Train of Powder

Train of Powder - Rebecca West

For those into long-form journalism made famous by the New Yorker, Train of Powder is a collection of six of Rebecca West’s best post-WWII essays. West is best-known as the author of one of the great books of the 20th century, Black Lamb and Grey Falcon.

The subjects vary: white South Carolinians on trial for lynching an African-American; a British murder trial in which the defendant was shown to have been an accessory after the fact but not killer as the prosecution had charged; an account of the trial and conviction of a British FSO clerk for handing secrets over to the Soviets; and three reports about the Nuremberg trials of the Nazi leaders and the situation of occupied Germany.

West’s power of observation was keen and her descriptions of places have few equals. She brought imagination and sympathy to psychological studies of people who are so empty and forlorn inside, so unconnected with reality, that they grasp onto whatever or whoever will make them feel whole.

Her wit and common sense add to a style unique in 20th century literature.