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Radicals for Capitalism: A Freewheeling History of the Modern American Libertarian Movement
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440926 |
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Item Description...
On Wall Street, in the culture of high tech, in American government: Libertarianism—the simple but radical idea that the only purpose of government is to protect its citizens and their property against direct violence and threat— has become an extremely influential strain of thought. But while many books talk about libertarian ideas, none until now has explored the history of this uniquely American movement—where and who it came from, how it evolved, and what impact it has had on our country. In this revelatory book, based on original research and interviews with more than 100 key sources, Brian Doherty traces the evolution of the movement through the unconventional life stories of its most influential leaders— Ludwig von Mises, F.A. Hayek, Ayn Rand, Murray Rothbard, and Milton Friedman—and through the personal battles, character flaws, love affairs, and historical events that altered its course. And by doing so, he provides a fascinating new perspective on American history—from the New Deal through the culture wars of the 1960s to today's most divisive political issues. Neither an exposé nor a political polemic, this entertaining historical narrative will enlighten anyone interested in American politics. |
Item Specifications...
Pages 752
Dimensions: Length: 9.1" Width: 5.8" Height: 1"
Weight: 1.6 lbs.
Binding Softcover
Release Date May 26, 2008
ISBN 1586485725
EAN 9781586485726
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Availability 4 units.
Availability accurate as of May 22, 2012 11:50.
Usually ships within one to two business days from La Vergne, TN.
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Reviews - What do our customers think?
 | Roots Nov 18, 2008 |
Searching the roots of the belief system I've come to accept as my own I picked this book up for direction. I was not completely prepared for the conclusions I'd leave with or the impact it would have upon my thoughts and actions.
First off, this book is neither a polemic nor an explanation per se, it's a history, as it bills its self to be, so it's not a book to read if you're searching for arguments for or against free markets or statism or any such topic. It is often dry, factual, and frankly; boring.
The book starts off giving a little history of pre-twentieth century classic liberalism and anti-statism writers and moves to the entrance of some Austrian economists that made it to America and then moves though the rest of the twentieth century giving accounts of the libertarian movement and painting word pictures of all the colorful main characters and how their lives often intertwined.
Some of the reading I found a bit like a long hike on a hot day, at the end of chapter 5 there is a sentence a hundred and eighty two words long. I found it hard to keep up with all the names, the relationships and the stories of who was who and who believed what. I suppose a criticism would be that the book took on too much, but I can't really claim to know what would have been cut out to make it better. It is a history, after all.
I'd recommend this any interested in the libertarian movement, in any of its many manifestations. I wouldn't recommend this book to someone wanting to know what libertarianism is about, find that elsewhere, and if you're still interested in the movement, its players and history, then you'll want to come back.
After reading this book, I went to my wish list and added a ton of books. I'm hoping that's taken as a great compliment to the author, and I mean it as such. I'd recommend reading and learning about libertarianism to any that think human's have a right to be free and an obligation, if not to pursue liberty themselves, to at least not hinder liberty for others.
| | |  | Somebody had to do it... Oct 11, 2008 |
... and Brian Doherty did a great job of it. This is to my knowledge the only book of its kid in existence: A history of modern American libertarianism. (Note the small "l" here: Though the Libertarian Party does make an appearance in the latter half of the book, RFC is concerned with libertarianism as an ideology - the belief that individuals should be as free from coercion and restraint as possible, as long as they are not infringing upon the individual rights of others.)
In RADICALS FOR CAPITALISM, Brian Doherty, an editor at the libertarian-minded magazine REASON, has produced what clearly was to him a labor of love: A history of the intellectual, aesthetic, and political movement that is libertarianism. Doherty writes extremely well and tells the story in such an entertaining fashion that even non-libertarians should find the story intriguing (and, who knows, they may just end up being converted.) As you would expect, radical individualists tend to be eccentric, quirky people, which makes for an interesting read. The subject matter is clearly close to Doherty's heart, but that doesn't stop him from poking fun at his fellow libertarians on a regular basis - often hilariously so. I found myself laughing out loud more than once while reading. And though RFC is `freewheeling' (and complete to an almost overwhelming degree), Doherty drives the story in a way that it seems to all fit together into a coherent whole.
Doherty leaves no stone unturned, no individualist unmentioned: proto-libertarians such as William Graham Sumner, Benjamin Tucker, and Lysander Spooner; founders and headliners of the twentieth-century libertarian movement such as Ludwig von Mises, F.A. Hayek, Leonard Read, Ayn Rand, and, most of all, Murray Rothbard; modern libertarian-minded politicians such as Dana Rohrabacher and Ron Paul; and the myriad individualist organizations such as FEE (the Foundation for Economic Education), the Cato Institute, of course the Libertarian Party itself, and many more.
If you're a libertarian, or if you think you might be one, or if you're just interested in learning about a movement that the mainstream Left and Right do their best to ignore and suppress (see the media blackout of the Ron Paul & Bob Barr campaigns for evidence), you owe it to yourself to check this book out.
[Personal note: Keep in mind that in the nineteenth century, socialists were in a similar predicament as libertarians were in the twentieth and are in the early twenty-first: a radical sect, out of the mainstream, whose ideas were not even seriously considered by the majority, relegated to the fringes of academia and a few small political movements. And yet from those beginnings, socialism as a system (in one permutation or another) grew to take over much of the world. For those of us who are believers in individualism, in liberty, and in free market economics, that astonishing takeover of an idea - though of course it was an idea diametrically opposed to libertarianism - should offer us a glimmer of hope: perhaps the twenty-first century will become the century of libertarianism, when that philosophy will go from fringe to mainstream. Perhaps the present financial crises will show that the statist economic systems of the world have failed, and that all of their statist solutions will just make the problems worse. Perhaps more people will learn the right lessons, will stop believing the incorrect explanations and false promises of the politicians, and will begin to consider trusting freedom rather than coercion. Perhaps. One can hope.] | | | | WooT Sep 6, 2008 |
What a rich tapestry is our history!
I've been a part of the libertarian movement (both upper and lower case "L's") since the late sixties. Brian Doherty has gathered together the threads which reveal the full picture in all it's interconnectedness. This work is a wonderful compendium of information about and relationships between people whose works I've read, people I've had the pleasure to meet, and people of whom I've only vaguely heard.
This work is both nostalgic and inspirational. The epilogue - where we are now and the prospects for the future - are both realistic and uplifting.
4 liberty. | | | | Almost overwhelming Jul 9, 2008 |
| In researching this book, Brian Doherty took on a monumental task, and for the most part he succeeded admirably. "Radicals for Capitalism" spans seven decades, and mentions about 500 individuals (including myself) who have played some role in advancing free-market ideas in America during that period. The narrative gets a bit choppy in places, and some of Doherty's sentences and paragraphs are HORRENDOUSLY long, but if the subject matter interests you, there's no better place to find this much information between two covers. | | | | A Wild Romp Through Some Neglected Political History Jun 27, 2008 |
| The organization of the book is, as the title would suggest, a bit 'freewheeling.' And the name-dropping can make one dizzy at times. But it is very entertaining and no matter how well-versed you are in libertarian historical lore, you will come away from it with both a better understanding of the history of the American movement, and a host of wonderful anecdotes. | | | Write your own review about Radicals for Capitalism: A Freewheeling History of the Modern American Libertarian Movement
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