Alexis de Tocqueville was one of the most influential political thinkers of the 19th century, and yet this is the first comprehensive collection of his written work. Born to an aristocratic family, he was consumed by the notion of democracy and traveled widely throughout the world, mainly in America, to understand it. He is the celebrated writer of "Democracy in America" and "The Old Regime and the Revolution," as well as important essays on such subjects as poverty, colonialism, and socialism. "The Tocqueville Reader" includes not only his major writing but also travel notes, letters, conversations with ministers and politicians, and diary entries not originally intended for the public. The book includes twenty-nine pieces never before translated into English, and a wide-ranging editorial introduction that gives an account of Tocqueville's life as a politician and inspirations as a writer. In this one-of-a-kind collection, students of American and European history and social thought, as well as general readers, will find a portrait of a fascinating personality and a giant of liberal thinking.