William F. Buckley, the man who put the charm into conservatism
He was the 20th century’s most influential journalist
READY to feel lazy and unaccomplished? William F. Buckley wrote his first bestseller when he was 25. Over the next 57 years, he would write more than 50 books, including 20 novels. When he was 29, he founded the National Review, a magazine. When he was 40, he created “Firing Line”, a public-affairs tv show; he would go on to host 1,505 episodes. Buckley wrote and edited thousands of articles, made thousands of public speeches, and once, quixotically, ran for mayor of New York. (He won 13% of the vote.)
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This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “Right on”
Culture
June 28th 2025- William F. Buckley, the man who put the charm into conservatism
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