author
James Alexander Kilpatrick
Known for his sharp conservative commentary and his lively books on English usage, he became one of the most familiar newspaper columnists and TV debaters in America. His career also carries a more difficult legacy from his early support of segregation in Virginia, a stance he later said he regretted.
1 Audiobook
Tommy Atkins at War: As Told in His Own Letters
by James Alexander Kilpatrick
About the author
Born in Oklahoma City in 1920, he built his career in journalism at the Richmond News Leader, where he became editor and a nationally visible conservative voice. In the 1950s and early 1960s he was deeply involved in defending Virginia's policy of "Massive Resistance" to school desegregation, an important part of his public life that cannot be separated from his legacy.
Later, he reached a much wider audience through his syndicated political column, A Conservative View, and as a television commentator, including memorable debate segments on 60 Minutes. He also became widely known as a careful, witty observer of language, writing popular books and columns about grammar and usage.
He died in 2010 at age 89. Remembered as both an influential columnist and a prominent public debater, he remains a figure whose career mixed literary skill, media fame, and a controversial place in American political history.