"A provocative, inspiring account of our neglected American ideals and the people who are living them today--and restoring our nation's dream

"Patriotism has become a loaded word: one that is wielded against people with whom we might disagree, or whose cultural origins don't match our own.

But our founding fathers--Washington, Jefferson, Adams, and others--saw patriotism as a dynamic force: an act of service, in an evolving nation that defined its purpose by offering all people a better way of life.

In "Authentic Patriotism, "author and award-winning journalist Stephen P. Kiernan explores the original ideals that have been lost in our current climate, where war and economic turmoil have eroded our sense of civic obligation. Kiernan describes "a nation adrift," out of touch with its origins--and then introduces a range of inspiring people who have revived our national purpose by taking action:

* The out-of-work college graduate who led an economic and environmental renewal of her blighted home community.

* The retired executive who pioneered a revolutionary concept in health care for people without insurance.

* The minister who created a legendary choir, with the goal of uniting children of different races, genders, and classes in one voice.

* The family who donated their daughter's heart, so that another might live.

These and other "New Americans" are profiled in a book that offers hope, ideas, examples, and practical resources for readers who want to renew the American spirit.

"I've had enough of the hypocrisy, political correctness, and cry-baby syndrome of some on the left as they call you whatever, whenever, however without blinking an eye. That includes any and all who feel persecuted by my right to an opinion." -From Jedediah Bila's OUTNUMBERED Known for her "call-it-like-you-see-it" television, radio, and print commentary, Jedediah kicks it up a notch with OUTNUMBERED. Complete with unforgettable encounters, musings, and personal stories, OUTNUMBERED exposes the true face of the Left through comings and goings in liberal Manhattan. Get ready for an unconventional journey that reminds us of the truths one can discover through everyday life.

To his fellow conservatives, John Derbyshire makes a plea: Don't be seduced by this nonsense about "the politics of hope." Skepticism, pessimism, and suspicion of happy talk are the true characteristics of an authentically conservative temperament. And from Hobbes and Burke through Lord Salisbury and Calvin Coolidge, up to Pat Buchanan and Mark Steyn in our own time, these beliefs have kept the human race from blindly chasing its utopian dreams right off a cliff.
Recently, though, various comforting yet fundamentally idiotic notions of political correctness and wishful thinking have taken root beyond the "Kumbaya"-singing, we're-all-one crowd. These ideas have now infected conservatives, the very people who really should know better. The Republican Party has been derailed by legions of fools and poseurs wearing smiley-face masks.
Think rescuing the economy by condemning our descendents to lives of spirit-crushing debt. Think nation-building abroad while we slowly disintegrate at home. Think education and No Child Left Behind. . . . But don't think about it too much, because if you do, you'll quickly come to the logical conclusion: We are doomed.
Need more convincing? Dwell on the cheerful promises of the diversity cult and the undeniable reality of the oncoming demographic disaster. Contemplate the feminization of everything, or take a good look at what passes for art these days. Witness the rise of culturism and the death of religion. Bow down before your new master, the federal apparatchik. Finally, ask yourself: How certain am I that the United States of America will survive, in any recognizable form, until, say, 2022?
A scathing, mordantly funny romp through today's dismal and dismaler political and cultural scene, "We Are Doomed" provides a long-overdue dose of reality, revealing just how the GOP has been led astray in recent years-and showing that had conservatives held on to their fittingly pessimistic outlook, America's future would be far brighter.
Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to embrace the Audacity of Hopelessness. "
"

"From the Hardcover edition."

"America urgently needs a new direction. But who will provide it?"

The time has come to move the country forward with a clear agenda based on common sense for the common good.

THERE IS A BETTER WAY.

Make no mistake: Congressmen Eric Cantor, Paul Ryan, and Kevin McCarthy are proud Republicans. But they believe the party had lost sight of the ideals it believes in, like economic freedom, limited government, the sanctity of life, and putting families first. This isn't your grandfather's Republican party. These Young Guns of the House GOP--Cantor (the leader), Ryan (the thinker), and McCarthy (the strategist)--are ready to take their belief in the principles that have made America great and translate it into solutions that will make the future even better, solutions that will create private sector jobs, maximize individual freedom, and establish a better world for our children. This groundbreaking book is a call to action that sets forth a plan for growth, opportunity, and commitment that will propel this country to prosperity once again. Together, the Young Guns are changing the face of the Republican party and giving us a new road map back to the American dream.

Was the financial collapsecaused by free-market capitalismand deregulation run amok, as liberals claim?

Not on your life, says Peter Schweizer. In Architects of Ruin, Schweizer describes how a coalition of left-wing activists, liberal politicians, and "do-good capitalists" on Wall Street leveraged government power to achieve their goal of broadening homeownership among minorities and the poor. The results were not only devastating to the economy, but hurt the very people they were supposedly trying to help.

This tale of liberal "Robin Hood capitalism run wild" has never beentold. But more than just a story about the past, Architects of Ruin is also an urgent warning about the future. The very same people who planted the seeds of the collapse are back in Washington, determined to use the crisis they caused as cover for a massive overhaul of the American economic system. These people have learned nothing from their past mistakes and are busy applying the same methods to other sectors of the economy--health care, the auto industry, real estate (again!), and above all the promotion of"green" technologies--inflating bubbles that are sure to bring about another crisis. Ordinary Americans who foot the bill for the last state-capitalist bubble have reason to be afraid--very afraid--of the inevitable result.

In the second half of the twentieth century, American conservatism emerged from the shadow of New Deal liberalism and developed into a movement exerting considerable influence on the formulation and execution of public policy in the United States. During that period, the political philosophers who provided the intellectual foundations for the American conservative movement were John H. Hallowell, Eric Voegelin, Leo Strauss, Richard Weaver, Russell Kirk, Robert Nisbet, John Courtney Murray, Friedrich Hayek, and Willmoore Kendall.

By offering a comprehensive analysis of their thoughts and beliefs, The Dilemmas of American Conservatism both illuminates the American conservative imagination and reveals its most serious contradictions. The contributing authors question whether a core set of conservative principles can be determined based on the frequently diverging perspectives of these key philosophers.

Is Winning a Second Presidential Term Really Barack Obama's "Ultimate End Game"?
Considering twelve specific events - with foreign policy implications - that have occurred during the first 18 months of the Obama Presidency, there is one common thread that emerges suggesting a recurring potential political motivation beyond just President Obama's desire to serve a second Presidential term. And, if so, the American people have a right to know it before the 2012 Presidential Election. The Voters can then decide for themselves whether they are concerned or not as to what degree Barack Obama's attitudes and judgment regarding U.S. foreign policy issues - as President of the United States - may be influenced or constrained by his "Ultimate End Game" and, potentially, conflict with America's best self-interests.
Supplanting ObamaCare
Regarding meaningful Health Care Reform, although professing that The Will of The People was paramount, President Obama consciously made no Health Care decision that, at all, conflicted with the interests of his two biggest campaign donors - Trial Lawyers and Unions - or his own prospects for re-election in 2012. In fact, even at the risk and on the verge of a failed Presidency that a defeat on Health Care would bring (as the bar previously set by the Democrats themselves), President Obama still refused, in reality, to even consider compromising on either Health Care Premium Price Competition across state lines - a non-starter with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) - or Tort Reform - the bane of all Trial Lawyers. But, exactly why would President Obama insist on taking such a risk?
It is not that the Obama Administration is, by any means, the first and only Presidential administration to be influenced by political interest groups or the political consequences of their actions. However, this book chronicles the pervasive extent to which the priority interests of Labor Unions and Trial Lawyers enveloped the Presidential decision-making process within the Obama Administration - to the detriment of The Will of The People.
The Optimal Health Care Solution
However, through just a single change in the tax law (as detailed and recommended herein), President Obama not only could have accomplished comprehensive Health Care Reform, but simultaneously achieved both 1) Health Care premium cost control as well as 2) meaningful Medical Provider cost reduction and containment - neither tenet of which was addressed in the ObamaCare legislation as passed. Nor would this simple tax law change necessitate - as does ObamaCare - the pervasive government control of one-sixth of the U.S economy; dictating the creation of more than 120 separate new federal bureaucracies, agencies and boards and the hiring of tens of thousands of additional federal government employees to staff and run them at an average lifetime cost of $4 million per new federal employee hired.
Finally, in dissecting ObamaCare, an extensive analysis was performed of 1) the additional budgetary ramifications of deals struck by Congressional Democrats - with President Obama's blessing - to subsequently pass ObamaCare; 2) obvious Health Care expenses not included (e.g. The "Doctor Fix") and 3) the $500 Billion in unrealistic and virtually unattainable cost savings offsets pertaining to the recovery of Fraudulent Medicare payments and waste. Revealingly, this analysis disclosed that, in actuality, the ultimate cost of ObamaCare balloons well beyond $3 Trillion - more than three times the CBO estimate of $940 Billion.

You've Got to Stand for Something examines America's founding principles and serves as an easy-to-use guide to the origins and intent of American government. Direct quotations from The Federalist Papers as well as other writings and speeches from the likes of Jefferson and Adams are used throughout the book to highlight the founders' interpretation of the proper role of government. Several important clauses from the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States that are often misunderstand and have led to problematic expansions of governmental power over the years are examined to provide readers with a more historically and philosophically sound understanding of the government's proper Constitutional role. The renewal of self-government requires that individuals stand up for principles expressed in this book.

C Street - where piety, politics, and corruption meet Jeff Sharlet is the only journalist to have reported from inside the C Street House, the Fellowship residence known simply by its Washington, DC address. The house has lately been the scene of notorious political scandal, but more crucially it is home to efforts to transform the very fabric of American democracy. And now, after laying bare its tenants' past in "The Family," Sharlet reports from deep within fundamentalism in today's world, revealing that the previous efforts of religious fundamentalists in America pale in comparison with their long-term ambitions.
When Barack Obama entered the White House, headlines declared the age of culture wars over. In "C Street, " Sharlet shows why these conflicts endure and why they matter now - from the sensationalism of Washington sex scandals to fundamentalism's long shadow in Africa, where Ugandan culture warriors determined to eradicate homosexuality have set genocide on simmer.
We've reached a point where piety and corruption are not at odds but one and the same. Reporting with exclusive sources and explosive documents from C Street, the war on gays in Uganda, and the battle for the soul of America's armed forces - waged by a 15,000-strong movement of officers intent on "reclaiming territory for Christ in the military" - Sharlet reveals not the last gasp of old-time religion but the new front lines of fundamentalism.

Paradigm shift? A better title for a summary of "The Cat in the Bag" might be something like "Synopsis" or "Prologue." Why use the term "paradigm shift"? Isn't it just another overworked buzz word from the late twentieth century? Maybe so, but in this case, the terminology fits. "The Cat in the Bag" describes a fundamental change in the way we view American politics. There is something different going on, and it is seen in its purest form through the actions and methods of the Democratic Party in the early twenty-first century. A political party, you might think, is nothing more than a way of organizing people to facilitate governmental action. Political parties help bring order to chaotic affairs. That's the conventional belief. The Democratic Party brings much more to the table. This book examines the themes of the Democratic Party and the way they are employed to generate anti-Republican sentiment in America. It shows how the themes influence our culture and create emotions that tend to blur the distinction between religion and politics. It's time to fasten your seatbelt

Every American must read this book before the next election In this book, Steve G Jozefczyk analyses today's partisan political environment from a rare perspective of rationality and human values, not the cliche and phony "family values" or "traditional values" so many charlatans espouse. Rather, Jozefczyk steps back from the ideological chatter that is dividing America and constructs a more realistic calculus of today's challenges, always contemplating and seeking just and humane solutions. Jozefczyk exposes the hypocrisy of the teabaggers, religious leaders, and of course politicians and the media. His insights are uncanny. His prescience is undeniable. If only these simple ideas had been implemented over the last three decades, the world today would be a wonderful place. At least that's the way he sees it. It's easy to criticize. However, it takes thought and a delicate balance of pragmatism and idealism to develop simple, but not simplistic, solutions to the issues of the day. Jozefczyk takes on relevant and growing dangers; income and wealth disparity, deteriorating business ethics, cults of hate, violence, and delusional beliefs, an inability or unwillingness to think independently, and a growing disregard for reality. Jozefczyk develops realistic, concrete solutions that deserve immediate implementation The reader will be left wondering, "Why didn't I think of that?" This is must read for anyone who can't or won't take the time or make the effort to listen critically to what's going on in America today. Apathy is not an option and ignorance is not an excuse.

The sensational second volume of Charles Moore's bestselling authorized biography of the Iron Lady In June 1983 Margaret Thatcher won the biggest increase in a government's Parliamentary majority in British electoral history. Over the next four years, as Charles Moore relates in this central volume of his uniquely authoritative biography, Britain's first woman prime minister changed the course of her country's history and that of the world, often by sheer force of will. The book reveals as never before how she faced down the Miners' Strike, transformed relations with Europe, privatized the commanding heights of British industry and continued the reinvigoration of the British economy. It describes her role on the world stage with dramatic immediacy, identifying Mikhail Gorbachev as 'a man to do business with' before he became leader of the Soviet Union, and then persistently pushing him and Ronald Reagan, her great ideological soulmate, to order world affairs according to her vision. For the only time since Churchill, she ensured that Britain had a central place in dealings between the superpowers. But even at her zenith she was beset by difficulties. The beloved Reagan two-timed her during the US invasion of Grenada. She lost the minister to whom she was personally closest to scandal and almost had to resign as a result of the Westland affair. She found herself isolated within her own government over Europe. She was at odds with the Queen over the Commonwealth and South Africa. She bullied senior colleagues and she set in motion the poll tax. Both these last would later return to wound her, fatally. In all this, Charles Moore has had unprecedented access to all Mrs Thatcher's private and government papers. The participants in the events described have been so frank in interview that we feel we are eavesdropping on their conversations as they pass. We look over Mrs Thatcher's shoulder as she vigorously annotates documents, so seeing her views on many particular issues in detail, and we understand for the first time how closely she relied on a handful of trusted advisors to help shape her views and carry out her will. We see her as a public performer, an often anxious mother, a workaholic and the first woman in western democratic history who truly came to dominate her country in her time. In the early hours of 12 October 1984, during the Conservative party conference in Brighton, the IRA attempted to assassinate her. She carried on within hours to give her leader's speech at the conference (and later went on to sign the Anglo-Irish agreement). One of her many left-wing critics, watching her that day, said 'I don't approve of her as Prime Minister, but by God she's a great tank commander.' This titanic figure, with all her capacities and all her flaws, storms from these pages as from no other book.

The Conscience of a Conservative reignited the American conservative movement and made Barry Goldwater a political star. It influenced countless conservatives in the United States, and helped lay the foundation for the Reagan Revolution in 1980. It covers topics such as education, labor unions and policies, civil rights, agricultural policy and farm subsidies, social welfare programs, and income taxation. This significant book lays out the conservative position both politically and economically that would come to dominate the Conservative Movement in American.

From Change We Can Believe in to Change We Simply Cannot Believe. The United States of America, a Republic founded on principles of freedom, liberty and opportunity has experienced a crippling series of governmental assaults over the past year-plus that has left its People shaken, uncertain, and struggling. But the American Spirit is strong, and from the ashes of this Constitutional onslaught, the will of the People is rising. A Perfect Liberal Storm: When Executive, Legislative, and Media Enjoin, presents our experience of the first year of the Obama Administration as chronicled by web columnist Barry Secrest. Offering witty commentary, keen cultural insights, and sharp political analysis, A Perfect Liberal Storm is a shrewdly-critical, often emotionally impactful journey through the maelstrom of changes the United States experienced throughout 2009-2010: Healthcare reform, global warming scandals, economic disasters, government expansion and take-over of private sector businesses, Mainstream Media complacency, the rise of the Tea Party, and the fall of one liberty after another into the hands of an Administration with a chillingly clear agenda. Along with Conservative Media heavy-hitters such as Beck, Hannity, Levin and Limbaugh, Barry Secrest has emerged as a strong champion of Conservative values. Always grounded in the basic principles of the Charters of Freedom, this engaging and highly relevant recount of events provides a crucial reminder of all that is at stake as the 2012 elections draw near.

Volume 11 of the "Conservative and Libertarian Thinkers" series focuses on Robert Nozick and his work on libertarianism. In 1974, Robert Nozick's book "Anarchy, State, and Utopia" moved libertarianism from a relatively neglected subset of political philosophy to the center of the discipline, as one of the most cogent critiques of social democracy and egalitarian liberalism. Nozick developed a rights-based account of libertarianism to show that a minimal state can legitimately arise, that nothing more than a minimal state is justified, and that the minimal state is not only morally right, but can also be an inspiring 'meta-utopia'. This volume presents Nozick's contributions to political philosophy in the context of his work in analytical philosophy. It also provides a biography of Nozick and considers the initial reception and long-term influence of his work. "Major Conservative and Libertarian Thinkers" provides comprehensive accounts of the works of seminal conservative thinkers from a variety of periods, disciplines, and traditions - the first series of its kind. Even the selection of thinkers adds another aspect to conservative thinking, including not only theorists but also writers and practitioners. The series comprises twenty volumes, each including an intellectual biography, historical context, critical exposition of the thinker's work, reception and influence, contemporary relevance, bibliography including references to electronic resources, and an index.

"A Convenient Lie" is obviously a retort to Al Gore's infamous book, "An Inconvenient Truth," and is the answer to the whole global climate change groundswell now invading the public consciousness. This is a counter reaction to a new group of global alarmists seeking to scare you out of your SUV and your hard earned tax dollars. Moreover, it is a counter strike to the ongoing ideological battle for the hearts and minds of all breathing human beings. I wanted to give a very different and optimistic outlook to the unsuspecting people who are being propagandized and inundated with doom and gloom scenarios in regard to this evolving phenomenon called global climate change. No doubt most Americans are going about their daily lives in the same manner, attempting to eke out a living in this all-consuming, highly regulated, restrictive, taxing time we live in today. The goal of this book is to disprove the latest global warming doomsday scenarios with pure, unadulterated, logical thinking, rational reasoning and a heavy dose of common sense. With my help and many common sense perspectives on climate changes, you will be able to stave off the bombardment of negative predictions hurled your way by a variety of liberal activists. I promise to do my best to avoid manipulated reports; pointless statistics, biased surveys and hapless predictions based on tree rings, and will try to get to the core of the issue. Straight talk, lined with a pinch of sarcasm, and a heaping helping of logic will provide all the ammo needed to combat the growing army of global warming fear-mongers.

Discover how the unelected controllers of our government control our lives and dictate what we do and think. I dare you to read this book. If it doesn't irritate you, I haven't accomplished my objective to get your attention. Unfortunately, most people are simply too apathetic and too busy to get involved with new thoughts and ideas that would drastically change their out-dated opinions. Most of the information presented in this book will more than likely be outside your comfort zone. Perhaps you think you already know all you need to know about religion and the important political issues facing us today. The ideas presented in this book may be shocking-but I sincerely hope it will open your eyes and expand your mind. This is more important than agreeing with the author on every issue.

The new political movement that now controls much of the Republican party is a coalition of Americans who simply wish to be left alone by the government. They want to be free to run a business, keep the money they earn, own a gun, practice their faith, and perhaps homeschool their children--in short, to control their own destinies. Directly opposed is the descriptively titled Takings Coalition, which is at the heart of the tax-and-spend left. These forces will battle for control of America's future over the next fifty years.

In this compelling and powerful narrative, Grover Norquist describes the two competing coalitions in American politics, what they can achieve and what they cannot do, and how you may fit into the contest. Required reading for anyone who wants a deeper understanding of politics in America today, "Leave Us Alone" outlines the order of battle for the next generation.

What did George W. Bush and John Howard do to conservatism? In their wake, the conservative parties in the US and Australia seem to have lost their way - they no longer have a vision of the future. Their neoconservative foreign policies and neoliberal economics have been discredited, and they are split on climate change and much else. How did the Right in Australia end up in this place? How might it renew itself? In this groundbreaking essay, Waleed Aly begins by unravelling the terms Right and Left, arguing that they have become meaningless - they only foster a political conversation that becomes more about 'teams' than ideas. He discusses neoliberal economics and its corrosive effect on the social fabric, and how, in response, Howard-style conservatism was all too ready to dictate social values, even to the point of prescribing who or what is Australian. Aly discusses what a better conservatism might look like. He argues that the political issues of the day, such as climate change and the financial crisis, mean a reactionary brand of politics is unlikely to work because public opinion is swiftly leaving it behind. He draws on the work of conservative thinkers such as John Gray, Owen Harries and even P.J. O'Rourke to sketch the kind of conservatism that seems scarce in Australia, but which would be a welcome presence.

Books on Whittaker Chambers and Alger Hiss abound, as countless scholars have labored to uncover the facts behind Chambers's shocking accusation before the House Committee on Un-American Activities in the summer of 1948--that Alger Hiss, a former rising star in the State Department, had been a Communist and engaged in espionage.

In this highly original work, Susan Jacoby turns her attention to the Hiss case, including his trial and imprisonment for perjury, as a mirror of shifting American political views and passions. Unfettered by political ax-grinding, the author examines conflicting responses, from scholars and the media on both the left and the right, and the ways in which they have changed from 1948 to our present post-Cold War era. With a brisk, engaging style, Jacoby positions the case in the politics of the post-World War II era and then explores the ways in which generations of liberals and conservatives have put Chambers and Hiss to their own ideological uses. An iconic event of the McCarthy era, the case of Alger Hiss fascinates political intellectuals not only because of its historical significance but because of its timeless relevance to equally fierce debates today about the difficult balance between national security and respect for civil liberties.

Silence Makes the Loudest Sound takes an unflinchingly honest and introspective look at the state of the relationship between African Americans and Republicans and discovers painful truths and reasons to hope. Drawing on his own experience as an African American and a Republican, Rogers invites you to join the conversation at the intersection of race and politics in America.

Boomers How We Changed the World vol.1 1946-1980: A Generational Biography: Baby Boomers; Those Born From 1946-1964. AlfordPress.com History, Generational Biography, Political Science, Sociology, Political Sociology, Social Anthropology, Cultural Studies, Popular Culture, Government, Politics, Entertainment: volume 1 - Snapshots & Timeline 1946-1980. A Brief History. Timeline of events portrayed like looking through a photo album of the past. There are many quick moments of time captured that create a desire for more information and understanding. How did the United States and its citizens get to where we are in 2010? Read for fun and use for high school or college course material. Those born from 1946-1964, this book is about YOU. Volume 1: The years from 1946 through 1980. You lived it. You suffered through it. You enjoyed it, but does anyone really understand what we went through? Did you ever try to talk to your grandchildren about the Vietnam War? Do they understand that while the Easy Bake Oven was the hottest toy for the Christmas season of 1963: In China the Great Leap Forward was responsible for over 31 million deaths due to starvation and famine which remained mostly unknown to the western world. The University of Alabama desegregated only after Governor George Wallace stepped aside when confronted by federally deployed National Guard troops. Civil rights leader Medgar Evers was assassinated June 12. Martin Luther King's I Have A Dream, speech, August 28. South Vietnam President Ngo Dinh Diem was assassinated. November 2. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas November 22. Jack Ruby assassinated Lee Harvey Oswald, November 24, on live TV. This all took place the summer & fall of 1963 Did you even remember that all of this was going on while you were in front of the TV watching Petticoat Junction or The Fugitive ? Controversial. Thought-provoking. Creates interest and discussion. Area Highlights Briefly covered, year by year, in a snapshot Generational Biography timeline: Oil History, Major News, Civil Rights Movement, Women s Movement, Gay Rights, Popular Culture, Business, Technology, Finance, Banking, Books, TV, Radio, Sports, Music, Natural Disasters, Man vs. Man, War, Cost of Living, Auto prices, Food prices, Wages, Unemployment, Movies, Broadway, Federal Debt, CPI, GDP, Diversity, Government spending, Social Security, Oil prices, Gold prices, Silver prices, House, Senate, President, Yen, Dollar, Yuan, Rial. BOOMERS. What was the World like that you inherited? And How We Changed The World . There are over 80 million Boomers in the U.S. If you look through the data it is obvious how the citizens of the United States of America (YOU) fought for honor, decency, high moral values and against all of the warnings we started to slide ever so slowly down that path to where we are today. What so many of us do not remember is how long and hard we fought. This book will mean something different to every person who reads it because we are all different with a common ground. Our intention is to take you back in time and allow you to feel exactly what it was like. This book is a powerful academic resource that can be used on many different levels. Above all it is down-to-earth and extremely interesting to just sit and read.

An even-handed, comprehensive assessment of conservative thought in America, from the Constitutional Convention to the present This lively book traces the development of American conservatism from Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, and Daniel Webster, through Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and Herbert Hoover, to William F. Buckley, Jr., Ronald Reagan, and William Kristol. Conservatism has assumed a variety of forms, historian Patrick Allitt argues, because it has been chiefly reactive, responding to perceived threats and challenges at different moments in the nation's history. While few Americans described themselves as conservatives before the 1930s, certain groups, beginning with the Federalists in the 1790s, can reasonably be thought of in that way. The book discusses changing ideas about what ought to be conserved, and why. Conservatives sometimes favored but at other times opposed a strong central government, sometimes criticized free-market capitalism but at other times supported it. Some denigrated democracy while others championed it. Core elements, however, have connected thinkers in a specifically American conservative tradition, in particular a skepticism about human equality and fears for the survival of civilization. Allitt brings the story of that tradition to the end of the twentieth century, examining how conservatives rose to dominance during the Cold War. Throughout the book he offers original insights into the connections between the development of conservatism and the larger history of the nation.