Wall Street Journal Books & Art (July 26, 2023) – A wild rowboat race across the Atlantic, the overlooked triumphs of the 20th president, notes on life behind home plate and more. A selection of July’s most noteworthy books, as discussed by The Wall Street Journal’s reviewers.
After the Funeral and Other Stories
By Tessa Hadley | Knopf
Moments of “intense insight and recognition” animate a dozen new stories from a master of the form. Review by Sam Sacks.
Brothers and Sisters: The Allman Brothers Band and the Inside Story of the Album That Defined the ’70s
By Alan Paul | St. Martin’s
Even after the loss of two of their founding members, the Georgia-based band created a country-blues sound that captivated audiences. Review by Gavin Edwards.
Completely Mad: Tom McClean, John Fairfax, and the Epic Race to Row Solo Across the Atlantic
By James R. Hansen | Pegasus
Tom McClean faced frostbite, nonstop gales and waves that looked like skyscrapers. A 15-foot shark followed him for days. He named it Bluey. Review by Bill Heavey.
The Controversialist: Arguments with Everyone, Left Right and Center
By Martin Peretz | Wicked Son
The pugnacious editor and publisher looks back on his career putting the New Republic at the center of a generation’s political conversation. Review by Tunku Varadarajan.
Credible: The Power of Expert Leaders
By Amanda Goodall | PublicAffairs
Should a doctor run a hospital? An engineer a tech company? Workers seem to value a boss with skill and knowledge in the core business. Review by David A. Price.
End Times: Elites, Counter-Elites, and the Path of Political Disintegration
By Peter Turchin | Penguin Press
The widening wealth gap in the U.S. has been fueled by elite overproduction—a combination that, to some, can only signal an imminent state breakdown. Review by Dominic Green.
The Man Who Organized Nature: The Life of Linnaeus
By Gunnar Broberg | Princeton
The Swedish naturalist Linnaeus bestowed an orderly taxonomy on the natural world, but his love of animals and plants was quirky and personal. Review by Christoph Irmscher.
The People’s Justice: Clarence Thomas and the Constitutional Stories That Define Him
By Amul Thapar | Regnery Gateway
A federal judge argues that when we follow the arguments of Supreme Court Justice Thomas in applying the Constitution, the weak and the powerless stand to benefit the most. Review by David J. Garrow.
President Garfield: From Radical to Unifier
By C.W. Goodyear | Simon & Schuster
James Garfield’s ambitious career—from janitor to Union general, then from Congress to the presidency—was cut short by an assassin. Review by Richard Norton Smith.