Person
George Packer's book recommendations
Key facts
- George Packer has recommended or discussed 7 books on podcasts, as of July 6, 2021.
- George Packer has talked about books on 2 podcasts, as of July 6, 2021.
- Those books came up in 2 episodes, as of July 6, 2021.
- The 3 books George Packer has mentioned in the most episodes, not counting George Packer's own, as of July 6, 2021: Common Sense, Democratic vistas and Drift and mastery.
- The latest episode with a book mention from George Packer aired on July 6, 2021.
Updated
Across 2 podcasts. Every show George Packer appears on, in one place — not just one.
George Packer’s most recommended books
- Common Sense by Thomas Paine
- Democratic vistas by Walt Whitman
- Drift and mastery by Walter Lippmann
- Strange defeat; by Marc Léopold Benjamin Bloch
- The Lion and the Unicorn by George Orwell
George Packer is an American journalist, novelist, and playwright. He is best known for his writings about U.S. foreign policy for The New Yorker and The Atlantic and for his book The Assassins' Gate: America in Iraq. Packer also wrote The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America, covering the history of the US from 1978 to 2012. In November 2013, The Unwinding received the National Book Award for Nonfiction. His award-winning biography, Our Man: Richard Holbrooke and the End of the American Century, was released in May 2019. His latest book, The Emergency, was released in November 2025. Appearing on The Book Review and The Realignment, Packer discussed several historical and political texts that influenced his own writing. He cited Thomas Paine's Common Sense, Walt Whitman's Democratic Vistas, Walter Lippmann's Drift and Mastery, and George Orwell's The Lion and the Unicorn as exemplars of the political pamphlet genre and inspirations for his work. Additionally, he discussed Marc Bloch's Strange Defeat as an account of the fall of France and referenced his own book, The Unwinding, to contrast his writing styles and discuss political figures like Andrew Breitbart and Elizabeth Warren.
Books recommended by George Packer
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The Unwinding
The Unwinding by George Packer is a narrative non-fiction book that explores the profound political, economic, and social fracturing of America from the late twentieth century through the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis by following the intersecting lives of several ordinary citizens and public figures.
Discussed“this is not like what the unwinding attempted to be which was more like an ethnography or a map of americans in different parts of the country in different walks of life”
Where to get it
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Common Sense
Common Sense by Thomas Paine is a deeply influential 1776 political pamphlet that articulated arguments for American independence from Great Britain and helped ignite the American Revolution.
Discussed“some examples are common sense by Thomas Payne Democratic Vistas by Walt Whitman which influenced me in this book Walter litman's drift and Mastery and and George Orwell's the line and the Unicorn written during the Blitz in in London in World War II”
Where to get it
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Democratic vistas
Discussed“some examples are common sense by Thomas Payne Democratic Vistas by Walt Whitman which influenced me in this book Walter litman's drift and Mastery and and George Orwell's the line and the Unicorn written during the Blitz in in London in World War II”
Where to get it
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Drift and mastery
Discussed“some examples are common sense by Thomas Payne Democratic Vistas by Walt Whitman which influenced me in this book Walter litman's drift and Mastery and and George Orwell's the line and the Unicorn written during the Blitz in in London in World War II”
Where to get it
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Last Best Hope
George Packer's Last Best Hope examines the deep fractures in contemporary American culture, politics, and identity, proposing paths toward national renewal.
Discussed“i mean i wrote last best hope you monetized”
Where to get it
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Strange defeat;
Discussed“in the spring of 1940 he escaped the Germans and HIIT out and wrote this short book called strange defeat before then joining the resistance and being captured and executed... and strange defeat which isn't well enough known in this country is his account of what happened to France”
Where to get it
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The Lion and the Unicorn
Discussed“some examples are common sense by Thomas Payne Democratic Vistas by Walt Whitman which influenced me in this book Walter litman's drift and Mastery and and George Orwell's the line and the Unicorn written during the Blitz in in London in World War II”
Where to get it
Books by George Packer
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Our Man
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The Unwinding
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Last Best Hope
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The assassins' gate
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All art is propaganda
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The village of waiting
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Blood of the Liberals
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Betrayed
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The Fight Is for Democracy
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Facing Unpleasant Facts
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Interesting Times
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| 139 | George Packer: How America Fractured and the Way Forward | The Realignment | 2021-07-06 | 4 |
| George Packer on Our Divided America | The Book Review | 2021-06-18 | 5 |
Other mentions (4: passing, ad reads, own books)
“i've written five books about america now in 20 years the first was called blood of the liberals”
“it was a three-generational family story the assassin's gate about the war in iraq which i covered for the new yorker”
“our man a biography of richard holbrooke and kind of an account of america from during what's called the american century really the heyday of our power”
“and then the waning of it with the uh the post-9 11 wars last best hope is my summation”