on Essays of E.B. White

"My heart is at his feet. Time spent in his company--for that is what reading his letters is--will improve anyone's view of the universe." - Washington Sunday Times

"For democracy's weary champions, White's time-tested prose is a shot of adrenaline." - Madeleine Albright

"The essayist and children's book author White (best known for "Charlotte's Web") also thought eloquently about democracy and its demands, as this anthology shows." - New York Times Book Review

"These pieces hold up well...The best thing about White's essays on democracy, though, is the author's simple honesty." - Wall Street Journal

"[White's essays] endure as exemplars of the form. White was a master of conversational prose, excelling at sentences that seem perfectly balanced. To read his work is to feel balanced too." - Christian Science Monitor