Bradley J. Birzer

by Bradley J. Birzer

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to review Lord Percy’s Heresy of Democracy, a book Russell Kirk considered essential for an understanding of conservatism in the 1950s.  Another book he had in list that was more or less unfamiliar to me was Ross J.S. Hoffman’s The Spirit of Politics and the Future of Freedom (Milwaukee, WI, 1950). I’ve had the opportunity to read a few of Hoffman’s smaller pieces, and he and Kirk considered each other with admiration.  They corresponded frequently, and Kirk looked at Hoffman in the same manner as he looked at Leo Strauss.  Both were senior scholars to be approached for their advice as well as their blessing on his own endeavors. [Read more...]