Your eyes will pop out at not only his dazzling prose but, and most. Democracy is based upon so childish a complex of fallacies that they must be protected by a rigid system of taboos, else even halfwits would argue it to pieces. Mencken was a supreme idealist, and notes on democracy is an expression of his bottomless disappointment in the american public. Project gutenberg offers 61,635 free ebooks to download.
Menckens the penalty of death at first glance, it is difficult to tell if h. The american language an inquiry into the development of english in the united states h. The project gutenberg ebook of in defense of women, by h. Mencken was politically incorrect before the phrase was coined. He contributed to the baltimore sun for decades and also wrote numerous books, including his 1926 tome notes on democracy. I was unable to discern a coherent thesis or progression, but all of his usual crochets and prejudices as. He wrote his essay, the penalty of death, in 1926, almost one hundred years ago, but much of it remains to be timely. Mencken never became so thoroughly americanized that he forgot his ancestry. Hl menckens notes on democracy, recently republished in a sterling new paperback edition by dissident books, was originally published in 1926. Mencken september 12, 1880 january 29, 1956, was an american journalist, essayist, magazine editor, satirist, acerbic critic of american life and culture, and a student of american english. It is surely one of the most bracing books on politics in the history of the english language.
Notes on democracy is a 1926 book by american journalist, satirist, cultural critic h. Mencken this ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. Here is a passage on the role of fear in a democracy. Use this form pdf to register to vote by mail in tennessee.
Whenever you hear a man speak of his love for his country, it is a sign that he expects to be paid for it. 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. Mencken quotes inspirational quotes at brainyquote. His satirical reporting on the scopes trial, which he dubbed the monkey trial, also gained him attention. Publication date 2016 topics political theory collection opensource language english. Henry louis mencken wikisource, the free online library.
It frames an indictment of the flaws in democracy with a zest no political scientist could command. There is more truth in these pages than most americans are willing to face. Mencken was perhaps americas most outspoken defender of liberty in the first half of the 20th century. Mencken this classic was written to clarify the discrepancies between british and american english and to define the distinguishing characteristics of american english. Mencken had a sarcastic, biting style typical of the great literary critics of the time. The legendary newspaperman addressed the difficulties of good. Notes on democracy is timeless and highly recommended reading. Mencken say the white house will be adorned by a downright moron. He was always conscious of his german origins, and it was for this reason that during his lifetime, especially during both world wars, he was accused of being unpatriotic and. As an admirer of the german philosopher friedrich nietzsche, he was an outspoken opponent of organized religion, theism, populism, and representative democracy. Mencken is known as the chief heretic of the american civic religion, and this book shows why. What mencken delivers here is probably the most scathing attack on the idea of mass rule that has ever been written. His time, the paranoid and intolerant years of world war i, prohibition and the scopes trial, is strikingly like our own.
Mencken s notes on democracy, reissued this year by dissident books, was published in 1926, a year after the great gatsby, four years before the 42nd parallel pdf georgis parasitology for veterinarians, 8e. Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage. As for the contents, if you enjoy mencken, you will enjoy it. Citing the preceding text, many readers consider mencken to be the quintessential cynic.
For most of the first half of the twentieth century, h. Mencken on reclaiming democracy from the mob mentality that masquerades for it this fear of ideas is a peculiarly democratic phenomenon nowhere so horribly apparent as in the united states, perhaps the nearest approach to an actual democracy yet seen in the world. Notes isnt just a blast from the past, but also a perceptive and unsentimental report on contemporary life. As a scholar, mencken is known for the american language, a multivolume study of how the english language is spoken in the united states. Mencken was born in this city in 1880, of baltimore born parents of german descent. Mencken 1922 all the while i have been forgetting the third of my reasons for remaining so faithful a citizen of the federation, despite all the lascivious inducements from expatriates to follow them beyond the seas, and all the surly suggestions from patriots that i succumb. Notes on democracy quotes showing 15 of 5 democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance. Mencken the following list is comprehensive and represents the 1st american publications of menckens work. The volume itself is a reprint of some english issue who knows why. All government, in its essence, is organized exploitation, and in virtually all of its existing forms it is the implacable enemy of every industrious and welldisposed man. In theory, it invades his liberty and collars his money only in order to protect him, but in actuality it always. In 1926 he published a little book called notes on democracy, in which he if you will permit me a bit of vivid metaphor performed vivisection on the dogma underlying.
In notes on democracy 1926, mencken elaborated this theme. Mencken was one of this countrys foremost social commentators. Being various ballads, ballades, rondeaux, triolets, songs, quatrains, odes and rondels, all rescued from the potters field of old files and here given a decent. And a major theme of his writings was that every decent man is ashamed of the government he lives under. Mencken seems pleased to be able to record that johns hopkins turned down an offer to have the. A good politician is quite as unthinkable as an honest burglar. Mencken was an american journalist, critic, satirist and editor. After all, all he did was string together a lot of old, wellknown quotations. Signed limited first edition of menckens critique of the american political system written between the wars. Your eyes will pop out at not only his dazzling prose but, and most especially.
Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required. Nor is there much discussion of it, of any interest or value, in the general philological literature. Notes on democracy and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance. I have cleaned up some of the marksdots from the pdf as well, and now the text backend matches the epub.
Publication date 1926 topics hl mencken, democracy, america collection opensource language english. Having emigrated from germany during the midnineteenth century, the menckens and abhaus had quickly adapted to life in the united states, and they provided a home more victorian than. He commented widely on the social scene, literature, music, prominent politicians and contemporary movements. Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods. Its first concern must thus be to penalise the free play of ideas.
This biography provides detailed information about his childhood, life, achievements and timeline. Mencken, americas greatest journalist and critic, wrote notes on democracy over 80 years ago. Menckens many essays on democracy and its discontents and like so much of menckens writing, it turns out to be timelier than ever. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. Mencken, known as the sage of baltimore, is regarded as one of the most influential american writers and prose stylists of the first half of the 20th century. With his cynical humor, he skewered big government, puritanism, and sanctimony. A politician is an animal which can sit on a fence and yet keep both ears to the ground. Henry louis mencken september 12, 1880 january 29, 1956 was an american journalist, essayist, satirist, cultural critic and scholar of american english. Mencken collection, enoch pratt free library books by h.