We are delighted to feature the favorite books of one of conservatism's greatest leaders and heroes, Morton Blackwell. Morton has literally trained generations of young people how to put into practice the things they believe. The debt America owes him is great.
For some years now, Morton has published an important essay entitled "Read to Lead". In it, he lists twenty-five vital books which every conservative needs to read. To purchase copies of these books, simply click on the book's title next to Morton's review, reprinted below from "Read to Lead". As with all of our books, the book titles are linked directly to Amazon.com, providing the best possible prices and service. If you'd like to search for other titles, please use our search box to seek out new releases by your favorite authors.
Or scroll through the pages and read them all!
Seven Fat Years; And How to Do It Again
by Robert L. Bartley
Morton's Read to Lead Review:
"Bartley, the editorial page editor of the Wall Street Journal, expertly and succinctly refutes the revisionist history of the Reagan years as it is invariably handed down to us by the liberal media. This book tells the true story of the revitalization of the U.S. economy during the 1980's." Reviewed 05/22/98
The Law (hardcover edition) 
The Law (paperback edition)
The Law (audiocassette)
by Frederic Bastiat
Morton's Read to Lead Review:
"A Frenchman who lived during the 19th century, Bastiat was a journalist, an economist and a politician. The Law, his most famous work, is concerned primarily with economics, in the context of traditional values. Though I consider all the books on this list worthwhile, I have given away to Leadership Institute students more copies of The Law than any other book." Reviewed 05/22/98
Up From Liberalism (audio cassette)
by William F. Buckley, Jr.
Morton's Read to Lead Review:
"Those who came of age politically in the 1980s or later can hardly comprehend the influence Bill Buckley had on the modern conservative movement.
He was, by far, the most attractive and thrilling conservative intellect for decades, and more than equal in debate to any liberal intellectual, as we learned on many occasions. Conservative students of my generation, confronted with an overwhelming liberal (and often unbearably smug) faculty, were greatly reassured by the knowledge that Buckley could smash the arguements of anyone on the liberal side.
Though Up From Liberalism concerns itself largely with issues that date back to the sixties, the combination of humor and erudition Buckley uses to skewer the liberal establishment gives the book a timeless appeal." Reviewed 05/22/98
Selected Writings and Speeches of Edmund Burke 
collected by Dr. Peter Stanlis
Morton's Read to Lead Review:
"If Ronald Reagan is the great communicator, Burke must be the extraordinary communicator. Someone once said that pages of Burke are like sheets of fire.
During the time he lived, in the 18th century, most political leaders were hereditary aristocrats, but Burke, like Cicero, did not descend from generations of prominent leaders. He earned his leadership in British politics through the power of his mind, by studying political principles and applying them to real circumstances. A superficial look at Burke's career might tempt one to dismiss him as a failure. Most of the causes to which he devoted himself were not successful in his lifetime.
Prior to the American Revolution, he wrote brilliantly on behalf of conciliation between Britain and the American colonies. He argued for fair treatment of India by Britain. He argued for fair treatment of the Irish by the British and for Catholic emancipation in England. In time these positions won acceptance, but the acceptance came after Burke's death.
Fortunately, he did live long enough to see the triumph of the greatest work of his life: his effort to awaken his country to the fundamentally destructive but superficially attractive nature of the French Revolution. His thorough and, I believe, inspired condemnation of the French Revolution swept British majority opinion. To Burke, more than any other politician of his time, goes the credit for creating the intellectual force which saved Europe from revolutionary chaos and dictatorship.
Modern-day conservatives are also profoundly in his debt, as his writings against the French revolution provided the philosophical foundation for anti-communism in particular and ordered liberty in general. Read Burke. All his writings on government and politics are a rich ore, studded with gems of wisdom." Reviewed 05/22/98
Suicide of the West (audio cassette)
by James Burnham
Morton's Read to Lead Review:
"Burnham began his career in political activism as a Trotskyite communist and became a very committed anti-communist. Like Buckley, Burnham, in the sixties and seventies particularly, provided intellectual fortification for the conservative movement.
First published in the early sixties, Suicide of the West is a withering indictment of liberalism. Far from serving as a bulwark against communism, liberalism, Burnham shows, is the ideology of Western suicide, communism in its preliminary stage. Though Soviet communism has collapsed, liberalism remains, and as long as it does, Suicide of the West should be read by conservatives. " Reviewed 05/22/98
Witness (paperback edition) 
Witness (audiocassette)
by Whittaker Chambers
Morton's Read to Lead Review:
"A master of English prose, Chambers was a senior editor of Time magazine until he resigned, in 1948, to testify against a man he once considered his friend, Alger Hiss. Chambers testified that several years earlier, before World War II, he had been a member of the Communist Party of the United States, and that through the Party he had met Hiss, a fellow Party member and a State Department employee. What's more, Chambers charged that Hiss routinely delivered to him secret U.S. government papers to be given to the Soviets.
At the time of Chambers' testimony, Hiss was president of the prestigious Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Chambers' charges shocked the liberal establishment. Hiss denied ever being a Communist and denied even knowing Whittaker Chambers. He made these denials in the wrong place, before the House Committee on Un-American Activities. Thanks in part to the efforts of a congressman from California named Richard Nixon, Hiss was eventually convicted of perjuring himself in his testimony before the House committee and went to jail.
Witness, Chambers' account of his ordeal, is powerful, wrenching book. Any conservative who reads the first section, Letter to My Children, should become a Chambers admirer for life. " Reviewed 05/22/98
Ronald Reagan
by Dinesh D'Souza
Morton's Read to Lead Review:
"This recent political biography by an outstanding young author will be for future generations the classic study of Reagan written in his lifetime. D'Souza explains the Reagan the liberals (and many conservatives) never understood." Reviewed 05/22/98
Advise and Consent
by Allen Drury
Morton's Read to Lead Review:
"To me, this is the great American political novel. Drury was for many years a political reporter in Washington, D.C. He did not have to imagine the tensions that develop between the President and Congress, nor did he have to imagine the bitter political fighting and intrigues that take place behind the scenes; he had reported on them. Advise and Consent is essential reading for conservatives seeking to know how Washington really works." Reviewed 05/22/98
The Theme is Freedom (hardcover edition) 
The Theme is Freedom (paperback edition)
by M. Stanton Evans
Morton's Read to Lead Review:
"Evans, a good friend, has written many successful books, but this is a stunning, path-breaking work. It is a frontal assault on Karl Marx and the economic determinism that underpins Marxism. In place of economic determinism, Evans offers what might be called theological determinism. He demonstrates that free countries are free largely because of religion, rather than despite religion, as liberals claim. " Reviewed 05/22/98
Capitalism and Freedom
by Milton Friedman
Morton's Read to Lead Review:
"As befitting a Nobel Prize winner in economics and a former president of the American Economic Association, Dr. Friedman has written many fine scholarly works. But you don't need a doctorate in economics to read Capitalism and Freedom. This is a jargon-free explanation of the principles of economic freedom, which Friedman demonstrates is a necessary condition for political freedom. Get and read this razor-sharp book" Reviewed 05/22/98
Conscience of a Conservative (out of print) 
Conscience of a Conservative (audio cassette)
by Barry Goldwater
Morton's Read to Lead Review:
"Published in 1960 and reproduced in the millions in 1964, when Goldwater ran for President, it is still read widely today. Some people suggest that, since the draft of the book was written by the late Brent Bozell (whose son, Brent Bozell III, is the head of the media-watchdog organization, the Media Research Center), credit for the book belongs more to Bozell than Goldwater.
Bozell studied Goldwater's writings and listened carefully to his speeches. He wrote this book in close coordination with Goldwater Conscience of a Conservative is pure Barry Goldwater, circa 1960. Those who haven't read it should do so, not only for its masterly distillation of the principles of limited government, but also to gain an insight into Goldwater's great impact on politics in America. This book didn't win the 1964 election for Sen. Goldwater, but it launched the political education of many grassroots activists who eventually nominated and elected Ronald Reagan. " Reviewed 05/22/98
The Road to Serfdom (hardcover edition) 
The Road to Serfdom (paperback edition)
by F.A. Hayek
Morton's Read to Lead Review:
"Hayek lived into his nineties and died just a few years ago. Like Friedman, he won the Nobel Prize in economics. While most of his writings are fairly technical, The Road to Serfdom is highly readable.
Written in England in 1944 while Hayek was an Austrian refugee from Nazi-occupied Europe, the book is pure gold for conservatives and well worth frequent reading. But it is utterly frustrating for a liberal reader because it explains so clearly and powerfully why socialism can't work. Frank Meyer, whom I shall discuss later, read Road to Serfdom while he was associated with the Communist Party. "The Party will have to answer this," Meyer told his wife. The Party couldn't and didn't. Meyer set off on his journey up the road from serfdom. " Reviewed 05/22/98
Economics in One Lesson
(paperback edition)
Economics in One Lesson
(50th Anniversary Edition)
by Henry Hazlitt
Morton's Read to Lead Review:
"If everybody learned economics from Hazlitt, it would not be called the dismal science. In this masterpiece of concision, Hazlitt elegantly and clearly presents the case for economic liberty. Hayek said of this book: "I know of no other modern book from which the intelligent layman can learn so much about the basic truths of economics in so short a time. "" Reviewed 05/22/98
Dedication and Leadership 
by Douglas Hyde
Morton's Read to Lead Review:
"For many years Hyde was a leader of the Communist Party in Great Britain. In 1948, the Communist stalwart shocked all Britain by resigning as editor of the daily paper of the British Communist Party and leaving the Party.
He became a Christian and wrote Dedication and Leadership as a guide to political skills for anti-communists, particularly Christians. After reading it, you will understand why communism endured for so long. Much of its success, Hyde shows, was due to its use of philosophically neutral techniques of communication, recruitment, training and organization.
I learned of Dedication and Leadership about 1968 from Eugene Methvin, who was for decades a senior editor at the Readers Digest. He gave me his old, marked-up paperback copy, which was nearly falling apart. I read and studied it until it did fall apart. Now I give away hundreds of copies to students at my schools each year. " Reviewed 05/22/98
Modern Times
by Paul Johnson
Morton's Read to Lead Review:
" This is a brilliant and highly-readable discussion of the history of the 20th century, unburdened by the liberal world view. If you enjoy reading history, Modern Times will be a great pleasure for you, as will other works by Paul Johnson. " Reviewed 05/22/98
The Conservative Mind (hardcover edition) 
The Conservative Mind (audiocassette edition)
by Russell Kirk
Morton's Read to Lead Review:
"Professor Kirk was an intellectual disciple of Edmund Burke and an indefatigable identifier and defender of the permanent things in our culture. He left a great body of published works. Starting with Burke, The Conservative Mind surveys the major conservative thinkers of Western civilization. Published in 1953 and updated in subsequent editions, it re-established in America the intellectual respectability of conservative principles, setting the stage for the growth of the modern conservative movement" Reviewed 05/22/98
The Rise of Radicalism (out of print)
by Eugene Methvin
Morton's Read to Lead Review:
"Methvin examines what might be called the fundamentals of leftism: propaganda, confrontation, organization and violence. The book may be hard to find, but if you find it, buy it, especially if you view the political process from a historical perspective" Reviewed 05/22/98
In Defense of Freedom 
and
What is Conservatism (out of print)
by Frank Meyer
Morton's Read to Lead Review:
"As mentioned earlier, Meyer was a former Communist, but he atoned for this by the many contributions he made to the anti-communist cause and to the conservative movement. The latter, I believe, owes an incalculable debt to him. Before 1960, Meyer, who was at the time a senior editor of National Review, began arguing that there was no inherent contradiction between the two major streams of the Right in America, free-market principles and traditional values.
He further argued that if the conservative movement was going to succeed, adherents of both lines of thought, natural allies on most issues, must be fused together. Supporters of a conservative economic policy, he taught, couldn't expect their policies to be enacted without the backing of social-issue conservatives. And it was equally true, he continued, that social-issue conservatives couldn't expect their policies to be enacted unless they allied with economic conservatives.
The presidential elections of 1980, 1984 and 1988, as well as the congressional elections of 1994 and 1996, were manifestations of the wisdom of Frank Meyer. " Reviewed 05/22/98
Atlas Shrugged (paperback)
Atlas Shrugged (hardcover)
by Ayn Rand
Morton's Read to Lead Review:
"This book has been described as a very long essay in the guise of a very long novel. It is one of the most devastating critiques ever written of big government and the liberal media. Rand's moral indignation is contagious; after reading her, most readers are forever immune to the enticements of socialism.
It must also be said, however, that the militantly atheistic Rand had an unrealistic view of human nature and little appreciation for cultural values. Most people, however mesmerized by her they may be in their youth, outgrow Rand's philosophy, which Burke might have described as a theoretical construct rather than an application of the accumulated wisdom of mankind. " Reviewed 05/22/98
The Fatal Conceit (Hardcover Edition) 
The Fatal Conceit (Paperback Edition)
by F.A. Hayek
Morton's Read to Lead Review:
"After reading Atlas Shrugged, read also The Fatal Conceit, by F.A. Hayek. Hayek once told me, 'I am not religious, but I have a great respect for religion.' Hayek, along with Burke, who was a Christian, possessed an understanding of human nature much deeper and more realistic than Ayn Rand's." Reviewed 05/22/98
Plunkitt of Tammany Hall (Paperback Edition)
Plunkitt of Tammany Hall (Hardcover Edition)
by William Riordan
Morton's Read to Lead Review:
"Rarely is a political book as entertaining as it is informative. This is one of those rarities. Riordon provides a classic examination of the reality of big-city politics as it was practiced a century ago. Any principled person considering a career in politics should read this book to understand what makes many self-interested, career politicians tick." Reviewed 05/22/98
Knowledge and Decisions
by Thomas Sowell
Morton's Read to Lead Review:
"In my view, Sowell ranks as the most consistently excellent writer on the public policy process today. Any column or book by Sowell is valuable. For this list I have chosen one of his lesser-known works.
Hayek and his colleague, Ludwig von Mises, wrote long ago that government bureaucrats could never know enough to make wise decisions. Sowell elaborates on this theme in a marvelous book that changed my thinking about the way economic and political decisions are made.
Knowledge and Decisions was published in the early 1980s, when I worked in the Reagan White House; I bought ten hardback copies and lent them to Reaganites inside the Administration. (Not everyone was a Reaganite in the Reagan Administration.) Sometimes the book came back, and I lent it out again. By the time I left the White House staff in 1984, I had only two copies left, proving that even good Reaganites suffer from the "I forgot to return your book" syndrome. But I can understand why people forgot to return this book. " Reviewed 05/22/98
The New Right: We're Ready to Lead (out of print)
by Richard Viguerie
Morton's Read to Lead Review:
"My next recommendation chronicles the rise of the New Right in the 1970s: The New Right: We're Ready To Lead, written in the late 1970s by Richard Viguerie. This book explains the rise of the New Right and how this important new element in the conservative movement deliberately, systematically and successfully set out to increase the number and effectiveness of conservative activists in America. " Reviewed 05/22/98
Ideas Have Consequences (Paperback Edition) 
Ideas Have Consequences (Audiocassette Edition)
by Richard Weaver
Morton's Read to Lead Review:
"Weaver was a professor of rhetoric at the University of Chicago. Ideas Have Consequences, like Weaver's other books, is small but deep. It brilliantly diagnoses what ails modern man, tracing the illness to its root, the flight from faith.
According to Weaver's friend Russell Kirk, the publisher imposed the title, which Weaver hated, on this book.
My one problem with the book is that its title is used as an incantation by some conservative intellectuals who insist that being right, in the sense of being correct, is sufficient to win. To support their position, they utter the words: "Ideas have consequences," thinking that by so doing they have enlisted Richard Weaver on their side and thereby obsolved themselves of any obligation to take effective actions.
Once you have read the book, you will know that Weaver didn't believe that ideas in and of themselves have consequences. He believed that skillful actions, when based on good ideas, have good consequences." Reviewed 05/22/98
"I hope these books will inspire you as they have inspired me. Too many conservative activists stop reading after they leave college. Soon, they drift away from their principles and lose their effectiveness.
Don't let this happen to you. A good book will often lead you to another one, if you decide to keep learning."
~ Morton C. Blackwell
President, The Leadership Institute
© 2006-2007, TheVanguard.Org. Issues | Campaigns & Petitions | Activist Tools | Bookstore | Blog | This Week | About Us | Contact | Media RSS | Get Alerts | Volunteer | Donate | Home |
|||||
Send to a Friend
Printer Friendly
Post to Del.icio.us
Digg This Page