Writers to Read [eBook]

Nine Names That Belong on Your Bookshelf

If books are among our friends, we ought to choose them wisely.

But sometimes it’s hard to know where to start. In Writers to Read, Doug Wilson—someone who’s spent a lifetime writing, reading, and teaching others to do the same—introduces us to nine of his favorite authors from the last 150 years, exploring their interesting lives, key works, and enduring legacies. In doing so, Wilson opens our eyes to literary mentors who not only teach us what good writing looks like, but also help us become better readers in the process.

Douglas Wilson (MA, University of Idaho) is a popular speaker and author of numerous books. He helped to found Logos School in Moscow, Idaho, and is a fellow of philosophy and classical languages at New St. Andrews College.

“Douglas Wilson has a legendary track record of helping reintroduce his audience to the great Christian intellectual tradition. In Writers to Read, we find Wilson at his best: curating the authors who have inspired him and who he believes will galvanize the next generation with theological conviction and imagination. Highly recommended.”
—Gregory Alan Thornbury, President, The King’s College; author, Recovering Classic Evangelicalism

“If you combined G. K. Chesterton, H. L. Menken, and P. G. Wodehouse and mixed them with evangelicalism, you’d produce a writer like Douglas Wilson. Not only is Wilson one of our finest writers; he’s a superb reader and an excellent guide to the writing of luminaries such as Chesterton, Menken, and Wodehouse. Whether introducing you to authors you’ve never read or reacquainting you with old favorites, Writers to Read will help you become a better reader.”
—Joe Carter, Senior Editor, Acton Institute; co-author, How to Argue Like Jesus

“Wilson opens the twentieth-century vault to reveal a collection of authors who lived during our memory, or our grandparents’, and are worthy companions on the shelf with Lewis and Tolkien. Refreshingly broad, Wilson connects you personally with nine authors and critiques them with the penetrating Christian perspective present in all of Wilson’s works. This is a must-read for those who, like me, appreciate a few contemporary stepping-stones between Lewis and the great books of antiquity.”
—David Goodwin, President, Association of Classical Christian Schools

“Too many books celebrate great literature without answering the one question we all ask: Why? Why are some authors great? Readers want to know just as much as writers, and Douglas Wilson takes up this question as a humble student of nine skilled prose artists. He has studied their lives and analyzed their works and here offers several of his key discoveries. Writers to Read is a valuable education. Even more, it is an entertaining frolic through literature you do not want to miss.”
—Tony Reinke, Staff Writer and Researcher, desiringGod.org; author, Lit!: A Christian Guide to Reading Books

“Doug Wilson is regarded by both friends and foes as a master wordsmith. In Writers to Read, he introduces us to those who taught him (and still teach him) his craft. This book is like a side door into a little diner down a back alley where the nouns pop, the verbs sizzle, and the fry cooks are known only by their initials. If you want an inside look at the art of word weaving, this book is for you.”
—Joe Rigney, Assistant Professor of Theology and Christian Worldview, Bethlehem College and Seminary; author, The Things of Earth and Live Like a Narnian