With a style that combined biting sarcasm with the "language of the free lunch counter," Henry Louis Mencken shook politics and politicians for nearly half a century. Now, fifty years after Mencken’s death, the Johns Hopkins University Press announces The Buncombe Collection, newly packaged editions of nine Mencken classics: Happy Days, Heathen Days, Newspaper Days, Prejudices, Treatise on the Gods, On Politics, Thirty-Five Years of Newspaper Work, Minority Report, and A Second Mencken Chrestomathy. With a style that combined biting sarcasm with the "language of the free lunch counter," Henry Louis Mencken shook politics and politicians for nearly half a century. Now, fifty years after Mencken’s death, the Johns Hopkins University Press announces The Buncombe Collection, newly packaged editions of nine Mencken classics: Happy Days, Heathen Days, Newspaper Days, Prejudices, Treatise on the Gods, On Politics, Thirty-Five Years of Newspaper Work, Minority Report, and A Second Mencken Chrestomathy. Written in 1941–42, these highlights capture the excitement of newspaper life in the heyday of print journalism.

The Collected Works of H. L. Mencken, coalesced under the meticulous eye of George Jean Nathan, represents a seminal anthology in American literary criticism and social commentary. The collection spans a wide array of themes, from biting satirical critiques of American culture and politics to keen observations on the human condition, all articulated through Menckens famously acerbic wit and Nathans discerning editorial oversight. The diversity in literary stylesranging from essays and prefaces to reviewsserves not only as a testament to Mencken's versatility but also underscores the enduring relevance of his insights into early 20th-century American society. The editors and contributors, Mencken himself and Nathan, stand as colossal figures in American literature and journalism, each bringing a unique but harmoniously aligned perspective to the anthology. Their backgrounds, deeply rooted in the rich soil of the American cultural and literary landscape of the early twentieth century, illuminate the historical and cultural underpinnings of the period. This collection, therefore, acts not only as a repository of Menckens critical legacy but also as a reflection of the broader literary movements and cultural shifts of the era. This anthology is recommended for readers who seek to immerse themselves in the depth and diversity of early 20th-century American thought. Through The Collected Works of H. L. Mencken, one gains unparalleled access to a spectrum of intellectual discourse, encapsulating the spirit of an era defined by its bold criticisms and equally compelling visions for the future. It is an essential read for those who wish to explore the multifaceted insights and the dynamic interplay between Menckens incisive prose and Nathans editorial acumen.

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Famous as a political, social and cultural gadfly, journalist and essayist H.L. Mencken was unafraid to speak his mind on controversial topics and to express his views in a deliberately provocative manner. This is a collection of work previously only published in newspapers and magazines.

Though best known for his caustic newspaper columns, H. L. Mencken's most enduring contribution to American literature may be his autobiographical writings, most of which first appeared in the New Yorker. In Happy Days, Mencken recalls memories of a safe and happy boyhood in the Baltimore of the 1880s and celebrates a way of life that he saw swiftly changing—from a time of straw hats and buggy rides to locomotives and bread lines.

Controversial even before it was published in 1930, Treatise on the Gods collects Mencken's scathing commentary on religion.