Richard Hofstadter: Anti-Intellectualism in American Life, The Paranoid Style in American Politics, Uncollected Essays 1956-1965 (LOA #330) (Library of America)

Hofstadter was an outstanding historian and a favorite of mine since undergraduate days. I hope the Library of America will consider publishing more of his works, including The Age of Reform.

This is an interesting story: back in my prep school days, back when rocks were still young, I had a teacher who knew (and idolized) Hofstadter. I always wanted to read him and now, with the endless time on my hands due to the pandemic in progress and the fortuitous appearance of this edition, I understand what she saw in him. He was a most astute observer of the American situation as well as a superb writer. This is another example of my quarantine reading: I should publish my list of quarantine reading (and re-reading), as well as the symphonies and operas I have finally had the time to hear now, halfway through this seventh decade of my life.

LOA volumes are by far the best out there for American authors. They include all sorts of notes and the timeline of the subject’s life. They are quite literally the definitive editions of every subject they take on. And they look great on the shelf. I believe I’m up to around 30 volumes now

The fact that much of the "strangeness" in current politics is a reoccurring theme in this country, makes a vital read to understand what's happening and why

as expected with this product: very satisfied

Richard Hofstadter was a hugely influential American historian during the mid to late twentieth century, and he is still widely admired and consulted today, fifty years after his untimely death. This Library of America volume is a compilation of some of Hofstadter's uncollected essays from the 1950s and 1960s as well as two longer works, Anti-Intellectualism in American Life and The Paranoid Style in American Politics. These last two publications are among Hofstadter's most seminal works. In common with many intellectuals of his time, he was troubled by the rise of demagogues like Joseph McCarthy during the early Cold War. Later, he was even more concerned by the takeover of the Republican Party by Barry Goldwater and his hard right (as they were then perceived) policies. Reading these essays today makes astute observers uncomfortable, for everything Hofstadter predicted would arise from Goldwaterism has indeed come to full flower as Trumpism. The Library of America series is justly famous for its high quality and skillful editing. This volume of Hofstadter maintains those excellent standards.

Hofstadter's writing was what originally captivated my attention for good writing in history. While I don't necessarily agree with every argument he makes, I think it's pretty clear that he's an example of a very readable historian. Much can be said about "Anti-Intellectualism" and "Paranoid Style"- they're bedrocks of consensus history; and although they were written in a different context, I think they speak to us today. This collection also contains some lesser known and unpublished works by Hofstadter that are good reads as well. I particularly liked his essay on the nature of historical writing, questioning whether historians should focus on analytical monographs or narrative histories that tell a larger story. His answer is that great history blends both (a feat much easier stated than produced). If you are looking for a collection to do deep dive into a famous historian, look no further. Wilentz, an eminent historian himself, has produced a great volume that certainly will let us see Hofstadter's changes, in what he writes about and how. The only drawback is that I wish there would have been something from the Age of Reform, Hofstadter's first major work that brought him recognition. I feel that a lot of that work finds its way into his subsequent writing. However, this is a great collection from a historian that continues to be the focus of historiographical exploration.

You can't imagine how revealing it is to read these works in this era. What we think of new isn't new at all. The roots of what we complain of today - whatever our political leanings - began long ago. Richard Hofstadter is cited by conservatives for liberalism but really, what we read here transcends. He writes as an historian interested in the life of the mind, whether it be how people view the learning of other adults (remember Mitt Romney being criticized for speaking French?) and in the way we view education and the shaping of young minds. He is liberal only in the sense that he values lifelong learning and seems mystified when others do not. We studied Hofstadter in college but I had forgotten the wealth of information here. The in-line references are a joy. Thank you editor Sean Wilentz. FYI, the book starts out a bit slow and contains a bunch of references contemporary to the time it was written. Put reservations aside and just keep reading. Soon you will be enthralled. I received a review copy of "Richard Hofstadter: Anti-Intellectualism in American Life, The Paranoid Style in American Politics, Uncollected Essays 1956-1965 (LOA #330)" edited by Sean Wilentz from the publisher Library of America through NetGalley.com.

In my ninth decade, an immigrant for sixty years, a citizen for fifty, and by profession much more into the Sciences than into the Humanities, I have been captivated by what made America into what it is now. I was lucky to stumble on Hofstadter in my seventies and his work showed me the why's of many aspects of American psyche that had been until then beyond me. I own (and have read) practically all of Hofstadter's canon, but I have just ordered the LOA volume , which I expect will be the first in a series that will encompass his work. The fact that it is edited by Sean Wilentz makes it twice as desirable, since Wilentz is another one of my favorite historians and has also cast light into areas of American history of which I was profoundly ignorant.

I got this book from a library's discarded book pile. It is a fantastic book, and I hope it was discarded only to be replaced by a newer copy.

Hofstadter was an outstanding historian and a favorite of mine since undergraduate days. I hope the Library of America will consider publishing more of his works, including The Age of Reform.

This is an interesting story: back in my prep school days, back when rocks were still young, I had a teacher who knew (and idolized) Hofstadter. I always wanted to read him and now, with the endless time on my hands due to the pandemic in progress and the fortuitous appearance of this edition, I understand what she saw in him. He was a most astute observer of the American situation as well as a superb writer. This is another example of my quarantine reading: I should publish my list of quarantine reading (and re-reading), as well as the symphonies and operas I have finally had the time to hear now, halfway through this seventh decade of my life.

LOA volumes are by far the best out there for American authors. They include all sorts of notes and the timeline of the subject’s life. They are quite literally the definitive editions of every subject they take on. And they look great on the shelf. I believe I’m up to around 30 volumes now

The fact that much of the "strangeness" in current politics is a reoccurring theme in this country, makes a vital read to understand what's happening and why