Estate of William F. Buckley, Jr.

William F. Buckley, Jr. (1925-2008) was an author and political commentator. In 1955, he founded the influential conservative magazine National Review. Buckley also hosted the popular television show Firing Line and wrote a twice-weekly syndicated newspaper column. He is the author of more than 50 books, including titles on history, politics, and sailing.

Buckley is also a subject of the recent release from Devault-Graves, Buckley vs. Vidal: The Historic 1968 ABC News Debates, which documents a conversation which continues to resonate through the ideological poles of American politics.

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Who knew that William F. Buckley Jr., the quintessential conservative, invented the blog decades before the World Wide Web came into existence? National Review, like nearly all magazines, has always published letters from readers. In 1967 the magazine decided that certain letters merited different treatment, and Buckley, the editor, began a column called “Notes & Asides,” in which he personally answered the most notable and outrageous letters. The selections in this book, culled from four decades of these columns, include exchanges with such figures as Ronald Reagan, Eric Sevareid, Richard Nixon, A. M. Rosenthal, Auberon Waugh, John Kenneth Galbraith, and Arthur Schlesinger Jr. There are also hilarious exchanges with ordinary readers, as well as letters from Buckley to various organizations and government agencies.

(Basic Books, 2007)

Saving the Queen (A Blackford Oakes Mystery)

Blackford Oakes has never been afraid of obeying orders. During the war, it’s what kept him alive. When he leaves the air force for Yale, Oakes is studious, temperate, and polite. He knows how to follow rules—but he also knows the secret to breaking them: Never tell a little lie when a big lie will do. He’s exactly the man the CIA is looking for.

Just before Oakes graduates, an old friend recruits him to work for the Company. His military background, knowledge of French, and family in London make Oakes a perfect choice for the most glamorous role the CIA has to offer: deep-cover agent. When his 1st assignment reveals Soviet espionage inside Buckingham Palace and a plot against the young Queen, Oakes will throw the rulebook out the window.

(Mysterious Press, August 2015)