Christopher Buckley

Easton Press Christopher Buckley books

The Judge Hunter - signed first edition - 2018

 

Christopher Buckley biography

Christopher Buckley, a prominent figure in contemporary American literature and political satire, was born on September 28, 1952, in New York City, to parents Patricia Taylor Buckley and William F. Buckley Jr. His father, William F. Buckley Jr., was a conservative icon and the founder of the National Review, a prominent conservative magazine. Christopher Buckley grew up surrounded by intellectual discourse and conservative ideology. He attended the Portsmouth Abbey School and later graduated from Yale University in 1975. His early career took a different path from his father's, as he entered the world of public relations and communications, working for companies such as American Express and Esquire magazine.

However, it was in the field of literature and satire that Christopher Buckley found his true calling. In 1986, he published his first book, Steaming to Bamboola: The World of a Tramp Freighter, a humorous account of his experiences working on a freighter. This marked the beginning of a successful career as a satirist and humorist. Buckley's breakthrough came with his second book, The White House Mess (1986), a satirical novel set in the Reagan administration. His ability to blend political insight with humor established him as a notable voice in political satire. He continued to build on this success with subsequent novels, including Thank You for Smoking (1994), a satirical take on the tobacco industry, and God Is My Broker (1998), co-authored with his brother, James Buckley. Thank You for Smoking was adapted into a successful film in 2005, further elevating Buckley's profile. His other notable works include No Way to Treat a First Lady (2002), Boomsday (2007), and The Judge Hunter (2018). Throughout his career, Christopher Buckley has been praised for his wit, keen observations, and ability to lampoon the intricacies of politics and society.

Christopher Buckley's The Relic Master, published in 2015, takes readers on a historical romp through Renaissance Europe, blending satire, adventure, and wit. Born on June 28, 1952, in New York City, Christopher Buckley has established himself as a leading figure in political satire, and The Relic Master is a departure from his usual contemporary political commentary. Set in the year 1517, against the backdrop of the Reformation and the beginning of Martin Luther's challenge to the Catholic Church, the novel follows the escapades of Dismas, a roguish and resourceful relic dealer, and his assistant, Albrecht Dürer, the renowned artist. As the Church's influence wanes, Dismas hatches a plan to steal the Shroud of Turin, a relic of great significance, and replace it with a fake. The narrative is a delightful mix of historical events and fictional escapades, with Buckley's signature humor infusing every page. The characters, especially the irreverent Dismas, navigate a world of political intrigue, religious fervor, and artistic brilliance. The novel offers a satirical exploration of the power of relics, the influence of the Church, and the cultural and political upheavals of the time.

Buckley's knack for clever dialogue and his ability to weave historical facts into an engaging narrative shine through in The Relic Master. The novel captures the spirit of the Renaissance while providing a humorous commentary on the human tendency to believe in the miraculous, especially in times of uncertainty and change.
The Relic Master showcases Christopher Buckley's versatility as a writer, demonstrating his ability to seamlessly transition from contemporary political satire to historical fiction with humor and flair. The novel provides readers with a captivating journey through a pivotal period in history, offering both entertainment and insight into the quirks of human nature and the complexities of belief.

In addition to his success as a novelist, Buckley has been a prolific essayist and columnist, contributing to publications such as The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, and The Washington Post. His columns often reflect a nuanced understanding of political and social issues, delivered with a dose of humor that has become his trademark.

Christopher Buckley's literary contributions have earned him critical acclaim and a devoted readership. His ability to navigate the delicate balance between satire and social commentary has solidified his place as a significant figure in contemporary American literature, carrying on the legacy of his father while establishing his own distinct voice.

 

The Judge Hunter

The latest comic novel from Christopher Buckley, a hapless Englishman embarks on a dangerous mission to the New World in pursuit of two judges who helped murder a king.

London, 1664. Twenty years after the English revolution, the monarchy has been restored and Charles II sits on the throne. The men who conspired to kill his father are either dead or disappeared. Baltasar “Balty” St. Michel is twenty-four and has no skills and no employment. He gets by on handouts from his brother-in-law Samuel Pepys, an officer in the king’s navy.

Fed up with his needy relative, Pepys offers Balty a job in the New World. He is to track down two missing judges who were responsible for the execution of the last king, Charles I. When Balty’s ship arrives in Boston, he finds a strange country filled with fundamentalist Puritans, saintly Quakers, warring tribes of Indians, and rogues of every stripe. Helped by a man named Huncks, an agent of the Crown with a mysterious past, Balty travels colonial America in search of the missing judges. Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic, Samuel Pepys prepares for a war with the Dutch that fears England has no chance of winning.

Christopher Buckley’s enchanting new novel spins adventure, comedy, political intrigue, and romance against a historical backdrop with real-life characters like Charles II, John Winthrop, and Peter Stuyvesant. Buckley’s wit is as sharp as ever as he takes readers to seventeenth-century London and New England. We visit the bawdy court of Charles II, Boston under the strict Puritan rule, and New Amsterdam back when Manhattan was a half-wild outpost on the edge of an unmapped continent. The Judge Hunter is a smart and swiftly plotted novel that transports readers to a new world.