190 – Biographizing Buckley with Sam Tanenhaus

There are four faces on the Saving Elephants' Mount Rushmore of great conservatives: Edmund Burke, Russell Kirk, Thomas Sowell, and William F. Buckley. While the first three have each had fully episodes dedicated to their life and works, William F. Buckley has yet to be explored at length. And with Buckley's posthumous 100th birthday happening later this month, now is the perfect time to reflect on his long and remarkable life. Sam Tanehaus' decades-in-the-making biography of Buckley was published earlier this year and he joins Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis to cover a multitude of ground in sketching out a life well lived. Sam discusses who Buckley was as a personal friend, his impact on the conservative movement, his flirtation with radicalism and maturing into his role as conservative gatekeeper, and many of the colorful characters Buckley interacted with throughout his life. Sam also addresses some of the criticisms of his book, Buckley: The Life and the Revolution That Changed America . About Sam Tanehaus Sam Tanenhaus, the former editor of The New York Times Book Review , is the author of the national bestsellers Whittaker Chambers: A Biography (winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and a finalist for both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize) and The Death of Conservatism . His feature articles and essays have appeared in The Atlantic, The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, and Vanity Fair . Buckley Turns 100 Come join the Saving Elephants livestream on November 23 at 8PM EST as we celebrate the life and legacy of William F. Buckley on the eve of his posthumous 100 th birthday. Your questions and comments welcome during this live event.

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190 – Biographizing Buckley with Sam Tanenhaus is an episode from Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values by Josh Lewis.

This episode is 01:09:15 long.

This episode was published on Nov 18, 2025.

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