Mostly on the Edge: An Autobiography [Hardcover]

Karl Hess (Author), Karl Hess Jr. (Editor), Charles Murray (Foreword), Marcus Raskin (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1999

He left school at fifteen to work as a reporter and wound up, just a few years later, as associate editor at Newsweek. He helped William F Buckley Jr found the National Review, worked closely with Joseph McCarthy, and became chief speechwriter for Barry Goldwater. But true to a conscience that caused him to question the claims and authority of others, Hess eventually rejected conservatism and embraced the libertarian politics of the New Left. He dabbled with drugs, rode motorcycles, worked with the Black Panthers, got arrested while protesting the war in Vietnam, and published an article in Playboy that defined libertarianism and ignited a national debate. As an anti-Communist he co-operated with the FBI, but as a libertarian he fought the IRS until he was nearly destitute. Whatever his political leanings, he always despised conceit, exploded intolerance, and embraced life to the fullest. He was a man who travelled in influential circles, often close to power, but, in his own words, 'mostly on the edge'. Karl Hess participated in many of the defining events of 20th-century America, a self-taught boy who became a self-made journalist. "Mostly on the Edge" chronicles the life education of Hess, who became a defiant tester of the prevailing ideas of each decade. He lived by trial and error, and was always willing to acknowledge his mistakes. Like Franklin and Thoreau, Hess hoped to wake up America by questioning the moral majority, fighting the Kafkaesque intrusions of government, and encouraging his family, friends, and highly influential colleagues to think for themselves. Hess provides eyewitness accounts, unique personal observations, startling and valuable insights on leadership and dissent, and, in the end, leaves behind a clear path to realising the dream of freedom.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 409 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books; 1st edition (April 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573926876
• ISBN-13: 978-1573926874
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,127,912 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A worthwhile but incomplete autobiography, September 3, 1999

By 

Jay Zane - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mostly on the Edge: An Autobiography (Hardcover)

In 1976 I had the opportunity to write a review for Karl Hess' "Dear America," and this new autobiography contains much of the same material covered in that first autobiography. I had hoped for a more personal glimpse into his family life but strangely only about two sentences are devoted to his first marriage which produced two sons. It was odd that Mr. Hess could not even mention his first wife's name. His relationship with his sons is also largely ignored. These omissions, together with little or no discussion of such historical figures such as Nixon, Reagan, Ford, and Carter and their respective policies, made the book less than it could have been. HOWEVER, "Dear America" is out of print! Also, one must keep in mind that this book was put together while Mr. Hess was suffering from his terminal heart disease and was basically unfinished at the date of his death. His son, Karl Hess, Jr. has performed a labor of love by getting this book out on the market. It is a treat to read about Mr. Hess' early days and I believe that portion of the book was completed while his health was fairly good. I also enjoyed his discussions about his conversion from the right to the left and how the right and left have much in common. I consider Karl Hess to be one of unsung heroes of this century's political scene - a thinking political and moral man - all at the same time! I had hoped for his observations and his comments on the Nixon regime, Watergate, Reaganomics, etc. but I am still content with this autobiography and recommend it to anyone interested in Karl Hess, a 20th century Thoreau.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good book, Good Man, August 28, 2009

By 

Ted J. Tipton (Placentia, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mostly on the Edge: An Autobiography (Hardcover)

The late Karl Hess was a fascinating figure. An old Right activist, ghostwriter for Barry Goldwater who traveled in the highest circles of the GOP. After 1964 he became dissillusioned with the Republican's and became involved with the New Left. Never giving up his old principles of liberty and independence he became a small "l" libertarian figure and developed a reputation as a "gentle Anarchist."

Hess later would become a capital "L" Libertarian, editing the party newspaper. He became involved in social ecology movements and never earned the money he was capable of due to his Tax Resistance. Those who knew him speak with great admiration and those who now read him will as well. I certainly do.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life as a Cause That Will Triumph, July 14, 2009

By 

Thomas Ross "austrian economic" (New Hampshire) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mostly on the Edge: An Autobiography (Hardcover)

To know Karl Hess is to have observed a life in a sincere search of truth. Sparked by his private education by an extroadinary mother, Karl rose to the highest levels of journalism, rode beside Goldwater throughout his campaign and worked at the edge of power and social change for over five decades. A most extrodinary and unforgetable speaker, he had a unique gift to enlighten and amuse any who heard him. Read his works and better understand our place in history.