Review by Choice Review
Fuller presents a compelling history and analysis of the neoconservative movement. Focusing on the six "original" neoconservatives--Irving Kristol, Gertrude Himmelfarb, Norman Podhoretz, Midge Decter, Daniel Bell, and Nathan Glazer--the author suggests that the movement constitutes a sort of "anti-ideological ideology." That is to say, neoconservatives embrace ideological methodologies and forms in order to combat an array of leftist-oriented ideologies. Indeed, devotees of what Fuller calls the old Right have at times been quite critical of their neoconservative brethren for this very reason. While traditional conservatives from Edmund Burke to Russell Kirk have decried all manner of ideologies dedicated to the overthrow of the dominant class du jour, neoconservatives have determined to overthrow the dominant class of ideologues. The author is clearly more comfortable and capable when discussing neoconservatives than he is when discussing their paleoconservative ancestors, and he seems to underestimate the significance of Leo Strauss to the neoconservative movement. But overall the book effectively dispels many myths surrounding neoconservatism while acknowledging both the nuances and the common traits that define one of the most influential political movements of the last 50 years. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate and research collections. R. D. Stacey Houston Baptist University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
