The Conservative Bookshelf

No serious student of American history and politics can be considered well-informed without a solid grounding in works like these.  The list is somewhat arbitrary.  We think most Conservatives would call this a fair sampling of modern and classic Conservative thought. 

Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left.   by Jonah Goldberg.  From the French Revolution to MoveOn.org, Goldberg shows how social movements and governments ruled by the Left nearly always devolve into Fascism. 

Fidel: Hollywood’s Favorite Tyrant.  by Humberto Fontova.  The story of how Castro took the Caribbean’s most prosperous nation, with a literacy rate higher than Japan and several European countries, and turned it into a third world slum, devoid of civil rights and liberties.

The Real George Washington.* by Jay A. Parry.  There is no better model of honesty, courage, honor, and sacrifice, throughout our history, than George Washington.  Parry gives us an excellent biography, one of the best ever.

The Real Thomas Jefferson.* by Andres W. Allison.   Another title in the American Classics series, Allison has captured the life, times, and thoughts of one of America’s most beloved presidents.  Buy the set of three Real books and get a discount, along with many weeks of pleasant, inspiring reading.  

The Real Benjamin Franklin.*  by Andrew W. Allison.  Everyone knows Franklin, the publisher, diplomat, writer, inventor, humorist, scientist, abolitionist, and philosopher.  He was a Renaissance Man whose achievements are finally getting their due in this great book.

 The Federalist Papers.*  by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay.

Learn the true meaning of the Constitution and the true intent of its authors.  Check out Madison’s description of the dangers of “factions” (what we call “special interests” today).  His article, and each of the newspaper columns that became The Federalist Papers, are as instructive today as they were the day they were written 224 years ago.  

 The 5000 Year Leap: A Miracle that Changed the World.* by W. Cleon Skousen.
Skousen’s classic exposition of the Constitution, written 30 years ago, has become a modern-day best seller.  His analysis of the Judeo-Christian roots of the new American government is exceptional.  

 John Adams. by David McCullough.  Learn about the intellectual father of the Constitution from one of the most readable of American historians.    

 Free to Choose: A Personal Statement.  by Milton and Rose Friedman.  Classic free market economics from two of its most brilliant theorists.  Read this very readable book and you’ll understand the simple beauty and astounding effectiveness of the marketplace.  You’ll also understand why Milton Friedman so justly deserved the Nobel Prize he was awarded for his work.   

 Basic Economics 4th Ed: A Common Sense Guide to the Economy.  by Thomas Sowell.  Sowell is the Milton Friedman of the 21^st century.  Not many can explain the American economy, and the harmful effects of government meddling, as well as Thomas Sowell.  

 The Unmaking of a Mayor.   by William F. Buckley.  Its difficult to pick out “the best” of Buckley’s many great books, but his recounting of his run for Mayor of New York City, is certainly a favorite.  Buckley ran a principled, ideological campaign, filled with rare honesty and refreshing humor.  What would we give to have politicians acting like this today?

 Wild Swans.   by Jung Chang.  The true story of three generations of Chinese women, from Kuomintang times, through the reign of Mao, to today.  Forty million dead, killed for a theory.  And some Americans still "go carryin' round pictures of Chairman Mao.

 The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades).   by Robert Spencer.  Some important things you thought you knew just may be wrong.  And it might be much worse than you thought.  A great read, long overdue. 

 

And, the best Conservative bookshelves also have a generous mix of works by Glenn Beck, Ann Coulter, Laura Ingraham, Mark Levin, Dinesh D’Souza, Russell Kirk, Bernard Goldberg, David Limbaugh, Michelle Malkin, Andrew Breitbart, Sean Hannity, F. A. Hayek, Mark Steyn, and a host of others too numerous to mention.  If we left out your favorite Conservative author, sorry.   We’ll be happy to include them if you’ll mention something at our next general meeting.    

* Copies available at 912 2nd Tuesday meetings.