Goldwater (Hardcover)

by Lee Edwards (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Conservatives in the United States frequently celebrate the Reagan revolution in the 1980s. Yet, as Lee Edwards shows in this definitive biography, Reagan might never have made it to the White House if Barry Goldwater had not won the Republican nomination for president in 1964. Goldwater lost to President Johnson by a wide margin that year, but he fundamentally reshaped the GOP in the process.

The scrappy Arizona senator is best known for his raw, Western-style conservatism that featured strong libertarian leanings and a devil-may-care wit. When he retired after serving six terms, Washington, D.C., suddenly became a less interesting place. Edwards writes as a sympathizer, but also offers a nuanced understanding of the man who famously declared, "Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice.... Moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue!" --John J. Miller --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly
Hang in long enough and rehabilitation is virtually assured?witness Nixon?so one wonders at the author's dismay that Goldwater, whose 1964 presidential campaign motto, "Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice," alarmed liberals, has now become their "favorite conservative." For the first 400 pages, Edwards, who teaches politics at Catholic University of America, finds no wrong in the former Republican senator from Arizona?well, only his jealousy of Reagan?and proposes that as standard-bearer he "cast a brilliant lasting light." Although, as a presidential candidate, Goldwater carried only six states, Edwards makes the Johnson-Goldwater contest the centerpiece of his tedious book. Ultimately, it's the character of the 86-year-old senator in retirement that Edwards finds troubling: Goldwater's repudiation of the Moral Majority and his pro-choice and pro-gay rights stands. Has the senator been influenced by his new wife, Susan, a liberal 31 years his junior? Or by his grandson, an HIV-positive gay man, or by his lesbian grandniece? Edwards offers no opinion, an odd restraint in a book whose objective clearly is to advance a conservative agenda. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 572 pages
• Publisher: Regnery Publishing, Inc.; 1St Edition edition (June 25, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0895264714
• ISBN-13: 978-0895264718
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,175,701 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sympathetic, but honest, deep, and well-written., December 15, 1999

By	David Darlington "davied99" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Goldwater: The Man Who Made a Revolution (Paperback)

Lee Edwards' biography of Barry Goldwater is obviously sympathetic, but the scholarship is still quite solid. Edwards' sources are strong and diverse: interviews, oral histories, books, manuscripts, government documents, personal papers, etc. Edwards uses particularly well Goldwater's two autobiographies: 1979's With No Apologies and 1988's Goldwater (with Jack Casserly). Edwards dives into these books, comparing and contrasting, and comes up with some great insights.

Edwards is obviously a conservative and Goldwater sympathizer, but that doesn't detract from the book significantly. Two small areas where it does: (1) his treatment of the booing of Nelson Rockefeller at the GOP convetion is *very* confusing. He tries to say how Goldwater is not to blame, but ends up ruining the whole narrative. I actually had to consult Theodore White's "Making of the President, 1964" to figure out what really happened. (2) Some of his terms might be considered offensive (ie. Edwards has harsh words for homosexuals). In general, however, Edwards stays well away from mushy admiration for Goldwater and the other extreme, outright hatred, which you might get from some liberals. The result is a sympathetic, but honest and comprehensive account of Goldwater's life, and an effort to put his life into some overall framework.

(Addendum) 1/14/2002. The recent publication of Rick Perlstein's "Before the Storm" gives Goldwater readers an absolutely unbiased history of Goldwater and the conservative movement. If Edwards is a bit too partisan for you, I suggest that one instead.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating Book About a Man and a Movement, January 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Goldwater: The Man Who Made a Revolution (Paperback)

Lee Edwards has written a book that is not only a biography of Goldwater but is also a history of the conservative revolution that he created beginning in the late 1950s. Edwards traces Goldwater's political rise in Arizona, his rise in the US Senate as America's leading conservative in the early 1960s his presidential campaign and loss to Lyndon Johnson in 1964 and his work afterwards to maintain and expand the conservative movement he helped create. Edwards traces the links between Goldwater's activities in the 1960s and the Reagan Revolution of the 1980s showing how Goldwater brought many leading conservatives into the ranks of the Republican party. Regardless of your political affiliation this is a great book, and if you want to understand where the Republicans of today come read this book to find out.

5.0 out of 5 stars A very pleasant surprise, August 10, 2005

By	J. Pagliero (Carmichael, California United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was only 10 years old when Goldwater ran for president. The vicious media attacks on him filtered down to even kids like me as I always dismissed him as a rabid far right radical. I realized how wrong I was after I started to read this book. It is a little slow at first but becomes a page turner and very hard to put down once it starts to cover Goldwater's life in the 1950's and then especially as he start to educate the country about his political philosophy. If he ran today I am certain he would be victorious. After reading this book I gained a new found admiration for the man and especially his politics.