[Item #3605] The Purple Decades: A Reader. Tom Wolfe.
The Purple Decades: A Reader
The Purple Decades: A Reader

The Purple Decades: A Reader

ISBN: 0374239274
New York, NY: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, Inc., 1982. Book Club. Hardcover. "It was in the 1960s and 1970s- those "purple decades"- that Tom Wolfe rose to fame as one of the late-twentieth-century pioneers of American literature. He became the foremost chronicler of the gaudiest period in American history, much of which is spread out before us in these selections from nine of his books. Wolfe's innovations in style, his feats as a reporter, and his insights into modern American life dominated a period of widespread experimentation in the writing of nonfiction." (from front flap) A compendium of excerpts from the incendiary, barrier-breaking New Journalistic works by Tom Wolfe (1930-2018). Such now-classic volumes as The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, Radical Chic & The Right Stuff quintessentially describe & fearlessly, insightfully comment upon the explosive & bizarre phenomenon of "the purple decades" for all posterity. This well-selected sampler is an excellent introduction to one of the greatest & most exciting American writers. With many illustrations by Wolfe (who had a flair for satirical drawing very much in tune with his prose), & an introduction by Joe David Bellamy (1941-2014), the noted writer, editor & publisher. Hardcover in appropriately purple cloth & unclipped dust jacket, first edition, first printing as indicated on copyright page. An exuberant production; & a landmark collectible compilation in the Wolfe canon. Book in very fine condition with only slight fading to edges & corners of front, back covers & spine. Interior very fine with only very small, closed tear-gouges at blank lower edges of two page leaves (pgs. 175-178). Dust jacket very fine with only slight rubbing & occasional spotting to front, back covers & spine; mild wear & a few tiny bumps, creases at edges & corners of same. Very Fine / Very Fine. [Item #3605]

Price: $80.00