The University Bookman

Reviewing Books that Build Culture

What the American Revolution Secured: Order, Justice, and Freedom

Throughout the semiquincentennial year celebrating America’s independence, The University Bookman will invite a range of writers and speakers to contribute to a series drawing upon Russell Kirk’s work on the American Revolution and the constitutional order it secured.

Britain at the Turning Point

“A major theme that runs through Allport’s study is the shifting equilibrium of power relations between the United States and Britain. The war demonstrated that, as British power and resources dwindled, Britain became dependent on material and financial supplies from the United States.”

Shakespeare Forever

“…in his rich and thorough exploration of not only Shakespeare’s thoughts but also the course of Western thinking, David Womersley demonstrates that ideas do matter, and that Shakespeare is bigger than the harsh but ultimately timid emotions of our age.”

The Innocence of Imagination

“…the innocence that Blake’s poetry sings of is the awe, wonder, and imagination of a child who can conceive of boundless relationships with everything from a flower or butterfly to sister, brother, mother, and father. ‘Growing up,’ Vernon writes in addressing Blake’s poetic philosophy of innocence and imagination, ‘need not mean losing innocence and wonder.’ In fact, a mature innocence that can blend realism with imaginative creativity is key to a good and joyful life.”

Canada as Cradle of Conservatism?

The North American High Tory Tradition by Ron Dart. Foreword by Jonathan M. Paquette. American Anglican Press, 2016. Paperback, 337 pages, $28.Today the term “High Tory” is more likely to appear in a dusty, forgotten history of aristocratic estates enshrouded in mist...

Conservative Thinking on Immigration

Citizen, Community, and Welcoming the Stranger. A Bookman Symposium The recent executive order from President Trump concerning immigration has caused controversy noticeable even by the unusual standards of this most unusual administration. The question of immigration...

Toward a Conservative Immigration Policy

Toward a Conservative Immigration Policy

Symposium: Citizen, Community, and Welcoming the Stranger by Yuval Levin Thinking seriously about immigration has become much harder than it needs to be for both conservatives and liberals in America. Our political debates about the subject since this century began...

Toward a Conservative Immigration Policy

Free Minds, Free Markets, and Free People

Symposium: Citizen, Community, and Welcoming the Stranger by Bradley J. Birzer I’m not sure when it became a “conservative” thing to oppose relatively open borders and the free migrations of peoples, especially those seeking freedom from totalitarian and...

Toward a Conservative Immigration Policy

We Want Workers, But We Must Form American Citizens

Symposium: Citizen, Community, and Welcoming the Stranger by Richard M. Reinsch II America’s more open approach to widespread immigration is faltering, the support for it eroded by our low-growth economy. For too many, the pie seems to be shrinking, with those at the...

Universal and Territorial: The American Republic

Symposium: Citizen, Community, and Welcoming the Stranger by Peter Augustine LawlerFrom my view, the two classic sources are G. K. Chesterton and Orestes Brownson. What Chesterton, our friendly and endlessly ironic English critic, saw in America was “the romance of...

Of Human Nature and the Obligations of the State

Symposium: Citizen, Community, and Welcoming the Stranger By Bruce Frohnen We all share the same God-given nature. Along with that nature comes the right to be treated accordingly—that is, in accordance with our being, and our inherent, God-given dignity. Among the...

Toward a Conservative Immigration Policy

The Proxy War

Symposium: Citizen, Community, and Welcoming the Stranger by Daniel McCarthyThe fight over immigration is a proxy war. The absolute number of immigrants to be welcomed into the country is only a secondary question: the primary question is how that number should be...

The Book Gallery

A collection of conversations with Bookman editor Luke C. Sheahan and writers and authors of imagination and erudition. Click on the icon in the upper right corner of the video to see more episodes in this series or check out our YouTube page.

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