WASPS

The Splendors and Miseries of an American Aristocracy

WASPS
Michael Knox Beran
RRP:
NZ$ 42.99
Our Price:
NZ$ 36.54
Paperback
h152 x 229mm - 546pg
23 Jun 2022 US
International import eta 7-19 days
9781639362103
Out Of Stock
Currently no stock in-store, stock is sourced to your order
An examination of WASP culture through the lives of some of its most prominent figures. Envied and lampooned, misunderstood and yet distinctly American, WASPs are as much a culture, socioeconomic and ethnic designation, and state of mind. Charming, witty, and vigorously researched, WASPS traces the rise and fall of this distinctly American phenomenon through the lives of prominent icons from Henry Adams to Theodore Roosevelt, from George Santayana to John Jay Chapman, from Babe Paley to Edie Sedgwick. Envied and lampooned, misunderstood and yet distinctly American, WASPs are as much a culture, socioeconomic and ethnic designation, and state of mind Throughout this dynamic story, Beran chronicles the efforts of WASPs to use their position to better the world around them, as well as the struggles of these WASPs to break free from their restrictive culture. The death of George H. W. Bush brought about reflections on the end of patrician WASP culture, where privilege reigned, but so did a genuine desire to use that privilege for public service. As we examine the post-Trump era, many look at the John Kerry, Bobby Kennedy, and Philip and Kay Grahams of the world with wistfulness. And even though we are a more diverse and pluralistic nation now than ever before, there is something about WASP culture that remains aspirational and fascinating. Beginning at the turn of the 20th century, Beran' s saga dramatizes the evolving American aristocracy that forever changed a nation-and what we can still glean from WASP culture in the twenty-first century.
"A colorful survey, Beran stuffs the account with juicy details. This is a rewarding study of a vital yet slippery aspect of American history and culture. " * Publishers Weekly * Praise for Murder by Candlelight "A fascinating new book. Beran asks us to consider our own hearts of darkness, why we' re obsessed with murder stories, why this obsession matters, and what it suggests about us as a culture and a species. A witty and engaging narrative, Murder by Candlelight is at once psychological thriller and philosophical meditation, murder mystery and literary analysis, written in elegant and pointed prose. In one skillfully wrought volume, he cleverly feeds our appetite for horror even as he probes this appetite. " * The New York Times Book Review * "Beran darts back to the 18th century and the arrival of Gothic literature, to authors such as Walter Scott and Coleridge, who used poetic language to convey the emotions of violence. Beyond such literary matters, Beran dwells upon real-world murder cases with a special emphasis on three. Beran relishes these stories and tells them with vigor and brio. " * The Wall Street Journal * "Beran sets out to explore four notable murder cases of the 1800s as covered by period scribes, relying heavily on contemporary sources for his text and dialog. For scholars of the late Romantic period and early crime writing. " * Library Journal * Praise for The Last Patrician "Beran is such a lively writer, and such a risk-taking thinker, that the sparks he promiscuously strikes from his literary flint are, cumulatively, illuminating. Beran' s slender meditation on Kennedy' s truncated life has an unusually high ration of provocations per page. Some readers will angrily throw it across the room. But they will retrieve it, and continue reading, avidly. " -- George F. Will * The New York Times Book Review * "A remarkable achievement. It offers new insights into the character of Robert Kennedy, perhaps the most enigmatic public figure of our time. " -- William Manchester "A luminous look at Kennedy and at the country he wanted to lead. " * The Boston Globe *
Michael Knox Beran' s previous books include Forge of Empires, 1861-1871,The Last Patrician, a study of Robert Kennedy that was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, and Murder by Candlelight, also available from Pegasus Books. His writing has also appeared in The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, and the National Review. He lives in Westchester County, New York.
Status: No local stock, title imported to order
ISBN-13: 9781639362103
Published: 23 Jun 2022
Published In: United States
Imprint: Pegasus Books
Publisher: Pegasus Books
Format: Paperback
Height: 152mm
Width: 229mm
Spine: 46mm
Weight: 465g
Pages: 546

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