The Troubled Air

Irwin Shaw’s provocative classic about courage and morality at the height of McCarthyismClement Archer, head of a popular radio show, faces a profound dilemma: Five of his employees stand accused of being communists, and a magazine threatens disclosure unless Archer fires each and every one. Despite his efforts to meet his own moral standards and avoid self-incrimination, Archer finds himself hounded from both ends of the political spectrum for his seemingly righteous actions.The Troubled Air, Irwin Shaw’s second novel, was published immediately before the author moved to Europe, where he lived for the next twenty-five years. The story remains a powerful portrayal of a good, decent man ensnared by the hysteria and cruelty of a dark period in American history. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Irwin Shaw including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author’s estate.Review“It has taken a writer as skillfull as Irwin Shaw to capture the personal drama involved in political decisions . . . Norman Mailer tried to deal with the same theme . . . and ended up with no more than a Marxist political tract. Shaw has been much more successful.” —Emmet Dedmon“The Troubled Air is a lively editorial.” —The New York Times“A very readable story . . . that moves one to a very real sympathy.” —The New YorkerAbout the AuthorIrwin Shaw (1913–1984) was an acclaimed, award-winning author who grew up in New York City and graduated from Brooklyn College in 1934. His first play, Bury the Dead (1936), has become an anti-war classic. He went on to write several more plays, more than a dozen screenplays, two works of nonfiction, dozens of short stories (for which he won two O. Henry awards), and twelve novels, including The Young Lions (1948) and Rich Man, Poor Man (1970). William Goldman, author of Temple of Gold and Marathon Man, says of Shaw: “He is one of the great storytellers and a pleasure to read.” For more about Shaw’s life and work, visit www.irwinshaw.org.