The CONCISE CONSERVATIVE ENCYCLOPEDIA: 200 of the Most Important Ideas, Individuals, Incitements, and Institutions that Have Shaped the Movement [Paperback]

Brad Miner (Author)

Book Description

Series: Free Press Paperbacks | Publication Date: October 25, 1996

From Edmund Burke to Allan Bloom, from abortion to welfare, this encyclopaedia of the Conservative movement contains 200 entries that aim to provide a panoramic survey of the origins, current trends and future of conservatism. The conservative viewpoint on important economic, social, political and spiritual issues is covered; profiles introduce the writers, politicians and economists who have shaped conservative theories and actions; and influential organizations and periodicals are described. Sidebars contributed by Carnes Lord, James V. Schall, Jacob Neusner, Peter J. Stanlis and Charles Kesler trace developments in conservative thought from ancient times to the present.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Possibly no reference source (although this book will be read cover to cover by some) has been written with as much passion as this one. Miner, a former editor of The National Review, believes deeply in the tenets of conservatism. Most importantly, he is erudite and a master of English. The author deserves an award for the most informative subtitle of the year: 200 of the Most Important Ideas, Individuals, Incitements & Institutions That Have Shaped the Movement: A Personal View.

Entries are alphabetically arranged; each is a page or two in length. The lively prose of each is followed by a selective bibliography. Each entry ends with a substantial quotation that reinforces, as well as dramatically captures, the point and essence of the entry. Not every term is literally a "conservative term" ; some are included because they enable the author to more clearly explain conservative philosophy, such as "liberal arts," "liberalism," and "libertarianism." Likewise, individuals are included who are not conservative, or who have had other "leanings," but have nevertheless influenced the development of conservative thought. The well-known names, such as Buckley, Kilpatrick, Limbaugh, and Robertson, all appear, as do many lesser-known ones. Most persons, organizations, publications, or additional concepts mentioned in the entries appear in the lengthy index, making the book even more useful. Interspersed among the text are five brief essays, each written by a scholar, on the origins of conservative thought (beginning with the Greeks and Romans). The book is a distillation of the ideas that have predominated in the great conservative magazines and journals.

The Concise Conservative Encyclopedia is more up to date and pithy than either the Dictionary of American Conservatism (Philosophical Library, 1987) or A Dictionary of Conservative and Libertarian Thought (Routledge, 1991). Conservatism is much in the news and a major force in American society. This compact source will make it possible for users at high-school, public, and academic libraries to become better informed; it is highly recommended for purchase.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Free Press (October 25, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684800438
• ISBN-13: 978-0684800431
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,473,786 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Brad Miner is Senior Editor of The Catholic Thing and was the founding editor of American Compass: "The Conservative Alternative," which was formerly a division of Bookspan, a joint venture of Bertelsmann and Time-Warner that operated most of America's commercial book clubs. His Compass Points blog received recognition in the 2007 Webby Awards.

He is the author of five books, including The Concise Conservative Encyclopedia and The Compleat Gentleman: The Modern Man's Guide to Chivalry. With journalist Charles J. Sykes, he co-wrote and edited The National Review College Guide: America's 50 Top Liberal-Arts Schools. His most recent book, Smear Tactics, was published in November by HarperCollins, and will be released in paperback this August. A new edition of The Compleat Gentleman will be published by Richard Vigilante Books in the spring of 2009.

He has managed bookstores in Columbus, Cincinnati, and Dayton, held senior editorial positions in New York with both Bantam Books and HarperCollins, and from 1989 until 1992 was Literary Editor of National Review, America's leading journal of conservative opinion. As a book editor, he has published the work of a diverse and distinguished group of authors, including Sidney Hook, Evan S. Connell Jr., Hal Lindsey, Mother Angelica, and Chuck Yeager. He is the author of scores of magazine and newspaper articles.

He has been a John M. Olin Visiting Professor at Adelphi University.

Mr. Miner has appeared on many radio and television shows and has been quoted in articles appearing in The Washington Times, The New York Times, USA Today, Columbia Journalism Review, The Los Angeles Times, Newsmax, The Chicago Sun-Times, The Washington Post, Newsday, and The American Spectator.