Living It Up with National Review
Retired reporter and editor—as well as big sister to one of the best-known conservatives in the country, William F. Buckley Jr.—Buckley takes readers behind the scenes as she plays an instrumental role atNational Review, the conservative publication of record, from its inception in 1955 to its 50th anniversary this year. Scattered among details of deadlines, the challenges of running a startup publication and the revolving staff are anecdotes from Buckley's own life within her large family, and tales regarding her passion for the sporting life. There are some fine sections; the chapter on the many young editorial assistants who have worked for Buckley is humorous, and she writes about her sister Maureen's untimely death with grace and quiet sadness. However, reading this memoir is somewhat like sitting with an elderly aunt and listening to stories from days past; one yarn tends to run into the next, and unless there is a true interest in the inner workings of the subject at hand—in this case, the publication and its founding family—her tale may be too dry to hold many people's interest.(Oct.)Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.