chadkoh reviewed The Conservative Tradition by Patrick N. Allitt
Review of 'The Conservative Tradition' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
I once had a history professor who when giving a lecture would simply stand in front of the class, head down, and read his notes. Patrick's Allitt's delivery was about as wooden. Furthermore, he lectured as if the audience could only hold 15 minutes of information in their head, often repeating parts of the same lecture. A sharp editor and a different narrator, and this could've been quite a good audiobook.
Although this series was not what I was expecting it to be (an analysis of conservative thought) it was still quite informative, giving an historical tour of conservatism, focusing on England and the USA. The more modern era, especially the Cold War and the rise of neoconservatism from its Democratic roots, was especially interesting. Allitt's categorization of the conservatisms of modern America provide a useful framework for thinking about the confusion of Republican politics. I think he overlooked the …
I once had a history professor who when giving a lecture would simply stand in front of the class, head down, and read his notes. Patrick's Allitt's delivery was about as wooden. Furthermore, he lectured as if the audience could only hold 15 minutes of information in their head, often repeating parts of the same lecture. A sharp editor and a different narrator, and this could've been quite a good audiobook.
Although this series was not what I was expecting it to be (an analysis of conservative thought) it was still quite informative, giving an historical tour of conservatism, focusing on England and the USA. The more modern era, especially the Cold War and the rise of neoconservatism from its Democratic roots, was especially interesting. Allitt's categorization of the conservatisms of modern America provide a useful framework for thinking about the confusion of Republican politics. I think he overlooked the power of technology in splintering conservatism since the 1990s, but he cut off his analysis at the year 2000, so fair enough.
Entertaining and informative, if overly repetitive and a bit shallow, this is still an easy listen on your journey to understanding the conservative mind.