F. Flagg Taylor’s The Great Lie: Classic and Recent Appraisals of Ideology and Totalitarianism is now out. I got my copy yesterday (Flagg’s a good friend and colleague) and the afternoon was shot. One brilliant essay after another: Aron, Havel, Milosz, Strauss, Solzhenitsyn, Arendt…are just a few of the major luminaries, and there’s also a handful of essays by lesser-known writers.
The one that grabbed me was “The Hair Styles of Mieczyslaw Rakowski,” by Leopold Tyrmand, about the way this communist official’s personal appearance changed from era to era, often quite subtly, the better to fit the most-winning image for a party official at the particular time. So the regime’s changes and character are actually reflected in his hair-style!
That essay illustrates the literary character of a number of the pieces, although obviously it also stands as a book of philosophy and sociology. There’s really everything a pomocon could want!
More to come on this…
September 1st, 2011 | 6:44 am
What Voegelin essay did he use? Also, have you read Fr. Schall’s “Modern Age(?)” and, if so, any comment?
September 1st, 2011 | 7:42 am
I second Carl’s enthusiastic endorsement. Flagg’s Introduction is a tour de force. This is a one-of-a-kind book, a must-read, and an intellectual feast — despite its horrifying subject matte — from beginning to end (including the piece by Alain Besancon, “On the Problem of Defining the Soviet Regime,” that Dan Mahoney and I translated for the anthology). Kudos to Flagg and to ISI Books.
September 2nd, 2011 | 1:43 pm
The Voegelin essay included is his review of Arendt’s The Origins of Totalitarianism.
September 2nd, 2011 | 2:19 pm
Congratulations on the high praise for the book.
EV’s review/essay of Dr. Arendt’s “Origins..” was rather provocative if I remember correctly. If you want the book reviewed for a popular philosophy mag-at least a submission-let me know (robertcheeks@core.com).
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