THE REDHUNTER: A NOVEL BASED ON THE LIFE OF SENATOR JOE McCARTHY

Boston: Little Brown & Co., 1999. Hardcover. Near Fine/Near Fine. This book is Buckley's attempt to present a portrait of Joe McCarthy as a fallible, indeed, failed human rather than the icon of political greed and ambition he has come to symbolize. In this book, Buckley, the 20th century's preminent conservative, a public intellectual and writer, founder and editor of "The National Review," presents, through a fictional aide to McCarthy, a view of the senator as a man whose honest belief in a government overrun by Communist dupes and fellow travelers, aided by his alcoholism, led him on a vicious witchhunt that ultimately failed, not because it wasn't true but because he was never able to find the evidence he needed to convince most Americans. First edition, first printing (as stated, with complete numberline). About 6 1/2 x 9 1/2 inches, 421 pages in black paper-covered boards with Little Brown icon stamped in center of front cover and with red lettering on spine. The dustjacket's front panel shows title and author in white letters against a darkly red-tinted photo of an unidentifiable man in suit and tie in front of a microphone. Back panel has thre quotes praising Buckley's effort to, as John Kenneth Galbraith notes, "redeem even by fiction the career of Joe McCarthy is a challenging task. all who marvel should read." Boards, text and dustjacket are clean, complete and unmarked, with only very minor surface and edge wear. No noticeable flaws or damage such as tearing, creasing or chipping. Not remaindered, not ex-library. Dj is not price-clipped. A collectable copy of an a somewhat unusual work among the more than 50 books published by Buckley, many while also serving as editor of a magazine and host of the PBS show, "Firing Line." It is also interesting to note Buckley's description of Donald Trump: "A narcissist" and "demagogue.