On Democracy

A New York Times Book Review New & Noteworthy Book

"For democracy's weary champions, White's time-tested prose is a shot of adrenaline."--Madeleine Albright

A collection of essays, letters, and poems from E. B. White, "one of the country's great literary treasures" (New York Times), centered on the subject of freedom and democracy in America. The special book includes an introduction by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jon Meacham.

"I am a member of a party of one, and I live in an age of fear."

These words were written by E. B. White in 1947. Decades before our current political turmoil, White crafted eloquent yet practical political statements that continue to resonate. "There's only one kind of press that's any good--" he proclaimed, "a press free from any taint of the government." He condemned the trend of defamation, arguing that "in doubtful, doubting days, national morality tends to slip and slide toward a condition in which the test of a man's honor is his zeal for discovering dishonor in others." And on the spread of fascism he lamented, "fascism enjoys at the moment an almost perfect climate for growth--a world of fear and hunger."

This concise collection of essays, letters, and poems from one of this country's most eminent literary voices offers much-needed historical context for our current state of the nation--and hope for the future of our society. Speaking to Americans at a time of uncertainty, when democracy itself has come under threat, he reminds us, "As long as there is one upright man, as long as there is one compassionate woman . . . the scene is not desolate."

• Freedom of the Press: White's fierce defense of a press free from government taint provides a powerful reminder of the First Amendment's vital role in a functioning republic.
• The Meaning of Democracy: Discover White's celebrated definition, not as a grand political theory, but as the simple conviction that "more than half of the people are right more than half of the time."
• Prescient Social Commentary: Writing in 1947, White diagnoses the threats of rising fascism, political defamation, and thought control with an unnerving accuracy that speaks directly to the challenges of today.
• Historical Context for Today: An illuminating introduction by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jon Meacham frames these classic works, making this an essential volume for understanding America's past--and its future.