The University Bookman

Reviewing Books that Build Culture

The Intrinsic Argument for Free Speech

“Core to Turley’s argument is that free speech is justified in the natural law—by which he means modern natural law. Free speech must attach to any coherent understanding of individual rights. In this, Turley is solidly in the liberal tradition. But his argument goes further, drawing from a more nuanced understanding of the person than we often regrettably find in liberal philosophy.”

Education in the Light of Glory

“For those who already know and love Kern as a speaker and writer, this book will be a rich delight. Its insights reward the reader on every page. Those not familiar with Kern, however, may be taken aback by the extent of his reveling in layered analogies, intricate structures, and ultimate mysteries.”

Connecting with Aquinas, Connecting with Ourselves

“Attempting to summarize the thoughts of one of the Church’s most prodigious figures, let alone connect them to contemporary culture, is no small task and Keenan knows it. His book does not pretend to be more than it is: a new lens to read Aquinas through.”

Et in Arcadia Ego

“Poetry, particularly poetry of this kind, has been proclaimed dead too many times to count. Still, elect souls will hear the music of the pan-pipes on the wind.”

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The American Technological Advantage

by Casey Chalk Dec 11 2022

Casey Chalk reviews Victory at Sea: Naval Power and the Transformation of the Global Order in World War II.

An Antidote to Today’s Malaise

by Auguste Meyrat Dec 11 2022

Auguste Meyrat reviews A Time for Wisdom.

Returning to the Heights of Statesmanship

by Zachary K. German Dec 4 2022

“…Mahoney exhorts us to hope for more from our leaders and to demand more from ourselves—more gratitude for great statesmen and the inheritance that they have passed on to us, more openness to human excellence and its importance, more conviction about moral truth, and more rigorous thought about the characteristics of statesmanship.”

Reclaiming Protestantism At Its Best

by John Ehrett Dec 4 2022

“…the Reformers celebrated by so many churches today shared a far “thicker” vision of society than the American frontier ideal… Theirs was an era of magistracy and hierarchy, not of lone cowboys gazing out upon an untapped wilderness.”

On the Fall of Fated Men

by Timothy D. Lusch Nov 27 2022

“Ranging over six centuries of invasion, immigration, and royal intrigue, Morris recounts the fascinating tale of that elusive bunch known, quite rightly, as the Anglo-Saxons.”

Society: A Community of Souls

by Frank Filocomo Nov 27 2022

“…we must make it our mission to revive the America that Tocqueville so eloquently wrote about: an America characterized by strong social bonds, neighborliness, and a collective willingness to govern ourselves.”

The Conservative Mind at 60: Russell Kirk’s Unwritten Constitutionalism

by Gerald J. Russello Nov 20 2022

Gerald Russello, former editor of The University Bookman, on Russell Kirk’s “challenging historical and legal vision of the Constitution.”

Rights, Power, and Democracy Among the Anti-Federalists

by Adam L. Tate Nov 20 2022

“…Faber focuses on the development of Anti-Federalist ideas. He draws upon recent works on the Anti-Federalists that reveal a diversity in their approaches and arguments.”

History Is Never Certain

by Sarah Gustafson Nov 13 2022

“Tocqueville would urge us to follow him… by thinking with him, learning creatively from his life, and remembering that history is never predetermined, never written in advance. Zunz’s biography helps us to do just that.”