A New Birth of Freedom

Reviews / Votes

At last Jaffa, professor emeritus of political philosophy at Claremont McKenna College, delivers the long-promised and very worthy sequel to his classic, Crisis of the House Divided (1958), which brilliantly synthesized the content and meaning of the Lincoln-Douglas debates. * Publishers Weekly * A masterful synthesis and analysis of the contending political philosophies on the eve of the Civil War. A magisterial work that arrives after a lifetime of scholarship and reflection-and earns our gratitude as well as our respect. * Kirkus Reviews * This dense, demanding book on political philosophy will repay many readings and is a powerful rebuttal of those who insist that passion alone drives history and that great men did not mean what they said. * Library Journal * The essence of Jaffa's case-meticulously laid out over nearly 500 pages-is that the Constitution is not, as Lincoln put it, a 'free love arrangement' held together by passing fancy. It is an indissoluble compact in which all men consent to be governed by majority, provided their inalienable rights are preserved. -- Bret Stephens, foreign affairs columnist, Wall Street Journal * Washington Report On The Hemisphere * Jaffa presents an impressive analysis of Lincoln in the context of Jefferson, Madison, Calhoun, and even William Shakespeare. A New Birth of Freedom is an outstanding book. * Liberty Press * A New Birth of Freedom is a master work by a true and learned master of history and philosophy. It is a must for every serious student of the founding of our nation, of Abraham Lincoln, and of the Civil War. A New Birth of Freedom should be required reading for all lawyers, judges, members of political bodies, and of the body politic, and especially those still in school. * Civil War News * The principal virtue of Jaffa's book is the seriousness with which it treats its main topic. * Journal of American History * Jaffa's analysis of Lincoln and his rhetoric offers great insight. . . . One hopes that . . . Jaffa may enjoy a lifespan of Mosaic proportions and continue for many years to enrich our understanding of Lincoln. * Rhetoric & Public Affairs * No mere review can do justice to this new book; suffice to say that it is a stunning work of scholarship and erudition that vindicates Lincoln against both his contemporary adversaries and those who in our own time would diminish him and the principles of the American Founding he sought to perpetuate. * The Washington Times * Continues the biography of Abraham Lincoln begun in Crisis of the House Divided. * Chicago Tribune * Jaffa shows the inner unity of Lincoln's words and deeds with an intelligence and loving care never before equaled. * Claremont Review of Books * Jaffa's prose is elegant and learned but complex, and, like his arguments, intellectually demanding. This absorbing book requires much effort on the part of the reader, but that effort is well rewarded. * Choice Reviews * A mighty achievement that will likely (and justly) dominate the landscape of American political thought for some time to come. * Religion & Liberty * Erudition, brilliance, probing analysis of texts, and the relation of ideas to others. His [Jaffa's] writing is insightful, imaginative, argumentative, and usually persuasive. This book makes an important contribution to the study of Lincoln's thought. * History *