A Bound Man by Shelby Steele
The first thing that jumps out at you today when you consider Shelby Steele’s book on Barack Obama, A Bound Man: Why We Are Excited About Obama and Why He Can’t Win, is probably the failed nature of the subtitle. But bad marketing aside (and Steele has admitted that the subtitle wasn’t his work), the book isn’t really about presidential politics as much as it is race relations in America. And as a result, it sheds a great deal more light on race and culture than on the current president. (more…)
The Future of Conservatism by Charles W. Dunn (ed.)
Few things are as popular among conservatives as internecine philosophical battles. In magazines, Op-Eds, and book length treatises conservatives of various stripes regularly lay out the reoccurring battle for the soul of conservatism. And as others have pointed out, this is probably healthy. Conservatives believe ideas are important and worth fighting about.
But let’s face it, not all of these battles are intelligent and civil debates over first principles. And that is what makes The Future of Conservatism edited by Charles W. Dunn and published by ISI so refreshing. Rather than a diatribe about which faction hijacked the movement, or which politician betrayed it, it is an intelligent and thoughtful discussion about the various perspectives within conservatism, the principles at issue, and how these debates might play out in the future. (more…)
The Rake by William F. Buckley, Jr.
Readers of this site likely can tell that I am a big fan of William F. Buckley, Jr. or WFB for short. I own every book he has written and have read all of them with the exception of the collections of his syndicated columns.
Looking back over his long and prodigious career it is amazing the subjects and genres he has tackled. From religion in higher education to his own faith; from political controversy to running for office; from a-day-in-the-life memoirs to sailing across the ocean; and from foreign policy to the history of conservatism.
On the fiction side Buckley has been just as prolific and as varied. He started out with a series of Cold War spy novels that rejected what he perceived as the moral equivalence of the novels of John Le Care and others; and that brought his unique political views and wit to bear on pivotal moments in that period. (more…)
Liberal Fascism by Jonah Goldberg
When I was a graduate student at George Washington’s Graduate School of Political Management the following exchange happened in one of my classes:
Professor: Does everyone know who Robert Bork is?
Student: Yes, he is a fascist!
Why do I bring this up? It came to mind while watching Jonah Goldberg discuss his book Liberal Fascism at Denison University. This sort of exchange has been witnessed by nearly every conservative in America. If they haven’t been called a fascist of some sort they have had one of their intellectual heroes (Reagan, William F. Buckley, etc.) called one. (more…)
Cancel Your Own Goddam Subscription by William F. Buckley
I am not going to go over my lifelong appreciation for William F. Buckley despite the fact that I seem to open every Buckley book review with just such an appreciation. If you want to know how I feel read this. Or simply put his name in the search box to the right.
With Buckley’s recent passing I was motivated to finish one of his last published works, Cancel Your Own Goddamn Subscription, a collection of his Notes and Asides column. It turned out to be an insightful glimpse into Buckley’s style, perspective, and sense of humor. (more…)
War As They Knew It by Michael Rosenberg
Few sports fans would argue that we needed yet another book about the “Ten Year War” – the intense rivalry between the University of Michigan and Ohio State football teams and their iconic coaches Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler. The subject has been covered voluminously in books, magazines, newspapers, and videos (I have reviewed a few myself).
So I have to credit Michael Rosenberg for coming up with a new angle to approach this classic subject. His book, War As They Knew It: Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler, and America in a Time of Unrest
Under God by Tara Ross and Joseph C. Smith
The authors of this calmly argued and well sourced book,[amazon-product region="us" text="Under God: George Washington and the Question of Church and State" type="text"]1890626732[/amazon-product] are not likely to appear on any of the cable gab fests any time soon despite the relevance of the subject matter. Their book lacks the hyperbole and controversy those shows thrive on. From my perspective this is a compliment – not that I don’t enjoy a good polemic now and again – but if it means that the book’s subject fails to spark a discussion then it is a shame. Because the history the authors lay out deserves wide distribution and debate. (more…)
Flying High: Remembering Barry Goldwater by William F. Buckley Jr.
There is a certain bittersweet aspect to reading Flying High: Remembering Barry Goldwater. It is the last book William F. Buckley wrote, or at least that was ready for publication – he was working on a book on Reagan when he passed, and at the same time to it looks back to what was in many ways the the political dawn of the conservative movement. Those seem like heady days compared the troubles of today.
The fact that it is a very personal account, and a sort of novelization, ads to this feeling. This isn’t straight history but rather a remembrance: Buckley attempting to capture his friend not just the historical figure. As such it tells the reader about both Goldwater and Buckley and their relationship. That doesn’t mean there isn’t history involved just that it is a particular perspective and description of the history they both witnessed and participated in. (more…)
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