Rewriting the history of the Civil War The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Civil War, by H.W. Crocker III, Regnery, 2008. $20, 370 pg. The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Civil War, part of the conservative Politically Incorrect Guide (P.I.G.) series of books, attempts to retell the history of the Civil War in a manner … Read more
A new history of the disputed election of 1876 By One Vote: The Disputed Presidential Election of 1876 by Michael F. Holt, University Press of Kansas, 2008, $34.95, 300 pg. Rutherford Hayes, the nineteenth president of the United States, is best remembered for the unusual circumstances of his election. The election of 1876, in which … Read more
Oliver Stone sets his eyes on Bush W., Directed by Oliver Stone, Lions Gate, 2008. 129 minutes. Oliver Stone’s latest film, W., offers a fresh, revisionist look at many of the major players in the life of George W. Bush. The movie’s assessment of the Bush administration’s legacy, however, is a decidedly mainstream one. Though … Read more
Exploring the policies of the NSA The Shadow Factor: The Ultra-Secret NSA from 9/11 to the Eavesdropping on America, by James Bamford, Doubleday, 2008. $27.95, 416 pg. George W. Bush, in his acceptance speech at the 2000 Republican National Convention, assured Americans that he would honor their trust. In the aftermath of the Sept. 11 … Read more
An ambitious attempt to reshape the Republican promise Grand New Party: How Republicans Can Win the Working Class and Save the American Dream by Ross Douthat & Reihan Salam, Doubleday, 2008, $23.95, 256 pg. It is no longer morning in America. Something has gone wrong with the conservative vision, a vision now lost amongst the … Read more