{"product_id":"a-colossal-wreck-isbn-9781781682951","title":"A Colossal Wreck","description":"\u003cp\u003eAlexander Cockburn was without question one of the most influential journalists of his generation, whose writing stems from the best tradition of Mark Twain, H.L. Menchken and Tom Paine. \u003ci\u003eColossal Wreck\u003c\/i\u003e, his final work, finished shortly before his death in July 2012, exemplifies the prodigious literary brio that made Cockburn’s name.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhether ruthlessly exposing Beltway hypocrisy, pricking the pomposity of those in power, or tirelessly defending the rights of the oppressed, Cockburn never pulled his punches and always landed a blow where it mattered. In this panoramic work, covering nearly two decades of American culture and politics, he explores subjects as varied as the sex life of Bill Clinton and the best way to cook wild turkey. He stands up for the rights of prisoners on death row and exposes the chicanery of the media and the duplicity of the political elite. As he pursues a serpentine path through the nation, he charts the fortunes of friends, famous relatives, and sworn enemies alike to hilarious effect.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is a thrilling trip through the reefs and shoals of politics and everyday life. Combining a passion for the places, the food and the people he encountered on dozens of cross-country journeys, Cockburn reports back over seventeen years of tumultuous change among what he affectionately called the “thousand landscapes” of the United States.\u003c\/p\u003e“It’s alive on every page, this thing; its feisty sentences wriggle … \u003ci\u003eA Colossal Wreck\u003c\/i\u003e will have a long life among those who care about the crackling deployment of the English language, partly because Mr. Cockburn had such a wide-ranging mind ... His book is a stay against boredom.\" —Dwight Garner, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eA Colossal Wreck\u003c\/i\u003e provides ample evidence for Cockburn's standing as one of the left's most perceptive and entertaining commentators.” —\u003ci\u003eThe Guardian\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“Alex struck American journalism like lightning.” —Michael Tomasky, \u003ci\u003eDaily Beast\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“Always surprising, outrageous, brilliant and yet strangely compassionate. He weaves together the public and the private with a sustained comic ingenuity that is matchless.” —Edward Said\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Alexander Cockburn set a high standard of crusading journalism for fifty years … With his Wildean wit, love of elegant women, penchant for hunting and fondness for P.G. Wodehouse, Cockburn defied the stereotype of the disgruntled left-wing scribe.” —\u003ci\u003eThe\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eIndependent\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“Cockburn essentially pioneered the modern persona for which Christopher Hitchens became much better known: the fancily Oxford-educated leftie Brit littérateur\/journalist who would say all the outrageous things his bland Yank counterparts lacked the wit, courage, erudition, or épater-spirit to utter on their own … Cockburn was far more committed and purposeful in his outrageousness.” —\u003ci\u003eThe\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eAtlantic\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlexander Cockburn\u003c\/b\u003e (1941–2012) was the coeditor of \u003ci\u003eCounterPunch \u003c\/i\u003eand the author of a number of titles, including \u003ci\u003eCorruptions of Empire\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Golden Age Is in Us\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eWashington Babylon \u003c\/i\u003e(with Ken Silverstein), and \u003ci\u003eImperial Crusades\u003c\/i\u003e. One of three brothers, all journalists, he was the son of the journalist and author Claud Cockburn. Born in Ireland and educated in Scotland and England, he moved to America in 1972, soon establishing himself as a radical reporter and commentator, writing for the \u003ci\u003eVillage Voice\u003c\/i\u003e, the \u003ci\u003eNew York Review of Books\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eEsquire \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eHarpers\u003c\/i\u003e. He also wrote regular columns for the \u003ci\u003eNation\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eNew Statesman\u003c\/i\u003e, and his influential newsletter \u003ci\u003eCounterPunch\u003c\/i\u003e. In 1991 he settled in Petrolia, a rural hamlet in Humboldt County, Northern California, where he remained until his death.A roller coaster ride through the ruins of modern America from the most influential journalist of his Generation","brand":"Verso","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48232875852005,"sku":"NP9781781682951","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9781781682951.jpg?v=1767720371","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/a-colossal-wreck-isbn-9781781682951","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}