THE EPIC, BEST SELLING FORGOTTEN WORLD'S END, LANNY BUDD SERIES,
UPTON SINCLAIR INSTITUTE
This web site is dedicated to the legacy of Upton Sinclair, a legacy that has endured for over one hundred years. No man spoke to the masses more forcefully and consistently about economic and social justice than Upton did through his 90 years of life and 90 books and numerous short stories, plays and his commitment to the working class. Upton Sinclair is most famous for his tremendous book, The Jungle, published in 1906 and a best seller in dozens of languages in most parts of the world. The acclaim earned by The Jungle made Upton a world wide phenomenon. He is regarded as the pioneer of "muckraking" journalism (along with Lincoln Steffens)...as though that were somehow a pejorative term to the profession of journalism. Upton actually lived amongst the immigrant workers in the Chicago slums to research his work first hand. The release of The Jungle lead President Teddy Roosevelt to introduce and get approved the first Pure Food laws in our nations history.
Though Upton wrote The Jungle at the age of 26, he went on to write over 90 books and dozens of plays over a life of 90 years.
I had read The Jungle in college and again a few years ago and it was not until the movie, There Will Be Blood was released that I discovered the movie was based, at least, in part to the book Oil. Upton wrote this book in 1927 and it is highly regarded as a well written and researched account of the growth of oil in California and the power of the men behind the discovery and exploitation of the workers who brought it up from the ground.
My fascination with Upton grew after reading Oil. I read King Coal, The Money Changers and The Profits of Religion. After a biography of Upton by Professor Anthony Author, Radical Innocent, I began a quest for more of Upton's work. I discovered Boston and Dragon's Teeth on a popular web site and chose Dragon's Teeth. I read this moving account of the rise of Hitler and Nazism from 1929-1934. I was completely won over by a dashing and charming character named Lanny Budd. After finishing the book and discovering it was but the third in an eleven part series, I went back to the same website to order the other ten books, starting with World's End. I discovered these books had been out of print for 50 plus years and were obtainable only on the secondary market if you wanted the hardbound issues. Additionally I discovered that an indidvual self published Dragon's Teeth and that was why it was available on a popular bookseller web site in beautiful hardbound. He chose Dragon's Teeth because it had earned Upton a Pulitzer Prize in 1943.
I made arrangements to buy the other ten books...all original Viking Press editions except for ninth book, One Clear Call. I read each book in about 5 weeks. I paid close to $5000.00 to help the individual who self published Dragon's Teeth to produce the entire series in beautiful hardbound crimson. This ingrate has asked me to delete any references to the work I did to produce the series and to remove his name from the site. It may be noted that the individual refused repeated efforts to utilize e-commerce as a way to sell the books and wanted me to completely redo the website to his specific demands. I never asked for a dime and only wanted to assist him in selling this fabulous series. Therefore I am in the process of deleting this person from the site and references to the books I paid to publish. I also spent my own money to establish and maintain this site as a tribute to Upton Sinclair. Gratitude!! I strongly encourage the reader to visit amamzon.com, poolsidebooks.com and e-bay.com to buy the original Viking hardbound editions. Doing business with this individual will only frustrate you, the reader amd buyer.
Now you may ask what is so captivating about this series. The answer is Lanny Budd and the many wonderful characters that comprise his extended family. World's End begins when Lanny is but 13. He is 47 when the last book, The Return of Lanny Budd is finished in 1953. The narrative of this historical series begins in 1913 and ends in 1947. The reader is witness to two World Wars, one enormous depression, innumerable intimate conversations between Lanny Budd and various world leaders that include Churchill, Hitler, Goring, Hess, Stalin and most notable President Franklin Roosevelt. For eight years, until Roosevelt's death in April 1945, Lanny has acted as Presidential Agent 103 for FDR. Using his own art expertise and his father's airplane manufacturing as cover, Lanny is able to do the impossible. Meeting with the infamous leaders of the world, posing as a Nazi sympathizer while financially and emotionally supporting the underground resistance movements against the Nazi's and Fascist’S in Germany, France, England and Italy. I would like to add that the fictional conversations (and there were many) between Lanny and FDR are so life like you feel like the proverbial mouse in the corner of the president's bedroom where so many confidential conversations occurred. Lanny also met with FDR at Hyde Park, Yalta and Morocco. There are dozens of adventures, escapes, intrigues, treachery and sub-plots in these beautifully detailed books. The scenes range from Germany to Hong Kong to Russia as well as Lanny's adopted home on the Rivera. There is much activity in New York, London, Washington D.C. and Newcastle Connecticut, home to Lanny's father and his family.
I will state categorically that if you read World's End you will be unable to resist the overwhelming urge to read the entire series. It is like reliving history. Upton brings the period to life in a way no other author could or has done. There are over 7000 pages in this series. As you read each page, each chapter and each book you become more involved with the characters and history as it happened. I knew little about the period and even less about how a civilized people like Germany was so susceptible to the brain washing of Hitler and his minions. I also found in this series a number of parallels with the modern world, particularly the oil rich Middle East.
You may reach me at jsc12109@gmail.com. It is my goal to promote the Lanny Budd World's End Series as a way to reestablish the legacy of Upton Sinclair and you may purchase all of these beautiful classic best sellers on directly from the Publisher at a 30% savings for the entire series. We now accept all major credit cards and debit cards in addition to Pay-Pal. Your satifaction is guaranteed.
Stephen Courts
January 2011
Columbus, Ohio
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Learn about World History and Specifically World War One & Two As Well As Detailed Infomation About The Nazi's And Fascist's
June 3, 2011 at my niece's son High School graduation party
