Leo Strauss and the Conservative Movement in America
"Paul Gottfried gives us the most knowledgeable and balanced analysis yet published of the thought of Leo Strauss and of his disciples, the famous and controversial Straussians.   Like Strauss himself, Gottfried is deeply grounded in the great traditions of both German and Jewish scholarship.  The resulting book is a rich, deep, and wise interpretation of the most important American political theorist of the mid-twentieth century."-James Kurth, Swarthmore College"Paul Gottfried's crisp and incisive study offers a fresh perspective on the subject of Strauss and his students. A gifted intellectual historian, Gottfried brings a breadth and density of knowledge, both of fin-de-siècle German Jewish culture and of post-World War II American conservatism, which he draws upon to challenge much of the conventional wisdom about his subject. The resulting book is a must-read for all serious students of American intellectual history and American conservatism."-Wilfred M. McClay, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga"There appears to be a terrible mental derangement, called 'Straussophobia,' afflicting American academic life. Paul Gottfried is the therapist we need to disentangle its elements."-Kenneth Minogue, London School of Economics"Paul Gottfried is a learned scholar and a principled conservative. His admirably detailed and reflective study, which considers Strauss in the context of European and American intellectual history, commands our attention."-Anne Norton, University of Pennsylvania"Gottfried's new book, Leo Strauss and the Conservative Movement  in America: A Critical Appraisal, is as much a study of Leo Strauss's influence in America as it is an historical narrative about the gradual marginalization of what used to be understood as "conservatism" in America.  Indeed, as he brilliantly shows, these two developments are inseparable."-Grant Havers, Trinity Western University, CONSERVATIVENET List for Conservative-Libertarian History"stimulating new book" -Thomas L. Jeffers, Marquette University, The Journal of American History"Though academic in nature, Paul Gottfried's Leo Strauss and the Conservative Movement in America  is written in plain English.  What a blessing this is, for it is mandatory reading for all self-described conservatives interested in knowing about the history and the ideas that have influenced their movement." -Jack Kerwick, FrontPage Magazine"Readers interested in the character of American conservatism  and in the debates over the role of Leo Strauss and his students in the conservative movement will want to read this book.. This densely argued book adds to the debate over Strauss and his legacy by its comprehensive assessment and its argumentative stance. It is worth serious reflection." -Timothy Fuller, Colorado College, Perspectives on Politics