Description
Book SynopsisTaking the Fight to the Enemy: Neoconservatism and the Age of Ideology looks at six neoconservative intellectuals and the influences on their thinking about the defects of communism, fascism, progressivism, the dominant American culture, and even capitalism itself. Adam L. Fuller examines the gestation of political criticism within the pages of the neoconservatives'' own writing as well as the books they read and learned from in order to demonstrate how the neoconservative political strategy is to take the fight to the enemy.
Trade ReviewFuller presents a compelling history and analysis of the neoconservative movement. Focusing on the six "original" neoconservatives--Irving Kristol, Gertrude Himmelfarb, Norman Podhoretz, Midge Decter, Daniel Bell, and Nathan Glazer--the author suggests that the movement constitutes a sort of "anti-ideological ideology." That is to say, neoconservatives embrace ideological methodologies and forms in order to combat an array of leftist-oriented ideologies. Indeed, devotees of what Fuller calls the old Right have at times been quite critical of their neoconservative brethren for this very reason. While traditional conservatives from Edmund Burke to Russell Kirk have decried all manner of ideologies dedicated to the overthrow of the dominant class du jour, neoconservatives have determined to overthrow the dominant class of ideologues....Overall the book effectively dispels many myths surrounding neoconservatism while acknowledging both the nuances and the common traits that define one of the most influential political movements of the last 50 years. Summing Up: Recommended. * CHOICE *
Taking the Fight to the Enemy is well-written, well-researched, and cogently argued. In my view, it will provide a balanced overview of the subject for scholars and the general public alike.” -- Daniel J. Mahoney, Assumption College
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1: The First Generation Chapter 2: God and Man at the City College of New York Chapter 3: After the Apocalypse Chapter 4: The Gulf Beyond Radicalism Chapter 5: High, Low, and Modern Chapter 6: The Conscience of a Neoconservative Chapter 7: One Nation, Two Cultures Chapter 8: Two Cheers for Realism Conclusion
