A Colossal Wreck: A Road Trip Through Political Scandal, Corruption, And American Culture (Hardcover)
Description
Alexander Cockburn was one of the most influential journalists of his generation. As the Atlantic noted, he was a towering figure who "would say all the outrageous things his bland counterparts lacked the wit, courage, erudition, or épater-spirit to utter on their own."
In A Colossal Wreck, written prior to his death in July 2012, Cockburn reveals his great literary spirit, incisive reading of the situation, and campaigning vim into a single volume that will undoubtedly be seen as his masterpiece. Whether ruthlessly exposing the hypocrisy of Washington from Clinton to Obama, pricking the pomposity of those in power, or tirelessly defending the rights of the oppressed or silenced, Cockburn was the most gifted contrarian of his generation.
About the Author
Alexander Cockburn was the co-editor of CounterPunch and the author of a number of titles, including Corruptions of Empire, The Golden Age Is in Us, Washington Babylon and Imperial Crusades. Brought up in Ireland, he moved to America in 1972 writing for the Village Voice, the Nation and many other journals. He died in July 2012.
Praise for A Colossal Wreck: A Road Trip Through Political Scandal, Corruption, And American Culture…
"I look forward to the books he was writing as the clock ticked down, especially his memoir A Colossal Wreck, a title that doesn’t err on the side of understatement."—James Walcott, Vanity Fair
"A tremendously influential figure … a journalist who would say all the outrageous things his bland counterparts lacked the wit, courage, erudition, or épater-spirit to utter on their own."—Atlantic
"An unapologetic leftist, condemning what he saw as the outrages of the right but also castigating the American liberal establishment when he thought it was being timid."—New York Times
"He blazed the trail that Hitchens and others followed."—Daily Beast
"Cockburn became well known, and controversial … his searing wit was a frequent staple of his columns."—Huffington Post
"He had the courage to take on anything and anyone, from the most powerful organisations in the world to his closest friends, and the energy and persistence to follow his own path wherever it took him."—Guardian
"Crusading reporter and polemicist … with his Wildean wit, love of elegant women, penchant for hunting and fondness for PG Wodehouse, Cockburn defied the stereotype of the disgruntled left-wing scribe."—Independent
"Quite unlike anyone else among intellectual commentators in the United States."—Edward Said
"Alexander Cockburn was a man that spoke truth to power—and that’s a good enough obit for anyone."—Greg Palast
