Skip to Main Content

Russell Kirk: American Conservative

Online ISBN:
9780813166643
Print ISBN:
9780813166186
Publisher:
University Press of Kentucky
Book

Russell Kirk: American Conservative

Bradley J. Birzer
Bradley J. Birzer
Hillsdale College
Find on
Published online:
19 May 2016
Published in print:
19 October 2015
Online ISBN:
9780813166643
Print ISBN:
9780813166186
Publisher:
University Press of Kentucky

Abstract

An intellectual biography of Russell Kirk (1918–1994), this book offers the first full examination of his life and thought as it developed over the course of the twentieth century. As almost all would agree, Kirk served as the father of postwar conservatism, but he did so in a way that promoted the superiority of culture above politics. His conservatism attempted to save the best of the Western and humane traditions. Looking at every public writing, his complete letters, and his private journals and diaries, Russell Kirk: American Conservative considers the nuances and eccentricities of the American conservative movement during its formation and maturation. It considers the movement’s alliances, successes, and failures over half of a century. It also examines Kirk’s personal life as well as his successful career as a horror and fiction writer. In the end, though, it finds his most enduring quality to be his immense and almost saintlike charity.

Contents
Close
This Feature Is Available To Subscribers Only

Sign In or Create an Account

Close

This PDF is available to Subscribers Only

View Article Abstract & Purchase Options

For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription.

Close