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P. J. O'Rourke
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Thrown Under the Omnibus: A Reader Kindle Edition

by P. J. O'Rourke (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 291 ratings
An essential collection of career-spanning writings by the political satirist and #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Parliament of Whores.
 
From his early pieces for the National Lampoon, through his classic reporting as Rolling Stone’s International Affairs editor in the 1980s and 1990s, and his brilliant, inimitable political journalism and analysis, P. J. O’Rourke has been entertaining and provoking readers with high octane prose, a gonzo Republican attitude, and a rare ability to make you laugh out loud. Christopher Buckley once described his work as “S. J. Perelman on acid.”
 
Thrown Under the Omnibus brings together his funniest, most outrageous, most controversial, and most loved pieces in the definitive O’Rourke reader. Handpicked and introduced by the humorist himself, Thrown Under the Omnibus is the essential O’Rourke anthology.
 
“The funniest writer in America.” —The Wall Street Journal
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  1. Print length
    1265 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Atlantic Monthly Press
  4. Publication date
    October 21, 2015
  5. File size
    10.5 MB
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From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

Review

P.J. O’Rourke has had a prolific career as one of America’s most celebrated humorists. But that career almost didn’t happen. As he tells it, “I began to write for pay in the spring of 1970. To tell the truth I didn’t even mean to be a writer, I meant to be a race car driver, but I didn’t have a race car.”

Fortunately for us, he had to settle for writing. From his early pieces for the National Lampoon, through his classic reporting as Rolling Stone’s International Affairs editor in the 80s and 90s, and his brilliant, inimitable political journalism and analysis, P.J. has been entertaining and provoking readers with high octane prose, a gonzo Republican attitude and a rare ability to make you laugh out loud. Chris Buckley once described his work as “S.J. Perlman on acid” and when Penguin first published its Dictionary of Modern Humorous Quotations PJ had more entries than any living writer.

For the first time Thrown Under the Omnibus brings together his funniest, most outrageous, most controversial and most loved pieces in the definitive P.J. reader. Handpicked and introduced by the humorist himself, Thrown Under the Omnibus is the essential P.J. O’Rourke anthology.

About the Author

Praise for Thrown Under the Omnibus:

“The world is short on laughs these days . . . Excellent timing, then, for the release of a thick collection of humorist P.J. O’Rourke’s work, culled from his 16 books by the author himself . . . Mr. O’Rourke has had a full and illustrious career, including stints at National Lampoon, Car and Driver and Rolling Stone. He occupies a rare place among the laughing class: He has somehow avoided the orifice obsession that captivates many of its members; he identifies as Republican; and he is no mere thumb-sucker, having visited more than 40 countries to report on wars, regime changes, economic revolutions and the experience of drinking cocktails garnished with the poison sacs of cobras.”—Wall Street Journal

“Outspoken conservatives have long been a minority in comedy, particularly in the mainstream media, which provided an opportunity for P.J. O’Rourke, who for decades cornered the market for prominent right-wing humorists . . . If his wry essays have a mission statement . . . it’s this: Starchy Republicanism is really, really fun.”—New York Times Book Review

“[P.J. O’Rourke] was really the first to inject-non-liberal hilarity into political discourse . . . But more important, he was able to yank conservatives out of the hands of the humorless and shrill, and make such writing accessible . . . He changed my life . . . If you don’t know him—you have your chance. Buy his new omnibus—an anthology of more good writing than you’d find in ten years of reading Proust.”—Greg Gutfeld

“The only member of Woodstock Nation smart enough to brand himself as a conservative . . . O’Rourke’s career omnibus is best enjoyed from the depths of a button back chair with a glass of something golden at your side. Since the book is impossible to lift, the chair should be a stout one.”—Independent (UK)

Praise for P.J. O'Rourke:

"Whether you agree with him or not, P.J. writes a helluva piece."—Richard Nixon

"P.J. O’Rourke is like S.J. Perelman on acid."—Chris Buckley

"The funniest writer in America."—Wall Street Journal

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00PSSG2XS
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Atlantic Monthly Press; Reprint edition (October 21, 2015)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 21, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 10.5 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 1265 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 291 ratings

About the author

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P. J. O'Rourke

P. J. O'Rourke

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P. J. O’Rourke was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio, and attended Miami University and Johns Hopkins. He began writing funny things in 1960s “underground” newspapers, became editor-in-chief of National Lampoon, then spent 20 years reporting for Rolling Stone and The Atlantic Monthly as the world’s only trouble-spot humorist, going to wars, riots, rebellions, and other “Holidays in Hell” in more than 40 countries. He’s written 16 books on subjects as diverse as politics and cars and etiquette and economics. His book about Washington, Parliament of Whores, and his book about international conflict and crisis, Give War a Chance, both reached #1 on the New York Times best-seller list. He is a contributing editor at The Weekly Standard, H. L. Mencken fellow at the Cato Institute, a member of the editorial board of World Affairs and a regular panelist on NPR’s Wait… Wait… Don’t Tell Me. He lives with his family in rural New England, as far away from the things he writes about as he can get.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
291 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book humorous, particularly appreciating the pretty funny conversations and entertainingly creative use of language. Moreover, the writing quality receives positive feedback, with one customer noting it's a wonderful distillation of the author's best works. Additionally, the compilation quality is praised as a good collection of his best pieces, and customers appreciate the author's selection of favorite stories.

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19 customers mention "Humor"19 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's humor, finding it lighthearted with pretty funny conversations and brilliant perspectives, with one customer noting its entertainingly creative use of the English language.

"...I have always found his writing informative, enjoyable to read, his humor always seems like it should be more predictable and repetitive than it is...." Read more

"...or selections therefrom, and makes a fine gift or a good book for dipping into at odd moments...." Read more

"I'm only half way through this book, but it's really great reading. Very funny, witty, entertaining, and at times amazing...." Read more

"...O'Rourke is a fine writer, humorist, pundit and journalist. But after reading the book, purchase his other books these articles were drawn from." Read more

19 customers mention "Readability"14 positive5 negative

Customers find the book readable, with one describing it as a hoot.

"...This is a pretty good (albeit predictable) compilation of his more accessible essays on a variety of topics...." Read more

"...Very funny, witty, entertaining, and at times amazing. P.J. O'Rourke had some incredible experiences." Read more

"...O'Rourke is a fine writer, humorist, pundit and journalist. But after reading the book, purchase his other books these articles were drawn from." Read more

"...And later, after about 400 pages, well, the dear reader just won't care. The book is torturous and I found myself not liking the guy...." Read more

17 customers mention "Writing quality"17 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, describing it as intelligent and great reading, with one customer noting it is a wonderful distillation of the author's best works.

"...While I admire him and enjoy his writing I do no mistake him for a partisan Conservative or someone who is working for the GOP and against the..." Read more

"...those who are too impatient for such effort, and an excellent introduction to the uninitiated." Read more

"...airs of a yokel, P.J. is an accomplished stylist, an intelligent analyst of the issues he mocks, and has put himself in many uncomfortable and even..." Read more

"I'm only half way through this book, but it's really great reading. Very funny, witty, entertaining, and at times amazing...." Read more

14 customers mention "Compilation quality"14 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the compilation quality of the book, describing it as a good collection of his best work, with one customer noting it spans over 30 years of wit.

"...of Whores" and "Give War A Chance," but this is a fine anthology for those who are too impatient for such effort, and an excellent..." Read more

"...This is a compendium of his reportage, or selections therefrom, and makes a fine gift or a good book for dipping into at odd moments...." Read more

"...describes the book as a "boat anchor" since it includes a ton of selected articles from all of his previous books including those written..." Read more

"...This is a collection of many essays and articles and PJ's wry sense of humor makes it a fun read, especially for political junkies...." Read more

3 customers mention "Author's selection"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the author's selection of favorite stories.

"This is the authors pick of his favorite stories from all of his previous books and it's great. So if you can't buy all his books, get this one...." Read more

"interesting & sometimes humorous perspectives, opinions and observations. entertaining, good travel book. recommended." Read more

"...What a fun read with old memories and new stories. A real hoot!" Read more

Entertaining, Fun and Smart
4 out of 5 stars
Entertaining, Fun and Smart
An entertaining, honest, intelligent, conservative essayist with a great sense of humor. I've enjoyed his work and I like that it's a collection that can be consumed in quick shots or several in a sitting, one after the other, to taste or as time allows.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Craig Matteson
    5.0 out of 5 stars A field guide to the best writing in O'Rourke's books since 1983.
    Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I have been a fan of P J O’Rourke’s for several decades. While I admire him and enjoy his writing I do no mistake him for a partisan Conservative or someone who is working for the GOP and against the Democrats. He is willing to skewer everyone; everyone who deserves skewering. And that is, well, everyone. I have always found his writing informative, enjoyable to read, his humor always seems like it should be more predictable and repetitive than it is. He is wittier than you suppose and slips the knife in but you laugh before you understand exactly where it has been placed, maybe in you and yours.

    Some have referred to this as a greatest hits album. I guess it is. But I think of it as a way to peruse his best writing from his books over the decades and see how his views have changed and what has remained more or less constant. What he had hoped for (not much) and what disappointed him (nearly everything). If O’Rourke has one flaw that makes me put down his books and give them time to rest before I pick them up again is that I find it too pat to just piss on everyone and everything. In his work that matters to me the most, he does find some hope, some positive energy and a real effort to make the benighted wake up.

    While I do not claim to have read every word that the author has written (and here we only get excerpts from his books, not samples of his columns), I do have more than a few of them at home and my favorites are: “Parliament of Whores”, “Give War a Chance”, “All the Trouble in the World” , and my favorite of all is “Eat the Rich”. I also enjoyed “The CEO of the Sofa” and “On The Wealth of Nations”. Do I have to point out that it is perfectly fine if your views vary from mine?

    So, why would someone who has all or most of this author’s books want to get this one, too? Is it just a form of OCD? Is it a desire to make a wealthy writer even wealthier? Simple. If you don’t buy into my earlier statement of strolling through his best writing in one shorter hike than rereading whole books, think about it another way. If, like me, you are old enough to have purchased his books when they were new and enjoyed them when they were in the news, you now likely have children (and possibly grandchildren) who are adults and have likely NOT read O’Rourke’s works.

    Why didn’t they read them, because he was YOUR author and therefore utterly uncool in their youthful world. But now they are older and reconsidering their values (revaluing their values as their once beloved Nietzsche once put it). They are not going to push through the whole book or understand the references to current events. Here we have the writing the author and the editor think that best stand on its own. You can give them the gift of O’Rourke in one handy field manual!

    One thing we do not get in this book, beyond the brief introduction, is the author’s views of each of the works, reminiscences about writing the book, the struggles with the editor, a recounting of the way the critics and public reacted to it at its release, or the settling of old scores. We just get the writing. And that is fine. We enjoy the author for his writing, after all. Maybe he will give us a different book wandering through the corridors of how he went through his own life. But I kind of doubt it. Confession really doesn’t seem to be his thing beyond the persona he has created as a device for his writing. I have no idea how much of what the author says about himself is real and how much is a writing device. And even if he told us what was what, would he be leveling with us? Who knows.

    Let’s just enjoy his writing and insights.

    Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Saline, MI
    50 people found this helpful
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  • BillR
    4.0 out of 5 stars This is a pretty good (albeit predictable) compilation of his more accessible essays ...
    Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    An anthology of P.J. O' Rourke would not be worthwhile if it were not maddening. This is a pretty good (albeit predictable) compilation of his more accessible essays on a variety of topics. It would be far better to read the original books, especially "Parliament of Whores" and "Give War A Chance," but this is a fine anthology for those who are too impatient for such effort, and an excellent introduction to the uninitiated.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Quinbus
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Tasty Gallimaufry
    Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    P.J. O'Rourke is a distinguished survivor of the New Journalism that enlivened the late 60's and the 70's. This is a compendium of his reportage, or selections therefrom, and makes a fine gift or a good book for dipping into at odd moments. P.J. claims to be a diehard Republican, and even to believe in God, but as aficionados will attest, he's never been socially conservative. True, age has tamed him, as it does anyone who survives into his sixties with children and cancer. His earlier work is his best.

    Though he puts on the airs of a yokel, P.J. is an accomplished stylist, an intelligent analyst of the issues he mocks, and has put himself in many uncomfortable and even dangerous situations as a correspondent reporting from unhealthy theaters of war and peace.

    Like most satirists of his day, he sometimes uses naughty language.

    For reasons I can't guess, the manufacturers of this book, or at least of the hard-cover edition, chose a very light shade of ink, which reminds me why I generally prefer ebooks.
    10 people found this helpful
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  • Review Fox
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book
    Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I'm only half way through this book, but it's really great reading. Very funny, witty, entertaining, and at times amazing. P.J. O'Rourke had some incredible experiences.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Scott Wyman
    3.0 out of 5 stars P'J's "greatest hits" But only a few of his best work
    Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    This is P.J.'s book of his "greatest hits" dating back to his days at National Lampoon. He describes the book as a "boat anchor" since it includes a ton of selected articles from all of his previous books including those written during his days at Rolling Stone magazine; Car and Driver; and more recent personal efforts. I have read all of them, at least twice. But his best work was during his days (20 years) at Rolling Stone as a foreign correspondent and "token" conservative. The first book I read by O'Rourke was "Holidays in Hell", followed by numerous others including "All the Troubles in the World." After these I was hooked. Unfortunately, not included in this book are more recent pieces he has written for Atlantic Monthly, the Weekly Standard, the Daily Beast, et al. including a recent article/review about noisy conservative Ann Coulter, who he describes as a "butt trumpet". If you haven't read P.J.'s work, Omnibus is a good place to start. O'Rourke is a fine writer, humorist, pundit and journalist. But after reading the book, purchase his other books these articles were drawn from.
    19 people found this helpful
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  • Mephistopheles666
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fun Read for Political Junkies
    Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    I must confess in advance, I've always been a PJ O'Rourke fan so am biased. This is a collection of many essays and articles and PJ's wry sense of humor makes it a fun read, especially for political junkies. Its a pretty big volume but that's only because there are so many short articles penned over the years. This also makes for a nice gift for the budding journalist who might need some worldly insight.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Gary Knowles
    4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, Fun and Smart
    Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    An entertaining, honest, intelligent, conservative essayist with a great sense of humor. I've enjoyed his work and I like that it's a collection that can be consumed in quick shots or several in a sitting,
    one after the other, to taste or as time allows.
    Customer image
    Gary Knowles
    4.0 out of 5 stars
    Entertaining, Fun and Smart

    Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2022
    An entertaining, honest, intelligent, conservative essayist with a great sense of humor. I've enjoyed his work and I like that it's a collection that can be consumed in quick shots or several in a sitting,
    one after the other, to taste or as time allows.
    Images in this review
    Customer image
    4 people found this helpful
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  • salvatore c. mazzara
    5.0 out of 5 stars Just barely started but what I've read I really enjoyed.
    Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2024
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    The pieces I've read so far have been excellent.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • A. R. Cousins
    5.0 out of 5 stars Clever and funny.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 3, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    How did it all come to this, you ask? Maybe O'Rourke can hint at some answers.
    Report
  • Dr. Richard von Fuchs
    3.0 out of 5 stars Funny but on the wrong side of the fence for me
    Reviewed in Canada on February 6, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    He is a good writer and can be very funny.
    We are on oppsite sides of the culture wars so his sneering at bicycles repels me.
    I agree with his views of Russia undeer communism.
    I find some of the articles like New Yorker articles too longl
    Report
  • Peter Hebb
    4.0 out of 5 stars A good and very humorous read.
    Reviewed in Canada on April 11, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Of course a caustic review of many things. Very funny and very well worth the read. An aged hippie, he still has a very keen eye for the ludicrous, particularly in politics. Sometimes I wish he weren't so envious of Hunter S. Thompson. All in all, a very good and amusing read.
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