Overview

Conservatism in America, as one early-twentieth-century politician said, is “as old as the Republic itself.” But what exactly are its foundational principles, and how did they form the modern conservative movement? Author Garland S. Tucker III tells the story in this lively look at fourteen champions of conservative thought – some well-known, others hardly remembered at all. Taking readers on an exciting tour from the American Founding to the modern era, Tucker traces the development of five basic tenets of conservatism and shows how these leaders put principle into action (some more successfully that others). Conservative Heroes offers brief but penetrating profiles of: Thomas Jefferson and James Madison: These Founders agreed that the primary purposes of government are to ensure order and to preserve liberty – but often differed on how best to achieve the balance between the two John Randolph and Nathaniel Macon: In the early nineteenth century these congressional leaders fought to preserve the founding vision of a limited national government John C. Calhoun: Remembered primarily for his defense of slavery, this statesman nonetheless made considerable contributions to America constitutional history Grover Cleveland: The last Democratic president to advance conservative principles Calvin Coolidge and Andrew Mellon: In the 1920s the president and his treasury secretary reduced taxes and the size and scope of the national government – and sparked an economic boom Josiah W. Bailey and John W. Davis: Forgotten today, these Democrats spearheaded the conservative challenge to FDR’s New Deal Robert A. Taft: “Mr. Republican” led the revival of the GOP as the conservative party William F. Buckley Jr., Barry Goldwater, and Ronald Reagan: The driving forces behind the ascent of modern conservatism

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9781610171366

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Reviews

A missing history of conservatism... A pleasant surprise... If younger conservatives discover this helpful and gently subversive book, they might have a fighting chance of encountering a tradition their elders prefer to leave dead and buried. The American Conservative [A] lucid account of conservative principles and their place in our country s history. A book of 200 or so pages, crisply written, with a focus on human personalities to hold the general reader s interest . . . [Tucker] has condensed much reading and reflection into a very accessible account of what American conservatism is, and has done. Chronicles A valuable contribution to today s American political discourse. Titled Conservative Heroes, Tucker s fast-paced narrative... tells the important story of the role liberty-minded thinkers and politicians have played at critical points in the nation s history. Carolina Journal Tucker hopes to rescue some forgotten figures from the dusty pages of history, such as [Grover] Cleveland, in an effort to remind readers of America s conservative tradition. Charlotte Observer

Praise for Garland S. Tucker III's High Tide of American Conservatism Tucker's book is a perfect guide. --Wall Street Journal A splendid contribution . . . A well-researched, well-structured narrative of classic conservative principles in action at the highest levels of politics. --National Review A fascinating study . . . Interesting, engaging. --Weekly Standard A well-told tale of one of the most extraordinary--and long-forgotten--presidential elections in American history . . . A fascinating account. --Steve Forbes A missing history of conservatism . . . A pleasant surprise . . . If younger conservatives discover this helpful and gently subversive book, they might have a fighting chance of encountering a tradition their elders prefer to leave dead and buried. --The American Conservative [A] lucid account of conservative principles and their place in our country's history. A book of 200 or so pages, crisply written, with a focus on human personalities to hold the general reader's interest . . . [Tucker] has condensed much reading and reflection into a very accessible account of what American conservatism is, and has done. --Chronicles A valuable contribution to today's American political discourse. Titled Conservative Heroes, Tucker's fast-paced narrative . . . tells the important story of the role liberty-minded thinkers and politicians have played at critical points in the nation's history. --Carolina Journal Tucker hopes to rescue some forgotten figures from the dusty pages of history, such as [Grover] Cleveland, in an effort to remind readers of America's conservative tradition. --Charlotte Observer Conservative Heroes should serve as a reminder to conservatives of all stripes that they share elements of a vibrant philosophical and intellectual tradition rooted in a belief in the primacy of the individual, liberty, and limited government. --Washington Times His ability to recognize a subject missed by academic historians reserves a special place for Tucker in the pantheon of political authors. Conservative Heroes should be required reading in high schools and colleges. --National Review Online Conservative Heroes is a wonderful book for many reasons, not the least of which is its focus on long-forgotten conservatives like Grover Cleveland, Josiah Bailey, and, my favorite, Robert Taft. --Fred Barnes, executive editor of the Weekly Standard Tucker's profiles remind us that America's history is too subtle to force into the framework of modern progressivism. . . . Many readers resent the narrowness standard histories offer. They will welcome Conservative Heroes, which so thoughtfully draws out the full picture. --Amity Shlaes, bestselling author of Coolidge and The Forgotten Man, from the foreword

Praise for GarlandS. Tucker III s High Tide of American Conservatism Tucker s book is a perfect guide. Wall Street Journal A splendid contribution... A well-researched, well-structured narrative of classic conservative principles in action at the highest levels of politics. National Review A fascinating study . . . Interesting, engaging. Weekly Standard A well-told tale of one of the most extraordinary and long-forgotten presidential elections in American history... A fascinating account. Steve Forbes

Author Information

Garland S. Tucker, III, is president/CEO of Triangle Capital Corporation, a publicly traded specialty finance company located in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. He graduated magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from Washington and Lee University, USA and received an MBA degree from Harvard Business School, USA. He is a former member of the New York Stock Exchange; serves on the boards of a number of companies, schools, and charitable organizations; and is a lifelong student of history.

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