The Purple Decades: A Reader [Mass Market Paperback]

Tom Wolfe (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1983

The Purple Decades brings together the author's own selections from his list of critically acclaimed publications, including the complete text of Mau-Mauing and the Flak Catchers, his account of the wild games the poverty program encouraged minority groups to play.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Tom Wolfe is the author of a dozen books, among them such contemporary classics as the bestselling The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, The Right Stuff, and The Bonfire of the Vanities. A native of Richmond, Virginia, he lives in New York City.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 396 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Trade (November 1, 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 042506266X
• ISBN-13: 978-0425062661
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #870,078 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Tom Wolfe is the author of more than a dozen books, among them such contemporary classics as The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, The Right Stuff, The Bonfire of the Vanities, and A Man in Full. A native of Richmond, Virginia, he earned his B.A. at Washington and Lee University and a Ph.D. in American studies at Yale. He lives in New York City.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tom Wolfe: a great American treasure, April 2, 2011

By 

Joseph Tedesco (Belleville, NJ, US) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Purple Decades-A Reader (Paperback)

If you're unfamiliar with Tom Wolfe's writing, you're in for a treat. Imagine a gentlemanly fox in a trademark white suit who has the power to look through the clouded glass of current events and see everything within for what they are, or in the case of The Purple Decades, for what they were. Like Voltaire, there's a delicious joy in skewing bombast and hipocrisy. Check to see if the decades in question are of interest to you and then trust Mr Wolfe to deliver his finely honed, razor sharp critiques.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still Brilliant, January 17, 2011

By 

Paul Rooney "Paul Rooney" (Opotiki,New Zealand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Purple Decades-A Reader (Paperback)

This book is 21 previously published stories that originally appeared in magazines and were then published in previous collections.

So, this is really a " greatest hits " spanning the years from 64ish until 79ish.

It covers the New York art scene through to an excerpt from the "Right Stuff" on Chuck Yeager.

Some of the pieces are dated but the majority hold up and could have been written last week. Although that isn't correct because there is no one writing for magazines today that come within miles of Mr. Wolfe's ability.

This is a great over view of his articles and is recommended because , oh my, how this man can write, with apologies to John Hiatt.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great, March 17, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Purple Decades: A Reader (Hardcover)

This is a fantastic sampling of Wolfe's work. Some parts I have re-read countless times. Wolfe is among the best writers we have. (And this book is nonfiction...which is why I'm glad his next book will be nonfiction).