Steve Schapiro / Corbis
What was it like growing up under William F. Buckley? In an excerpt from an upcoming memoir, Christopher Buckley does not pull his punches when reflecting on his parents. For most of the author's adult life, his relationship with his mother was strained, owing primarily to her terrible alcoholism. Living in the shadow of "a great man" who "always got his way" was trying as well. But through the painful process of being branded with the label of "orphan" after losing both parents within the course of 11 months, Christopher Buckley came to understand how much he truly adored both of them. His reflections are laced with important house guests and parties on yachts, all described in the regal language befitting a blue blood borne into an intellectual tradition spanning generations.