The University Bookman
Reviewing Books that Build Culture
Higher Ed and the Crisis of Civic Despair
“The collected essays in this volume all argue against civic despair… A variety of important topics are explored… but it is the threat higher education poses to our civic compact that stands out most clearly.”
Citizenship Matters
“McNamara and Shelley… demonstrate that recovering citizenship is essential to preserving America’s constitutional tradition.”
The Mind Of Middle-Earth: Exploring The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
“The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien is a treasure trove of insights from the mind of Tolkien that we can read and then revisit from time to time…”
Swimming in the Secular Fishbowl
“Davignon’s persuasive analysis makes a valuable contribution to the study of secularization and religion by moving the conversation away from ethereal ideas and into the daily reality of people’s lives. Secularity is not the musings of professors in an ivory tower… It is more like the water in a fishbowl…”
JP O’Malley Interviews Author Joseph Berger
“’I was inspired to write this biography because I felt it would allow me to humanize Wiesel,’ …[Berger] explains.”
Why America Needs to Rediscover American Exceptionalism
“…Edwardsson traces the historical development of American exceptionalism and how it has changed throughout our history. Further, Edwardsson argues that the traditional view of American exceptionalism… has been undermined as a result of political ideology from both the political left and right.”
Portrait of an Artist
“The work of the Welsh artist Gwen John (1876-1939) has recently re-emerged from relative obscurity. This is due to two fine exhibitions in England in 2023… and a new book of her life by Alicia Foster, curator of those exhibitions… Collectively, they offer a welcome appreciation of the delicate and often brilliant paintings of an artist and complex personality who underwent both professional and spiritual trials in her fascinating life…”
Against the New Deal
“…editor Shlaes, biographer of Calvin Coolidge and historian of both the Great Depression and the New Deal, refuses to pull any punches. Yes, the New Deal ‘failed,’ but then ‘so did its critics.’”
Correcting the Historical Record on Slavery
“Slavery, in fact, was everywhere for the vast majority of human history, and it still survives in places today. While Western civilization deserves credit for helping end it, the Catholic Church stands alone in both its early recognition and its consistent conviction that slavery is evil.”
The Book Gallery
A collection of conversations with Bookman editor Luke C. Sheahan and writers and authors of imagination and erudition.