Theodore H. White at large

Theodore H. White's signal voice defined the course of political reporting, provoked thought and debate, and won him millions of readers. From Thunder Out of China (which was published in 1946), to his award-winning The Making of the President series, to the landmark autobiography, In Search of History, White's bestselling works combined a rich and graceful writing style with trenchant political analysis and a superb grasp of history. But before and between these books was his magazine reportage - nearly two hundred articles, beginning in 1939 and ending with White's death in 1986. In Theodore H. White at Large, Edward Thompson selects the best of these articles, taking us on a remarkable trip through some of the most tumultuous history of the modern era. China in World War II, postwar Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the domestic political scene - all are discussed with White's trademarks: insight, compassion, great stories, and a keen sense for emerging issues and political trends. His profiles include portraits of such international figures as Andre Malraux, John F. Kennedy, and Chiang Kai-Shek, and of lesser-known individuals whose lives became caught up in some of the major dramas of our time. Race, immigration, Japan, education, our decaying cities, and above all, our unique political system - White's perspective on these issues offers us the vivid perceptions of a man who saw it all, and reported it like nobody else.