Edmund Fawcett worked at The Economist for more than three decades, serving as chief correspondent in Washington, Paris, and Berlin, as well as European and literary editor. His writing has also appeared in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Guardian, and the Times Literary Supplement, among other publications.
"Honorable Mention for the 2015 PROSE Award in Government &
Politics, Association of American Publishers"
"A richly informative historical tour of liberal leaders and
concepts. . . . [Fawcett] takes a commendably liberal
approach."---Alan Wolfe, New York Times Book Review
"Excellent. . . . What Fawcett clearly and compellingly shows is
that the relationship of capitalism to the state, of economics to
politics, should be at the heart of any history of liberal ideas.
Whether you take his version as a story about liberalism's realist
adaptability or its counterrevolutionary intent, it's a fitting one
for a moment in which capitalism and political economy are back on
the agenda."---Katrina Forrester, The Nation
"Fawcett's workmanlike history of the bundle of ideas and practices
that liberals have espoused since the Spanish liberales coined the
term after the Napoleonic wars is an excellent guide to
liberalism's rise and fall."---David Marquand, New Republic
"[A] comprehensive, quirky, scholarly and personal exploration of
one of the dominant ideas in political discourse. . . . This is a
phenomenal work of research and synthesis. . . . A pool of
profound, rigorous research and thought that has no shallow
end."
*Kirkus Reviews*
"[Liberalism] confirms the virtues of the disciplined generalist's
approach to the exploration of politics. Deftly combining history,
economic thought, and political theory, Fawcett has produced the
sort of synoptic work that in our era is increasingly unlikely to
come from universities. . . . [It] not only draws on the practicing
journalist's close observation of political affairs but also the
educated person of letters' facility across many disciplines. The
result is an engrossing narrative of liberalism's dramatic
career--often lustrous but also marked by its share of delusion,
hypocrisy, hubris, and tragedy."---Peter Berkowitz, Real Clear
Politics
"Liberalism by Edmund Fawcett is not only a gripping piece of
intellectual history, it also equips the reader to understand
today's threats--and how they might be withstood. . . . Liberalism
is indeed under siege. Those who would fortify the walls would do
well to study the foundations. Mr Fawcett's book offers an
admirable archaeology."
*Economist*
"A book so good I want to read it again. . . . An intellectual
page-turner. . . . [A] seamless mix of philosophy, history,
biography and history of ideas."---David Goodhart, Standpoint
"Fawcett draws on the experiences and ideas of dozen of thinkers
and politicians in an informative, lively, and provocative history
of a political tradition he deems 'worth standing up for.' . . .
Fawcett's book is an immensely interesting, informative, and
important assessment of liberalism. . . . Liberalism is as relevant
as ever, Fawcett concludes, passionately and persuasively."---Glenn
C. Altschuler, Huffington Post
"[An] impressive account of the 'life of an idea.' . . . One of the
many virtues of Fawcett's unfailingly stimulating book is that he
makes you look past the misleading labels with which we
characterise political argument. For anyone interested in the
history of the ideas that have shaped our society, his book is
essential reading."---Simon Shaw, Mail on Sunday
"Magnificent."---Bruce Edward Walker, Morning Sun
"Fawcett has written a marvelous book. . . . His erudition would be
daunting if he didn't write with such verve. . . . It's a
pleasure."---Clive Crook, Bloomberg View
"As Fawcett's compelling history reveals, the twentieth century
turned out to be much more unstable and dangerous than the early
liberals anticipated and has forced liberals ever since to temper
their expectations for human betterment with a world-weary search
for small steps that can keep the liberal international system on
an upward trajectory."
*Foreign Affairs*
"Liberalism is an important and worthwhile book."---Walter Moss,
History News Network
"This is a good and well-written book. . . . It is wide-ranging,
informative, and independent in its judgments."---James Kalb,
Chronicles
"Fawcett expertly reveals [liberalism's] evolution, dead-ends, and
permutations. A sprawling yarn that somehow remains utterly
coherent and on-point, this is history at its very best."---Jeff
Bloodworth, Gannon University, Cercles
"[A] felicitous combination of wit and erudition."
*Choice*
"In this remarkable book, Edmund Fawcett sets out a helpful
characterization of liberalism as it has flourished in Europe and
America since the 1830s."---Jeremy Waldron, The Guardian
"A brilliant book; if you have one book on Liberalism in your
library . . . this should be it."---Stewart Rayment, Liberator
"A magisterial history of liberalism."---Sebastian Mallaby, ,
Washington Post
"The central idea of liberalism is the primacy of the individual
rather than the collective. But in his brilliant history,
Liberalism: the Life of an Idea, Edmund Fawcett makes clear that
liberalism involves four other ideas: (1) the inescapability of
conflict, (2) distrust of power, (3) faith in progress, (4) civic
respect."
*The Economist*
"[An] excellent history of the subject."
*The Economist*
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