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American Impresario
William F. Buckley, Jr., and the Elements of American Character
Table of Contents
About The Book
Lawrence Perelman, an eighteen-year-old aspiring pianist and son of Soviet Jewish immigrants, wrote a letter to William F. Buckley, Jr., the conservative icon, in 1994. A remarkable cross-generational friendship was sparked by Buckley’s response. During their friendship Perelman would go on to learn of the timeless elements of Buckley’s character and the central role of classical music in Buckley’s American vision.
In 2025, the 100th anniversary of Buckley’s birth, this book delves into some of Buckley’s virtues which Perelman witnessed firsthand and argues that those virtues can transform the fabric of America’s character. Their friendship spanned from 1995 to February 27, 2008, the day Buckley passed away in his Connecticut home while Perelman practiced piano in a nearby room for a private recital that evening for Buckley and friends that would never happen.
American Impresario is a portrait of Buckley, the impresario of the conservative movement, man of faith, Cold Warrior, bulwark against Anti-Semitism, Renaissance man, musician, and mentor to countless people who continue their work today. This book will inspire readers, both young and old, to emulate Buckley’s virtues, including a return to civil discourse, anonymous philanthropy, faith, patriotism and fostering relationships between mentor and protégé, as part of a goal to reweave the fabric of our nation’s character.
Product Details
- Publisher: Bombardier Books (February 25, 2025)
- Length: 240 pages
- ISBN13: 9798888453797
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Raves and Reviews
“All who came into Bill Buckley’s orbit felt the magical pull of his friendship. In the last decade of Buckley’s life, the pianist Larry Perelman grew especially close to him. This warm memoir of their friendship--enriched with the themes of immigration and exile, apprenticeship and self-discovery--imparts fresh magic of its own. I read it with admiration and pleasure.”
– Sam Tanenhaus, Former Editor of The New York Times Book Review
“American Impresario is a love letter—to a great man, William F. Buckley, Jr., who became the author’s great friend, and to the great music, which provided so much of the stuff of their relationship. It is also a meditation on fealty—one of the virtues any of us, musical or not, can practice in this sad world.”
– Richard Brookhiser, Author of Glorious Lessons: John Trumbull Painter of the American Revolution
“American Impresario is a great read. I loved discovering the details of my friend Larry Perelman’s earlier days. A young Jewish family with their talented sons escaping communist Russia finding refuge in this great country America, not unlike my coming to America as a young refugee at the age of twelve. It is evident in your dedication of American Impresario to William F. Buckley, Jr., that not only do you appreciated him as a mentor and music lover, but that the conservative values that Buckley professed; his fight against communism, anti-Semitism and his concern about civility, respect, and equality in the American fiber were his concern. Sentiments and values that you value and still relate to today.”
– Lidia Bastianich
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- Book Cover Image (jpg): American Impresario Trade Paperback 9798888453797