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The Duel: Diefenbaker, Pearson and the Making of Modern Canada
Par John Ibbitson. 2023
INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLEROne of Canada’s foremost authors and journalists, offers a gripping account of the contest between John Diefenbaker and…
Lester Pearson, two prime ministers who fought each other relentlessly, but who between them created today’s Canada. John Diefenbaker has been unfairly treated by history. Although he wrestled with personal demons, his governments launched major reforms in public health care, law reform and immigration. On his watch, First Nations on reserve obtained the right to vote and the federal government began to open up the North. He established Canada as a leader in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, and took the first steps in making Canada a leader in the fight against nuclear proliferation. And Diefenbaker’s Bill of Rights laid the groundwork for the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. He set in motion many of the achievements credited to his successor, Lester B. Pearson.Pearson, in turn, gave coherence to Diefenbaker’s piecemeal reforms. He also pushed Parliament to adopt a new, and now much-loved, Canadian flag against Diefenbaker’s fierce opposition. Pearson understood that if Canada were to be taken seriously as a nation, it must develop a stronger sense of self. Pearson was superbly prepared for the role of prime minister: decades of experience at External Affairs, respected by leaders from Washington to Delhi to Beijing, the only Canadian to win the Nobel Prize for Peace. Diefenbaker was the better politician, though. If Pearson walked with ease in the halls of power, Diefenbaker connected with the farmers and small-town merchants and others left outside the inner circles. Diefenbaker was one of the great orators of Canadian political life; Pearson spoke with a slight lisp. Diefenbaker was the first to get his name in the papers, as a crusading attorney: Diefenbaker for the Defence, champion of the little man. But he struggled as a politician, losing five elections before making it into the House of Commons, and becoming as estranged from the party elites as he was from the Liberals, until his ascension to the Progressive Conservative leadership in 1956 through a freakish political accident. As a young university professor, Pearson caught the attention of the powerful men who were shaping Canada’s first true department of foreign affairs, rising to prominence as the helpful fixer, the man both sides trusted, the embodiment of a new country that had earned its place through war in the counsels of the great powers: ambassador, undersecretary, minister, peacemaker. Everyone knew he was destined to be prime minister. But in 1957, destiny took a detour.Then they faced each other, Diefenbaker v Pearson, across the House of Commons, leaders of their parties, each determined to wrest and hold power, in a decade-long contest that would shake and shape the country. Here is a tale of two men, children of Victoria, who led Canada into the atomic age: each the product of his past, each more like the other than either would ever admit, fighting each other relentlessly while together forging the Canada we live in today. To understand our times, we must first understand theirs.The Search for Reagan: The Appealing Intellectual Conservatism of Ronald Reagan
Par Craig Shirley. 2024
Never before has anyone explored the mind, soul, and heart of Ronald Reagan. The Search for Reagan explores the challenges…
and controversies in Reagan&’s life and how he successfully dealt with each, depicting a man who was never as conservative as some conservatives wanted him to be, but rather as conservative as he was comfortable being—a man who wanted to win on his own terms and integrity.Ronald Reagan was a singularly unique man and conservative who championed a wildly successful revolution—leading to more freedom and less government for the American people and to the fall of communism, while boosting American morale, which had been his three big goals. He was the first president in many years who believed optimism from the Oval Office had a direct bearing on the affairs of the nation. As a consequence, he left office more popular than when he entered with a whopping 73 percent approval. He is beloved even today as his presidential library is visited far more than any other presidential library, by more than five million people each year. He understood that American conservatism was based upon the individual and not the group. He is still regarded as one of the most admired men in America. The range of Reagan scholarship by virtue of books sold about him continues to grow. In his presidency, he solved the mystery of high inflation that had bedeviled his predecessor, high interest rates, and high gas prices. He created over twenty million new jobs, and the number of American millionares grew from 4,414 to 34,944. He quite literally changed our world for the better and is considered by most historians to be one of our four greatest presidents, along with George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin Roosevelt.Brought Forth on This Continent: Abraham Lincoln and American Immigration
Par Harold Holzer. 2024
From acclaimed Abraham Lincoln historian Harold Holzer, a groundbreaking account of Lincoln&’s grappling with the politics of immigration against the…
backdrop of the Civil War.In the three decades before the Civil War, some ten million foreign-born people settled in the United States, forever altering the nation&’s demographics, culture, and—perhaps most significantly—voting patterns. America&’s newest residents fueled the national economy, but they also wrought enormous changes in the political landscape and exposed an ugly, at times violent, vein of nativist bigotry.Abraham Lincoln&’s rise ran parallel to this turmoil; even Lincoln himself did not always rise above it. Tensions over immigration would split and ultimately destroy Lincoln&’s Whig Party years before the Civil War. Yet the war made clear just how important immigrants were, and how interwoven they had become in American society.Harold Holzer, winner of the Lincoln Prize, charts Lincoln&’s political career through the lens of immigration, from his role as a member of an increasingly nativist political party to his evolution into an immigration champion, a progression that would come at the same time as he refined his views on abolition and Black citizenship. As Holzer writes, &“The Civil War could not have been won without Lincoln&’s leadership; but it could not have been fought without the immigrant soldiers who served and, by the tens of thousands, died that the &‘nation might live.&’&” An utterly captivating and illuminating work, Brought Forth on This Continent assesses Lincoln's life and legacy in a wholly original way, unveiling remarkable similarities between the nineteenth century and the twenty-first.Lost Fatherland: Europeans between Empire and Nation-States, 1867-1939
Par Iryna Vushko. 2024
How the demise of the Habsburg Empire, postwar sovereignty, and new diplomatic frontiers shaped the nature of citizenship, identity, and…
belonging across Europe This book is a collective portrait of twenty-one key statesmen who came of age during the Habsburg Empire. They include the cofounder of Austro-Marxism and the Austrian republic&’s first foreign minister, the cofounder of the European Union after the Second World War, the founder of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, and Mussolini&’s ambassador to Vienna. Some survived the First World War and the resulting geographical divisions in their homelands, and some went on to serve in politics and governments throughout Europe. Taken together, the stories of these men offer readers a window on broad issues of European history in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries—chiefly, how an imperial heritage, a shared vision of statehood and nationalism, and a commitment to peaceful conflict resolution helped establish enduring loyalty and unity despite the geographical fault lines resulting from the war. As Iryna Vushko explains, their stories also offer an increasingly nuanced understanding of the achievements and failures of the Habsburg Empire.Leaders and Thinkers in American History: 15 Influential People You Should Know (Biographies for Kids)
Par Megan DuVarney Forbes. 2021
Inspiring stories of American heroes throughout history—for kids ages 8 to 12 George Washington's life illustrates the very first values…
that American politicians shared. The story of Tecumseh teaches us about the power of being true to yourself and defending your community. Lucretia Mott shows us how to stand up against what is wrong and speak out for what is right. Leaders and Thinkers in American History is a colorful children's history book that explores the lives of influential American figures and their incredible accomplishments. Kids will discover the stories of men and women across hundreds of years, from all different backgrounds, and how they used their passion and talent to impact the world. Go beyond other American history books with: 15 detailed biographies—Kids will learn that the history of the United States is full of fascinating and impressive people who pioneered everything from politics to technology, music, and art. Learn and grow—These powerful stories will inspire kids to find their own gifts and use them to help others and achieve their dreams. Beyond this book—For kids who want to learn even more, each biography includes suggestions for further reading and tips for getting active in their community. Get kids excited about history with a children's history book featuring extraordinary Americans from all walks of life.True Believer: Hubert Humphrey's Quest for a More Just America
Par James Traub. 2024
A celebrated historian recounts Hubert Humphrey&’s role as a liberal hero of twentieth-century America Hubert Humphrey was liberalism&’s most…
dedicated defender, and its most public and tragic sacrifice. As a young politician in 1948, he defied segregationists and forced the Democratic Party to commit itself to civil rights. As a senator in 1964, he made good on that commitment by helping pass the Civil Rights Act. But as Lyndon B. Johnson&’s vice president, his support for the war in Vietnam made him a target for both Right and Left, and he suffered a shattering loss in the presidential election of 1968. Though Humphrey&’s defeat was widely seen as the end of America&’s era of liberal optimism, he never gave up. Even after his humiliation on the most public stage, he crafted a new vision of economic justice to counter the yawning political divisions consuming American politics. This biography reveals a deep-dyed idealist willing to compromise and even fight ugly in pursuit of a better society. Elegantly crafted and strikingly relevant to the present, True Believer celebrates Hubert Humphrey&’s long struggle for justice for all.Amateur Hour: Kamala Harris in the White House
Par Charlie Spiering. 2024
The ultimate, comprehensive investigation into the life and career of Vice President Kamala Harris from former Washington Examiner and Breitbart…
News political reporter Charlie Spiering.Who is the real Kamala Harris? And how did she ascend to the second highest office in the country? Despite her limited experience in national politics and confusing professional history, there hasn&’t been a comprehensive examination of Vice President Kamala Harris&’s journey to the White House...until now. Find out how the San Francisco socialite turned politico fast-tracked her way onto the national stage, only to lose the faith of her base and her president. With exclusive reporting and a detective&’s eye, Charlie Spiering delivers the first-ever deep dive into Kamala Harris&’s hilarious, incompetent, radical path to the vice presidency. From her tumultuous tenure as California prosecutor to the fiery interrogator in the United States Senate, then to her disastrous presidential campaign and finally, her calamitous first years in executive office, this is an unfettered look at the woman who is only one heartbeat away from leading the free world.The Dissident: Alexey Navalny: Profile of a Political Prisoner
Par David Herszenhorn. 2023
A news-driven biography of Vladimir Putin&’s nemesis Alexey Navalny— lawyer, blogger, anti-corruption crusader, protest organizer, political opposition leader, mayoral and presidential candidate,…
campaign strategist, provocateur, poisoning victim, dissident, and now, prisoner of conscience and anti-war crusader. THE DISSIDENT is the story of how one fearless man, offended by the dishonesty and criminality of the Russian political system, mounted a relentless opposition movement and became President Vladimir Putin&’s most formidable rival—so despised that the Russian leader makes a point of never uttering Navalny&’s name. There&’s an old saying that Russia without corruption isn&’t Russia. Alexey Navalny refuses to accept this proposition. His stubborn insistence that Russians can defy the stereotype and create an entirely different country made him such a threat to Putin that the Kremlin wanted him exiled—or dead—and now seems intent on keeping him locked in a prison colony for decades. International correspondent David M. Herszenhorn, weaves together the threads of Navalny&’s remarkable life and work: The assassination attempt with a military-grade nerve agent by an FSB hit squad in Siberia, his recovery, and the vigilante-style investigation with news outlet Bellingcat to identify and confront his own would-be killers; Navalny&’s personal biography as part of the generation that straddled the end of the Soviet Union and birth of the Russian Federation, including childhood summers with his Ukrainian grandparents near Chernobyl, and his fellowship at Yale University, which spurred conspiracy theories about his ties to the U.S.; His anti-corruption investigations that exposed billions in graft at Russia&’s biggest state-owned companies and vast bribe-taking by top Russian officials, including his blockbuster revelations about Putin&’s Black Sea Palace; His political activism, including huge street protests, his bid for Moscow mayor in 2013, renegade run for president in 2017, his controversial views on nationalism, gun rights and Crimea, his transformation into a prisoner of conscience bravely denouncing Putin&’s war of aggression in Ukraine, and more. Riveting and complex, THE DISSIDENT introduces readers to modern Russia&’s greatest agitator, a man willing to sacrifice his freedom—and even his own life—to build the decent, democratic country he wants to live in and hopes to pass on to his children.God Calls Us to Do Hard Things: Lessons from the Alabama Wiregrass
Par Katie Britt. 2023
Through her life story, rising Republican star Senator Katie Britt shares some candid advice for how to overcome personal challenges,…
appreciate blessed moments, make our lives more fulfilling, and keep an unshakeable faith in God, family and our country. With grit and grace, Katie Britt has tackled a lot that life&’s thrown at her. From working in her parent&’s hardware store, to finding her path at the University of Alabama and marrying the captain of the football team, to an extremely close call with a tornado that destroyed her house while she held her baby in her arms, to her upstart campaign for Senate, Britt has overcome setbacks, defied expectations and shocked the political establishment. So how did Britt become the youngest woman in the U.S. Senate? GOD CALLS US TO DO HARD THINGS offers the hard-earned lessons and common-sense advice that Britt gained from her experience – and it&’s the kind of stuff many young folks need to hear. Topics and themes include: Focusing us on what you can control Being unafraid to fail – while also taking criticism and tough love Breaking past the limits we place on ourselves Being a change agent – and not a title holder Sweating the small stuff of details and process Warm, humble and often lighthearted, GOD CALLS US TO DO HARD THINGS is about how a determined young woman decided to enter the arena and make her mark. At a moment when politics feel so toxic and broken, Katie Britt proves that there&’s still a way to listen to your heart, serve and inspire.On the 500th anniversary of the German Peasant Wars, a brilliant portrait of Thomas Munzter: radical millenarian preacher, revolutionary and…
iconoclast'The princes are nothing but tyrants who flay the people; they fritter away our blood and sweat on their pomp and whoring and knavery.&’ These were the words of Thomas Müntzer at the head of the massed ranks of a peasant army in the year 1525. Ranged against him were the might of the princes of the German Nation. How did Müntzer, the son of a coin maker from central Germany, rise in just a few short years to become one of the most feared revolutionaries in early modern Europe?In this brilliant work of historical excavation, Andrew Drummond charts the life and times of the man Martin Luther denounced as a &‘Ravening Wolf&’ and &‘False Prophet&’. Drummond shows us Müntzer as a human being. Far from the bloodthirsty devil of legend, he was a man of considerable learning and principle, deeply sympathetic to the misery of the peasantry and the poor. In his short life – he was beheaded at thirty-five – Müntzer promised to fundamentally upend German society.Seeking to save Müntzer from the condescension of history, Drummond guides us through the religious and political disputes of the Reformation, placing his life and thought in the context of those turbulent years. The result is a portrait of an often contradictory but always radical figure, one who continues to inspire movements of the poor across the globe.A Revolutionary Friendship: Washington, Jefferson, and the American Republic
Par Francis D. Cogliano. 2024
The first full account of the relationship between George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, countering the legend of their enmity while…
drawing vital historical lessons from the differences that arose between them.Martha Washington’s worst memory was the death of her husband. Her second worst was Thomas Jefferson’s awkward visit to pay his respects subsequently. Indeed, by the time George Washington had died in 1799, the two founders were estranged. But that estrangement has obscured the fact that for most of their thirty-year acquaintance they enjoyed a productive relationship. Precisely because they shared so much, their disagreements have something important to teach us.In constitutional design, for instance: Whereas Washington believed in the rule of traditional elites like the Virginia gentry, Jefferson preferred what we would call a meritocratic approach, by which elites would be elected on the basis of education and skills. And while Washington emphasized a need for strong central government, Jefferson favored diffusion of power across the states. Still, as Francis Cogliano argues, common convictions equally defined their relationship: a passion for American independence and republican government, as well as a commitment to westward expansion and the power of commerce. They also both evolved a skeptical view of slavery, eventually growing to question the institution, even as they took only limited steps to abolish it.What remains fascinating is that the differences between the two statesmen mirrored key political fissures of the early United States, as the unity of revolutionary zeal gave way to competing visions for the new nation. A Revolutionary Friendship brilliantly captures the dramatic, challenging, and poignant reality that there was no single founding ideal—only compromise between friends and sometime rivals.She Dared to Succeed (in French, Elle a osé réussir), delves into the life of a woman who, for more…
than 30 years, broke multiple glass ceilings in the Canadian media and political worlds. Well-known in the broadcasting industry, she was propelled to the political forefront following her appointment to the Senate of Canada (1995) and her election as President of the Liberal Party of Canada (2006). She had to overcome many challenges throughout her career: sexism, prejudice against single mothers and career women, wage disparities, and harassment in the workplace. Above all, she experienced the opprobrium reserved for Senate members—all of whom were exonerated—targeted as part of the Senate expenses scandal (2012-2016). In this book, she bears witness to the human cost of this chapter of Canadian history. This biography, with a foreword by the Hon. John Manley, is the fruit of impressive research by the author, who not only interviewed Madame Charette-Poulin at length, but also conducted 67 interviews, including with prominent Canadians such as Right Honourable Jean Chrétien and Brian Mulroney, the Honourable Sheila Copps, Sharon Carstairs, Mike Duffy, Hugh Segal, Céline Hervieux-Payette, Vivienne Poy, Linda Frum, Sheila Fraser, as well as judges Robert Desmarais, and Robert Del Frate. She dared to succeed... despite it all.Also available in French (Elle a osé réussir)Available in hardcover, trade paperback, and accessible PDF et ePUB formats.Saisir sa chance: Mémoires de David M. Culver (Biographies et mémoires)
Par David M. Culver, Alan Freeman. 2018
David Culver, figure clé tant du milieu des affaires que du milieu culturel canadien, raconte son enfance à Montréal, ses…
études aux universités McGill et Harvard et son service militaire pendant la Deuxième Guerre mondiale. Il décrit surtout sa spectaculaire ascension au sein d’Alcan, jusqu’à accéder au poste de président-directeur général, devenant du coup le chef d’une des plus grandes sociétés multinationales du Canada, dont le siège social était à Montréal. Ces mémoires lèvent le voile sur la gestion d’une multinationale bien enracinée en sol québécois. Il propose des conseils pragmatiques sur la manière de cultiver le talent, développer la technologie et surmonter les défis au sein d’une entreprise qui opère aux quatre coins de la planète. Au fil de délicieuses anecdotes et d’inoubliables rencontres avec des grands du XXe siècle – dont Margaret Thatcher, Henry Kissinger et Jawaharlal Nehru – David Culver se révèle un imposant leader aux intérêts et aux talents multiples. Dans ses mémoires, David Culver médite sur sa passion pour l’architecture – et ses initiatives de protection du patrimoine montréalais par l’entremise de la Maison Alcan – et l’importance de la musique et du sport dans sa vie. Saisir sa chance témoigne de l’optimisme de Culver, qui a de tout temps cru que les choses les plus extraordinaires peuvent arriver lorsqu’on s’y attend le moins.La médaille Symons, l’un des plus prestigieux honneurs du Canada, est décernée annuellement à une personne qui a fait une…
contribution exceptionnelle à la vie canadienne.La soirée de remise de prix aux récipiendaires une occasion de réfléchir à l’état actuel et aux perspectives d’avenir de la Confédération canadienne.Cette distinction a été attribuée, en 2020, à l’honorable Bob Rae, pour souligner son remarquable attachement de longue date à l’avancement de causes humanitaires, dont celle des réfugiés rohingyas, son engagement indéfectible auprès des Premières Nations, et son service au sein de la fonction publique et en tant qu’enseignant s’étalant sur plusieurs décennies. En effet, M. Rae a toujours participé activement à la vie politique du Canada – à titre de membre de la Chambre des communes, de premier ministre de l’Ontario et de chef intérimaire du Parti libéral du Canada.Dans l’allocution du vingtième lauréat de la médaille Symons, Apprendre du passé, façonner l’avenir : réflexions sur une vie politique, Bob Rae réfléchit aux origines improbables de la nation canadienne, à l’émergence du pays sur la scène mondiale de l’après-guerre, à son adhésion active aux Nations Unies et à l’importance de la Constitution canadienne – sans cesse en évolution, d’où la métaphore de l’arbre vivant.Apprendre du passé, façonner l’avenir vient accroître l’accès à cette inspirante allocution prononcée par l’un des acteurs clés de la nation canadienne.Washington: A Legacy of Leadership (The Generals Series)
Par Paul Vickery. 2011
His name is carved in granite, his likeness cast in bronze, his legend as large as the role he played…
as America's first president. But before he was a commander-in-chief, George Washington was a general in a revolution that would decide the future of the people and land he called his own. If victorious, he would gain immortality. If defeated, he would find his neck in a hangman's noose. Washington knew the sting of defeat?at Brandywine, at Germantown?yet this unwavering leadership and his vision for a new and independent nation emboldened an army prepared to fight barefoot if necessary to win that independence. Wrote an officer after the Battle of Princeton: "I saw him brave all the dangers of the field and his important life hanging as it were by a single hair with a thousand deaths flying around him." Among America's pantheon of Founding Fathers, one man?to this day?stands out. Author Paul Vickery tracks the unlikely rise of Washington, a man whose stature in command of a young army became prelude to a presidency. As Vickery writes, "He learned to become the father of our country by first being the father of our military."The “fine biography” and “compelling personal story” (The Wall Street Journal) of arguably the most influential member of Franklin Delano…
Roosevelt’s administration, Marguerite “Missy” LeHand, FDR’s de facto chief of staff, who has been misrepresented, mischaracterized, and overlooked throughout history…until now.Widely considered the first—and only—female presidential chief of staff, Marguerite “Missy” LeHand was the right-hand woman to Franklin Delano Roosevelt—both personally and professionally—for more than twenty years. Although her official title as personal secretary was relatively humble, her power and influence were unparalleled. Everyone in the White House knew one truth: If you wanted access to Franklin, you had to get through Missy. She was one of his most trusted advisors, affording her a unique perspective on the president that no one else could claim, and she was deeply admired and respected by Eleanor Roosevelt. With unprecedented access to Missy’s family and original source materials, journalist Kathryn Smith tells the “fascinating” (Publishers Weekly) and forgotten story of the intelligent, loyal, and clever woman who had a front-row seat to history in the making. The Gatekeeper is a thoughtful, revealing unsung-hero story about a woman ahead of her time, the true weight of her responsibility, and the tumultuous era in which she lived—and a long overdue tribute to one of the most important female figures in American history.Thomas Chapais, historien (Amérique française)
Par Damien-Claude Bélanger. 2018
Thomas Chapais est une des grandes figures politiques et intellectuelles canadiennes-françaises du début du XXe siècle. Nommé au Conseil législatif…
de Québec en 1892, puis au Sénat du Canada en 1919, il a joué un rôle de premier plan dans les débats entourant la réforme du système d’éducation du Québec et dans les crises scolaires du Manitoba et de l’Ontario. Pourtant, c’est surtout de l’historien et non de l’homme politique dont on se souvient aujourd’hui. Biographe de Jean Talon et du marquis de Montcalm et auteur d’une importante synthèse d’histoire du Canada, Thomas Chapais formule un récit d’histoire cohérent qui contribue à l’avancement des connaissances et qui alimente d’importants débats historiographiques. Ses travaux forment un jalon essentiel dans l’histoire de la culture intellectuelle du Canada français. L’historien est en effet le dernier grand représentant du loyalisme canadien-français, doctrine qui repose notamment sur une interprétation particulière de la Conquête de 1760. Dans cette première étude d’envergure consacrée à Chapais, Damien-Claude Bélanger se penche sur son oeuvre d’historien pour comprendre son émergence, son contexte socioculturel, ses idées fortes, son influence et son destin critique. Ce livre est publié en français. - Thomas Chapais is one of the great French-Canadian political and intellectual figures of the beginning of the 20th century. Appointed to the Legislative Council of Quebec in 1892, then to the Senate of Canada in 1919, he played a leading role in the debates on educational reform in Quebec as well as in the Manitoba and Ontario school crises. Notwithstanding, he is mainly remembered today as a historian and not as a politician. Biographer of Jean Talon and of the Marquis de Montcalm, and author of a remarkable overview of the history of Canada, Thomas Chapais weaved a coherent historical narrative, contributing to the advancement of knowledge and to important historiographical debates. Chapais occupies a leading place within the history of intellectual culture in French-Canada. Chapais the historian was indeed the last great representative of French-Canadian loyalism, a doctrine notably based on a particular interpretation of the 1760 Conquest. In this seminal work on Chapais, D.C. Bélanger probes the historian’s writings to better understand its emergence, its socio-cultural context, the main tenets of this thought, its influence and its critical legacy. This book is published in French.Among the Braves: Hope, Struggle, and Exile in the Battle for Hong Kong and the Future of Global Democracy
Par Shibani Mahtani, Timothy McLaughlin. 2023
Through the eyes of two frontline journalists comes a gripping narrative history of the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement centered around…
a cast of four core activists, culminating in the 2019 mass protests and Beijing's brutal crackdown. Hong Kong was an experiment in governance. Handed back to China in 1997 after 156 years of British rule, it was meant to be a carve-out between hostile systems: a bridge between communism and capitalism, authoritarianism and liberal democracy. &“One country, two systems&” kept its media free, its courts independent and its protests boisterous, designed also to convince Taiwan of a peaceful solution to Beijing&’s desire for reunification. Yet this formulation excluded Hong Kong&’s own people, their future negotiated by political titans in faraway capitals. In 2019, an ill-conceived law spear-headed by a sycophantic leader pushed millions to take to the streets in one of the most enduring protest movements the world has ever seen. Xi Jinping responded with a draconian national security law that sought not only to end the demonstrations but quash the &“problem&” of Hong Kongers&’ identity and desire for freedom. Reverend Chu, who believed Hong Kong had to carry the spirit of students at Tiananmen Square, saw his silver-haired comrades who birthed the city&’s modern pro-democracy movement handcuffed and taken from their homes. Tommy, an art student radicalized into throwing Molotov cocktails, watched &“braves&” like him brutalized by police before his own arrest prompted him to flee. Finn epitomized the decentralized nature of the movement and its internet-fueled victories, but online anonymity couldn&’t stop his life from unravelling. Gwyneth could predict her eventual fate when she chose to give up her career as a journalist to stand for election as an opposition candidate, and did it anyway. In Among the Braves, Shibani Mahtani and Timothy McLaughlin tell the story of Hong Kong&’s past, and what the sacrifices of its people mean for global democracy&’s shaky foundation.Living on Fire: The Life of L. Brent Bozell Jr.
Par Daniel Kelly. 2014
&“A triumph . . . A moving, beautifully written biography.&” —National ReviewFrom the beginning, L. Brent Bozell seemed destined for…
great things. An extraordinary orator, the young man with fiery red hair won a national debate competition in high school and later was elected president of Yale&’s storied Political Union, where his debating partner was his close friend William F. Buckley Jr. In less than a decade after graduating from Yale, Bozell helped Buckley launch National Review, became a popular columnist and speaker, and, most famously, wrote Barry Goldwater&’s landmark book The Conscience of a Conservative. But after setting his sights on high political office, Bozell took a different route in the 1960s. He abruptly moved his family to Spain; he founded a traditional Catholic magazine, Triumph, that quickly turned radical; he repudiated on religious grounds the U.S. Constitution; he made it his mission to transform America into a Catholic nation; he led the nation&’s first major antiabortion protest (featuring a militant group known as the Sons of Thunder); he severed ties with his erstwhile friends from the conservative movement, including Buckley (who was also his brother-in-law). By the mid-1970s, Bozell had fallen prey to bipolar disorder and alcoholism, leading life as if &“manacled to a roller coaster.&” Biographer Daniel Kelly tells Bozell&’s remarkable story vividly and with sensitivity in Living on Fire. To write this book, Kelly interviewed dozens of friends and family members and gained unprecedented access to Bozell&’s private correspondence. The result is a richly textured portrait of a gifted, complex man—his triumphs as well as his struggles.The Future of Conservatism: Conflict and Consensus in the Post-Reagan Era
Par Charles Dunn. 2007
Once on the wings of the American political stage, conservatism now plays a leading role in public life, thanks largely…
to the dynamic legacy of Ronald Reagan. But despite conservatism&’s emergence as a powerful political force in the last several decades, misunderstandings abound about its meaning and nature—economically, internationally, philosophically, politically, religiously, and socially. In examining these misunderstandings, The Future of American Conservatism: Consensus and Conflict in the Post-Reagan Era reveals the forces that unite, and the tensions that divide, conservatives today.Edited by noted Reagan scholar Charles W. Dunn, this collection casts conservatism as a collage of complexity that defies easy characterization. Although it is commonly considered an ideology, many of conservatism&’s foremost intellectuals dispute this notion. Although it is thought to embody a standard set of principles, its principles frequently conflict. Although many leading intellectuals, liberal and conservative, believe that conservatism lacks a significant tradition in America, it has contributed more to American life than the credit lines indicate. And although it is usually thought to create homogeneity among its adherents, in truth conservatism is marked by a great deal of heterogeneity in both its adherents and its ideas.In fact, conservatism&’s complexity may well be its strength—or so the essays gathered here suggest. In painting a bright picture of the prospects for conservatives, The Future of American Conservatism is a timely and thought-provoking volume.