Review by Choice Review
In the last 20 years, scholars have shown interest in charting the rise of the American Right. Some are uneven efforts that either place Ronald Reagan at year one of the conservative revolution or attempt to demonstrate the Right's superiority to liberalism. Farber (Temple Univ.) avoids such traps by offering a thorough synthesis of the rise of the conservative movement, centering on six figures he deems most important to political conservatism. He uses William Buckley, Robert Taft, Barry Goldwater, Phyllis Schlafly, Ronald Reagan, and George W. Bush to illustrate the travails and triumphs of the Right. Farber succeeds brilliantly, showing that the Right was anything but monolithic, and avoids analysis of obscure theorists such as Alfred Jay Nock and Richard Weaver. The mini-biographies are sparkling portraits that document each subject's contributions. Certainly, Farber's observation "if Robert Taft was a Model T, ideologically functional but no fun at all," Bill Buckley was "all chrome and tail fins with a big engine under the hood" is not only poignant but also colorful. An excellent start for anyone wanting to understand US conservatism. Superb. Summing Up: Essential. All levels/libraries. D. R. Turner Davis and Elkins College
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
