I finished Miles Gone By on the ascent of my flight this evening, leaving me plenty of time to write a report on a book that I couldn’t finish in seven weeks. Nice.

William F. Buckley, Jr., has written professionally ever since his college days in the late forties, when he wrote God and Man at Yale, criticizing the rejection of religious and conservative philosophy at an institution that is privately funded and originally founded to teach skills required for religious living. Buckley writes little new for his literary autobiography, a license I suppose granted to those who write for over a half-century or so.

The majority of Miles Gone By contains manifold chapters on sailing. He chronicles all the boats that he has ever owned, leased, or sailed. His achievements in this realm are underreported, such as his sailings across the Pacific or the Caribbean. In these writings, he also details the friendships that occurred across the political spectrum, such as with John Kenneth Gilbraith. I could vicariously live the life of the significantly wealthy in his detail. His sailing memoirs unfortunately lack the humor and mischievous analysis that permeate his political articles.

This book is surprisingly lacking in conservative advocacy; there is little “why” covering what the author believes. I guess I need a subscription to National Review, where he is Editor-at-Large. There are some good accounts of events in WFB’s career as a leading intellectual: his campaign for Mayor of New York City, his debate with Ronald Reagan about the Panama Canal treaty months before Reagan’s election to his first term; and his role as a trustee in a peculiar trust where a deceased millionaire left funds to be spent to advance the cause of conservatism. What’s the catch? The money could not be spent in ways that give money to the IRS. The task becomes harder as the fund depletes over 10 years and IRS laws mount.

The author also contributes 10 short articles originally appearing in National Review. These describe such famous figures as Reagan, Claire Booth Luce, and Whittaker Chambers. The article on Chambers, as well as other mentions of him in the book, put this Communist-turned-conservative on my to-read list. Sometimes converts can be the best evangelists.

Buckley challenges the reader with his vocabulary similarly to the challenge of a weight trainer or fitness instructor. Throughout the 572 pages I was stumped somewhere around ten times, and reaching for the dictionary proved impossible on the airplane and distracting at other times. I may need a Webster’s card for my PDA.

Miles Gone By finishes strong with the essay, “Why Don’t We Complain?” written in 1961. Its message remains fresh: since we have come to depend on experts for certain necessities, we are conditioned to think that experts are required for all our necessities, leaving the door to power open for those willing to handle “problems” we should be taking care of ourselves. Just the guilt trip required for someone to resolve fixing the shingles on the roof or adding extra outlets to the office.

I have yet to listen to the CD that comes with the book. Advertised is Buckley reading some of his text with introductions by Walter Cronkite. I’ll update this entry if I hear anything out of the unexpected.

I recommend the purchase of this book to those who enjoy reading about sailing. The National Review reader may enjoy this diversion from political theory and commentary. This is a good sampler for those who believe in “reading to write”, as Buckley’s style is different that most that I have read. I chose this book because I have read WFB’s columns and was aware of his literary and philosophical reputation. In Miles Gone By, only his literary reputation is displayed with justice.