Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. They come mostly from booksthe six installments of the prejudices series, a book of burlesques, in defense of women, notes on democracy, making a president, a book of calumny, treatise on right and wrongbut there are also magazine and newspaper pieces that never got between covers from the american. He spent thousands of dollars challenging restrictions on freedom of the press. After his death, these materials were made available to scholars in stages in 1971, 1981, and 1991, and include hundreds of thousands of letters sent and received. Henry mencken brought me to the baltimore evening sun in 1947, and for the next eight years.
Click download or read online button to get h l mencken book now. Mencken has 241 books on goodreads with 119065 ratings. The books fortynine selections give a wide sampling of menckens work, ranging from excerpts from the nostalgic days books to examples of menckens literary criticism, political essays, reporting, commentary and more. Knopf, 1920, also by george jean nathan gutenberg text and page images. Menckens a book of prefaces for your kindle, tablet, ipad, pc or. Optimized for the mobipocket reader, this is a very special edition of h. Hl menckens the american language is a creature of its time, a flexing of american cultural muscle, but. Mencken is known as the chief heretic of the american civic religion, and this book shows why. They come mostly from booksthe six installments of the prejudices series, a book of burlesques, in defense of women, notes on democracy, making a president, a book of calumny, treatise on right and wrongbut there are also magazine and newspaper pieces that never got between covers from the. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. That hanging a man or frying him or gassing him is a dreadful business, degrading to those who have to do it and revolting to those who have to witness it. Astringent commentator, this one time the idol of the youth of the 20s, became according to barzun the monumental mencken of the 40s. Mencken room and collection is located at the central branch of the enoch pratt free library on cathederal street in baltimore.
The american iconoclast and editor of mencken and sara. Founded in 1997, has become a leading book price comparison site. It is surely one of the most bracing books on politics in the history of the english language. Oct 10, 2014 time machine is a new printers row journal feature offering a look at past tribune books coverage. Books are written by men of talent who start wrong, who set out from accepted dogmas, not from their own.
Mencken and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Henry mencken brought me to the baltimore evening sun in. The fourth, fifth, and sixth series library of america by mencken, h. What mencken delivers here is probably the most scathing attack on the idea of mass rule that has ever been written. Project gutenberg offers 61853 free ebooks for kindle, ipad, nook, android, and iphone. Mencken room and collection housing this collection was dedicated on april 17, 1956. On being an american baltimore evening sunoctober 11, 1920 peasant and cockney. Mencken was ruthless, both in content and his choice of subject, though he did use humor. Marion elizabeth rodgers, volume editor, is the author of mencken. A second mencken chrestomathy 1994 thirtyfive years of newspaper work 1996.
Then, read the last words of famous people throughout history as well as some of the best insults ever recorded. They come mostly from booksthe six installments of the prejudices series, a book of burlesques, in defense of women, notes on democracy, making a president, a book of calumny, treatise on right and wrongbut there are also magazine and newspaper pieces that never got between. Shortly after world war ii, mencken expressed his intention of bequeathing his books and papers to the pratt library. Mencken collection, enoch pratt free library books by h. Mencken was the most outspoken defender of liberty in america. A cynic is a man who, when he smells flowers, looks around for a coffin. Its all in wilsons hands, mencken concludes after looking around at frisco. Mencken, in full henry louis mencken, born september 12, 1880, baltimore, maryland, u. Project gutenberg offers 61,635 free ebooks to download. Mencken 18801956, baltimore journalist, critic, and essayist, began his career on local newspapers in 1899, becoming a reporter for the baltimore morning herald, and later joined the staff of the baltimore sun, for which he worked throughout most of his life. Works documented in the collection include early poems, short works of opinion and journalism, and longer books such as the. Reporter, editor, essayist, and columnist mencken did it all, and with a certain literary flare.
I dont necessarily wholly agree with nor dsagree with the thoughts shared by hl mencken, and i dont need tobut he has shared them clearly and without pandering. Their concern, after all, is not with books that are denounced. Before there was any such thing as political correctness, h. Mencken s most popular book is a mencken chrestomathy. This is a collection of menckens newspaper columns from the early 1900s to his very last column written in november 1948. Mencken was preoccupied with his legacy, and kept his papers, letters, newspaper clippings and columns, even grade school report cards. Bookmark file pdf american language hl mencken by h. Henry louis, 18801956 online books about this author are available, as is a wikipedia article mencken, h. Sometimes it is simply a matter of seeing a different perspective, or seeing how someone else views something through their words. A celebrity is one who is known to many persons he is glad he doesnt know. Mencken the following list is comprehensive and represents.
This progress is merely a modern idea, which is to say, a false idea. He boldly denounced president woodrow wilson for whipping up patriotic fervor to enter world war i, which cost his job as a newspaper columnist. Mencken read by various part 33 full audio book the american language by h. This library of america series edition is printed on acidfree paper and features smythsewn binding, a.
Mencken says alls set to put young william over if wilson gives the word. This ebook contains the complete text of two books. Essential readings for the nonbeliever, and a mencken chrestomathy, and more on. Mencken the following list is comprehensive and represents the 1st american publications of menckens work.
Mencken quotes inspirational quotes at brainyquote. There is more truth in these pages than most americans are willing to face. It includes the essays one would count as the best of mencken. Mencken attended a baltimore private school and the baltimore polytechnic. Mencken quotes, we recommended you check out our other posts on interesting quotes and quintessential mark twain quotes on life, philosophy and politics. Time machine is a new printers row journal feature offering a look at past tribune books coverage. Henry louis mencken wikisource, the free online library. Menckens most popular book is a mencken chrestomathy. This is a collection of mencken s newspaper columns from the early 1900s to his very last column written in november 1948.
Mencken gives the impression of an able mind so harried and irritated by the philistinism of american life that it has not been able to attain its full power. These more carefully workedover critical essays are, on the whole, less interesting and provocative than the irresponsible comment he gives us in his magazine. Mencken of the arguments against capital punishment that issue from uplifters, two are commonly heard most often, to wit. Mankind surely does not represent an evolution toward a better or stronger or higher level, as progress is now understood. Mencken henry louis mencken, owen hatteras, henry l. Some of the columns are only prototypes of larger works on the american language and contemporary literature and a few of them, such as the piece on valentino, were rewritten and enlarged by mencken for books like a mencken chrestomathy. The present edition is addressed to a wider audience, in more civilized countries, and so i have felt free to introduce a number of propositions, not. Then, read the last words of famous people throughout history as. Your eyes will pop out at not only his dazzling prose but, and most especially, at the thoughts that he dares put in print, almost as a revolutionary act. Edited by marion elizabeth rodgers it took me nearly a dozen years of rummaging through used bookstores in numerous states to find all six of the original prejudices volumes. Hl menckens the american language is a creature of. The european of today, in his essential worth, falls far below the european of the. That hanging a man or frying him or gassing him is a dreadful business, degrading to those who.