Rating: 
Summary: A fogey he is not.
Review: Buckley's belletristic conservatism is charming, rather than offensive in "The Right Word." I was expecting a gruff old fogey with a wild rightist political agenda, couched somewhat overtly under the facade of a book on language. I must say that that I was most wonderfully surprised. This work is Buckley's magnum opus! It combines the best from this wordsmith's impressive opera and places them in a single and frequently witty tome. I even found myself starting to lean toward Buckley's side of the political spectrum, simply wowed by his intelligent articulation of his positions. This book was truly amazing, and inspired me to read some of his other works. Buckley is, quite simply, the master of our language. (Interesting since English is only his third language. He first spoke Spanish and then French!) The man is staggering.
Rating:
Summary: Buckley: The Right Word
Review: Buckley: The Right Word by or rather selected, assembled and edited by Samuel S. Vaughan drawn from the works of William F. Buckley, Jr. is a book quite unique in its own right.It is composed of letters and excerpts of interviews, reviews, columns, and appreciations. As the title suggests, it is a book about words as seen by Buckley and especially on the right word. Buckley is noted for his provocative and rather expansive vocabulary and this book is no disappointment. Also, grammer is well represented. I found this book to interestingly entertaining with a modicum of dry humor and wit. If you like to be entertained by the right word or phrase, this is the book for you. I especially liked the correspondence.
Rating:
Summary: Buckley: The Right Word
Review: Buckley: The Right Word by or rather selected, assembled and edited by Samuel S. Vaughan drawn from the works of William F. Buckley, Jr. is a book quite unique in its own right. It is composed of letters and excerpts of interviews, reviews, columns, and appreciations. As the title suggests, it is a book about words as seen by Buckley and especially on the right word. Buckley is noted for his provocative and rather expansive vocabulary and this book is no disappointment. Also, grammer is well represented. I found this book to interestingly entertaining with a modicum of dry humor and wit. If you like to be entertained by the right word or phrase, this is the book for you. I especially liked the correspondence.
Rating:
Summary: Poetry in Motion! Highly Recommended!
Review: Do not be misled by the submission from ¨A reader from Wichita, KS, March 9, 1999.¨ It is highly questionable that this ¨reader¨ actually read the book. This person states that ¨The Right Word¨ is a ¨narcissitic essay¨ in which Buckley writes ¨with the premise that he is the world's greatest living writer.¨ The fact is that Buckley had no such premise because this book was not even his idea. The book was the brainchild of his editor of many years, Samuel S. Vaughan. This wonderful book is not an essay at all, as the ¨reader¨ claims, but a compilation of many splendid examples of exquisite English usage. This book contains many incidents in which Buckley awakens dormant words and asks them to come out and play for a while, thereby preserving words ¨that were generated at some point by someone because the need arose¨ (loosely quoted). This book is a true verbal feast of which all linguaphiles are encouraged to partake. Even if you are not a linguaphile and you are staunchly opposed to Buckley's politics, this book still goes highly recommended. If a book concerning masterful usage of language is what you are searching for, why settle for verisimilitude when you can learn from the virtuoso himself, William F. Buckley, Jr.
Rating: 
Summary: This is too much
Review: I have never read a publication of Buckley's that I felt was less than insightful and in bad taste--until now. From the front cover: "The complete book of the uses and abuses of the English language by the contemporary master of vocabulary." And from the back cover: "William F. Buckley, Jr., is...remarkably skilled in his understanding and usage of the English language. ...THE RIGHT WORD includes provocative thoughts on the uses and abuses of English; on style and speaking; on diction and dictionaries...." Thus, in THE RIGHT WORD, Buckley, a non-native speaker of English, purports to teach us native speakers how to speak our own language. Non-linguists may not find this disturbing, but may care to know that there is only one thing that the entire field of professional linguists agrees upon, and that is that correct semantic judgments (or judgments about diction) can only be given by native speakers. I grant there are many native speakers and writers of English who are uneducated, but imagine being told by a native Spanish speaker (even one as accomplished as Buckley) that you speak bad English and that you are using a word incorrectly. Can there be anything more pompous than this?
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Summary: Bravo Bill, and to your editor too.
Review: No politics (? ) and great penmanship. Even a few tips on wordprocessing, writing fast, foreign words, reading Fowler, and on how to remain civil when virulent letters are in hand. Email hacks: see what a real correspondence can be <grin>; the generous excerpts are funny, enlightening, polite beyond words. Right again, Bill.
Rating: 
Summary: The Official Guide to Using Language with Precision
Review: This book by William F. Buckley is a greatly entertaining piece to those who enjoy the trivial points of the English Language. It explores all areas of the language, such as diction, speaking style and the most common abuses of our language. My favorite part of the book is Buckley's series of letters from some of his readers. These letters provide insight to the personality of Buckley and also show his unforgiving grasp of the English language.
Rating:
Summary: The Official Guide to Using Language with Precision
Review: This book by William F. Buckley is a greatly entertaining piece to those who enjoy the trivial points of the English Language. It explores all areas of the language, such as diction, speaking style and the most common abuses of our language. My favorite part of the book is Buckley's series of letters from some of his readers. These letters provide insight to the personality of Buckley and also show his unforgiving grasp of the English language.
Rating: 
Summary: Buckley's nonpolitical jottings...
Review: This book includes many examples of Buckley's writing. It is most definitely not `The complete book of the uses and abuses of the English language...' as claimed on the front cover. It leans heavily towards Buckley's correspondence, reviews, interviews, and even eulogies. The lexicon consists of a series of lists of words used by WFB. It would have made more sense to provide a single alphabetized list instead of this `informal compendium'. To be fair to WFB, the book was not compiled by him. Read in small doses to avoid pomposity overload.
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Summary: Even the title
Review: When I first became an avid reader of Mr. Buckley's work I was amazed at how often his use of words was attacked. I wondered whether a new crime bill had been passed that outlawed a person being articulate. Why should someone who joyfully uses language be pilloried for doing so? Even commercial reviewers feel the need to go to their thesaurus, trot out words that they have never used before and look foolish. They become guilty of the offense of affectation that so often is the charge against Mr. Buckley. This collection of writing, and with it the discussion of language is many things, at no point is it not worthy of the reader's time. For all on Amazon who write their thoughts about a book, there is a section on reviewing that is priceless. The correspondence that is shared between his readers and Mr. Buckley set the standard for wit. What is the alternative his detractors seek? Perhaps one of those books "English For Dummies?" I suppose a minimal number of words, subsidized with hand signals and grunts would please some. I choose to adhere to Mr. Buckley's love of language, even though when he is the writer I am often reduced to flipping through a dictionary. So what! The decriminalization of learning was passed long ago. Freedom of speech includes the right to expand your vocabulary in the pursuit of your happiness. To the extent others are bothered, again, so what? Apathy may have become a national pastime, but it is not required. This book was carefully titled. I don't mean to shock his detractors but Mr. Buckley is a Conservative, so "right" was the only alternative for the title. Correct, appropriate, acceptable, could never do for this master of language. He uses a word because it works, because his choice enhances the reading and listening experience. Grab a dictionary, expand your lexicon, the pain is minimal.
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