The Roots of American Order

Rating:
Summary: An introduction for the high school upperclassman.
Review: During my tenure in college (1990-94) as a history/political science major, no other book had as profound an effect on my intellectual development than Russell Kirk's The Roots of American Order. This, not the Conservative Mind, is his finest hour (alas, he died a few years back). It is an easy read but one that you will return to time and again as a reference work; it will also stimulate your interest in the works and authors discussed therein. While many liberal scholars will scoff at Kirk's wide-eyed prose and tendency towards ignoring any contradictory evidence (two of his ocasional flaws as a writer), if you are a conservative or libertarian, your intellectual mouth will water.

Rating:
Summary: A Classic!
Review: Kirk's Roots is a tour de force of the Western tradition. It is simply one of the finest surveys of the classical, religious, and European influences on American political thought ever composed. An erudite jem of prose for both general readers and scholars.

Rating:
Summary: A Classic!
Review: Kirk's Roots is a tour de force of the Western tradition. It is simply one of the finest surveys of the classical, religious, and European influences on American political thought ever composed. An erudite jem of prose for both general readers and scholars.

Rating:
Summary: Why is this book out of print?
Review: My first Kirk book, "The Roots of American Order" stands as one of the most influential books I have read, and turned me into an instant fan of his writings. In an age when citizens are searching what it is to be an American, this book describes its vast and rich history and offers remedies for the future. Its scope stretches the history of the western hemisphere but its readability is surprisingly lucid. If anyone has a chance to grab this rare document I highly recommend securing it and treasuring its infinite wisdom. This is a book I wish all I know could have a copy.

Rating:
Summary: An introduction for the high school upperclassman.
Review: The hype on the dust jacket refers to Kirk as widely learned, but when the historian turns in this survey of the West to the pages covering matters on which he himself is expert, he finds errors galore. It may be true that this book is a good introduction, but it should be understood not to be for the educated. In short, Kirk's failure to find success in academia was not related to his political views, but to his rather shallow grasp of his field -- history.