Landmark Books in All Fields
ItemID: #125463
Cost: $2,000.00

McCarthy and His Enemies

William F., Jr. Buckley

INSCRIBED TO AMERICAN INDUSTRIALIST J. PETER GRACE BY JOSEPH MCCARTHY AND WILLIAM F. BUCKLEY, JR.

(MCCARTHY, Joseph) BUCKLEY, William F., Jr. and BOZELL, L. Brent. McCarthy and His Enemies. The Record and its Meaning. Chicago: Henry Regnery, 1954. Octavo, original tan cloth, original dust jacket. $2000.

First edition, fourth printing, of this conservative assessment of McCarthy and his anti-communist crusade, inscribed to J. Peter Grace, the prominent American industrialist known for his mission to eliminate government waste: "To Peter Grace With Sincere Good Wishes, Joe McCarthy," and additionally inscribed: "With best wishes—William F. Buckley Jr."

"Not a biography, this is up to now the most serious pro-McCarthy analysis of the Senator's battle with the State Department and with existing governmental security arrangements. Occasionally critical of certain aspects of his performance, the authors are primarily concerned with upholding his role in the light of their own explicitly anti-Liberal political outlook. Two major premises of this outlook are the necessity to 'get by our disintegrated ruling élite' and the justice of the supposition of pro-Communism rather than of innocence or foolishness in issues involving the loyalty-security program" (contemporary review, Foreign Affairs). "This is the most extraordinary book yet to come forth in the harsh bibliography, pro and con, of 'McCarthyism.' Measured as a literary and polemical effort it is the most striking… We have a bald, dedicated apologia for "McCarthyism" made far more adroitly than Senator McCarthy himself could make it, that may well serve to clarify this issue. For the authors, enemies of the enemies of Mr. McCarthy, may have, ironically, done the Senator a disservice. McCarthyism is now on the record for all to see. They have "frozen" McCarthyism on their pages, which is an event that the instinctively fast-moving Senator may one day regret" (William S. White, contemporary review, New York Times). Bookplate of Peter and Maggie Grace. This copy is also inscribed to Peter Grace. J. Peter Grace was a famous American industrialist who served for nearly half a century as president of chemical and specialty material company W.R. Grace & Co. Politically, Grace was a conservative Democrat who willingly worked across the aisle on any initiative that supported his goals of eliminating government waste and cutting taxes. Under Kennedy, Grace was head of the Commerce Department Committee on the Alliance for Progress. Under Reagan, Grace led the Grace Commission, which was tasked with targeting inefficiency and wasteful government spending. Grace was the president of the American branch of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, a Catholic lay religious order that is a territory-less sovereign entity focus on law, governance, and the military through its diplomatic relations with other countries. While today the Knights of Malta are mostly known for their charitable contributions, they had a strong influence on the politics of the post-war world and were deeply involved with the war against communism in America—particularly as waged by Joe McCarthy. All three men (Grace, McCarthy, and Buckley) were well-known conservatives and ran in the same circles despite differences in party affiliation.

Book fine, dust jacket with only light wear and toning to extremities. A near-fine inscribed copy with a fascinating association.

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