Super Short Summary

In his memoir A Drinking Life (1994), American journalist and author Pete Hamill focuses on his childhood and early life, tracing the development of his alcoholism up to 1972 when he quit drinking. Raised in Brooklyn by Irish immigrant parents, he describes the influence of his father's drinking and the community's limited opportunities. Despite intellectual curiosity and early promises, Hamill's life was intertwined with alcohol until a moment of clarity led him to sobriety. Sensitive topics include discussions of alcoholism and family trauma.