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Quote by David Halberstam

“It was against this backdrop that the great fortunes were made, fortunes which allowed the first families to dominate the society of that era. Theodore Parker, a crusading minister in the 1840s, wrote of the Lowells and these other great families: “This class is the controlling one in politics. It mainly enacts the laws of this state and the nation; makes them serve its turn . . . It can manufacture governors, senators, judges to suit its purposes as easily as it can manufacture cotton cloth. This class owns the machinery of society . . . ships, factories, shops, water privileges.” They were also families which had a fine sense of protecting their own position, and they were notorious for giving large grants to Harvard College, which was their college, and just as notorious for doing very little for public education.”

Book:The Best and the Brightest

Work

The Best and the Brightest

This book delves into the lives and decisions of key figures who were instrumental in the formulation and execution of American foreign policy during the Vietnam era. It analyzes the motivations, strategies, and mistakes made by these leaders, providing a nuanced understanding of the complex issues surrounding the war. more

Author

David Halberstam

David Halberstam was an American journalist and author renowned for his comprehensive reporting and insightful analysis of American society and politics. Born on April 10, 1934, in New York City, he passed away on April 23, 2007. more

“an aristocracy come to power, convinced of its own disinterested quality, believing itself above both petty partisan interest and material greed. The suggestion that this also meant the holding and wielding of power was judged offensive by these same people, who preferred to view their role as service, though in fact this was typical of an era when many of the great rich families withdrew from the new restless grab for money of a modernizing America, and having already made their particular fortunes, turned to the public arena as a means of exercising power. They were viewed as reformers, though the reforms would be aimed more at the newer seekers of wealth than at those who already held it. (“First-generation millionaires,” Garry Wills wrote in Nixon Agonistes, “give us libraries, second-generation millionaires give us themselves.”)”

The Wealthy

Book:The Best and the Brightest

Source: The Best and the Brightest

“Marrying a man is like buying something you've been admiring for a long time in a shop window. You may love it when you get it home, but it doesn't always go with everything else.”

Love Quotes

Author:Jean Kerr

“he said he found some of Jane Austen’s heroines a touch effervescent for his taste – not Emma, of course not Emma – preferring Anne Elliot, no, loving, really loving Anne Elliot.”

Persuasion Novel

Book:The Finkler Question

Source: The Finkler Question

“Persuasion begins where proof ends.”