First published 2024
H.L. Mencken dominated American journalism through the first half of the 1900s as the nation's premier iconoclast, wielding his pen like a scalpel against sacred cows and popular delusions. Michael Shermer presents the first new anthology of Mencken's work in decades, selecting complete pieces rather than fragments from his prolific newspaper and magazine output. These writings have remained in print for over a century, testament to their enduring bite and relevance. Shermer focuses on material that speaks directly to contemporary readers, showcasing Mencken's trademark dark humor as he dissects American politics, evangelical Christianity, the American South, the Scopes trial, sexual morals, Prohibition, civil liberties, warfare, medical quackery, and the state of American literature and journalism. The collection reveals why Mencken's acerbic observations continue to attract devoted readers nearly a century after his heyday.
Genres: biography, 20th-century, american, non-fiction
Vibes: thought-provoking
Tropes: social-commentary
Setting: America
Period: 1900s
438 pages · Kindle Edition · See Sharp Press