The Irrepressible Rothbard : The Rothbard-Rockwell Report Essays of Murray N. Rothbard [Hardcover]

Murray N. Rothbard (Author), Llewellyn H. Rockwell Jr. (Editor), JoAnn Rothbard (Preface)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 15, 2000 | ISBN-10: 1883959020 | ISBN-13: 978-1883959029 | Edition: 1st

Summing up the work of libertarian economist and historian Murray N. Rothbard (1926-1995) and noting its stunning range, philosopher David Gordon once wondered "if there are really three, four, or five geniuses writing under his name." These lively essays display one of those geniuses: Rothbard the journalist, cultural critic, political observer, and movement organizer. Even more remarkable, they represent just a fraction of what he wrote in his spare time, for just one publication, and in just the last few years of his life.

His articles combined libertarian anti-government economics, decentralist local patriotism, anti-war isolation, and a reactionary cultural outlook that saw government as the key to the loss of the Old Republic. He defended land-rights groups against environmentalists, citizen militias against gun grabbers, isolationists against imperialists, paleoconservatives against neoconservatives, populists against party regulars, anti-New World Order conspiracy theorists against the establishment, nationalists against internationalists, states righters against libertarian centralists, the Christian right against its own leadership, and much more.

These essays show forth not only Rothbard's intellectual vigor, but the complete joy with which he embraced life, and how his extreme optimism made even the most severe setbacks tolerable. He experienced great disappointments and great successes, but through it all he was heroic, undaunted, and irrepressible. In this, as in everything else, Murray Rothbard is the model for those who long for liberty, and work for it.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 431 pages
• Publisher: Center for Libertarian Studies; 1st edition (May 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1883959020
• ISBN-13: 978-1883959029
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #423,754 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Paleo-right populism August 17, 2000

By Walter B. Conger

Format:Hardcover

In the last five years of his life, Murray N. Rothbard--anarchist, economist, activist, historian--co-edited the monthly Rothbard-Rockwell Report, which featured some of his best polemical writings. This book collects many of the greatest pieces. (As a charter subscriber to that now-defunct journal, I might have included a few extra articles in this book, but thenŠ)

At the time these articles were written, Rothbard had joined forces with a resurging populist paleo-right in his fight against the State, against war, and for free markets.(In decades past, he had built alliances with Stevenson Democrats, New Leftists, and the Libertarian Party, without ever changing his core political beliefs.) So the book is filled with attacks on Bush's war on Iraq, big-government "libertarians," Clintonian liberalism, and Newt Gingrich's still-born "Republican Revolution," all in Rothbard's curmudgeonly style. He is a joy to read.

This volume is a must for fans of Rothbard.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Typical Rothbard April 18, 2003

By Steve Jackson

Format:Hardcover

As I�ve said before, Murray Rothbard was a historian, cultural critic, economist and social theoretician, and political strategist. Until his death, Murray commented vigorously on the cultural affairs of the day in the Rothbard-Rockwell Report. These articles are collected in this outstanding work.

Actually, I use the phrase �cultural affairs� broadly since these articles concern history, political strategy, movie reviews and more. With Rotbard you don�t get canned bromides like some other would-be �deep thinkers,� but an exciting and informed opinion on topic after topic. As just one example, consider the war against the Serbs. Leftists from all quarters (Hitchens, Lerner, etc.) couldn�t wait to go to war against the Serbs in defense of the so-called Bosnian nation. Murray points out that there never was Bosnian nation (or even a Yugoslavian nation for that matter.) Likewise, the left � contrary to its supposed representatives -- has never really been in favor of peace; after all Barnes derided the �pro war pacifists� of his day. Murray even points out the similarities of the Bosnian �Moslems� to the old Bogomil heretics of that area (humorously pointing out that the Bogomils were what Ayn Rand falsely considered all Christians to be.)

At the same time Rothbard was writing these essays, he was writing monthly articles on economics in The Free Market newsletter. Those articles are gathered in MAKING ECONOMIC SENSE. If years from now someone asks me what �really� happened in the 80s and 90s, I�ll direct them to these two books.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Journalistic overview of 1980s - 1990s America July 30, 2006

By Earth that Was

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Murray Rothbard was a true polymath as any review of his work in poltical economy, history, economic history, the history of economic thought and philosophy would show. His dedication to his "purist" vision of a free society animated his whole work.

Unfortunately this focus may deter many readers who do not share Rothbard's politics from exploring his work. That's a shame as his thinking and writing is clear and illuminating. Rothbard nevers beats around the bush. Non-libertarians need to discover Rothbard and cherry pick to their heart's content.

This book shows another side to Rothbard's career. His journalistic writing. This volume covers politics, economics, culture and the movies. So in many ways it's his most accessible, and entertaining, book for non-libertarians. It is probably one of the best volumes of journalism covering American politics and cultural controversies in the late 1980s to 1990s. My guess is that in decades to come readers looking back on this period will be digging into this volume.