The pursuit of isolationism in the United States Senate from Versailles to Pearl Harbor Book

The book is divided into three sections. The first focuses on the militarization of American society starting with the Wilson Administration. Nisbet then explains how this directly is related to what he calls the "New Absolutism" which he explains in the second section. This absolutism is the mentality that all matters 'go through' the state and that the national state is also the 'community'. This all leads to the final section which focuses on "The Loose Individual". Here is says, "Repeatedly in history the combination of war and political centralization leads to a fraying effect upon the social fabric. Threads are loosened by the tightening of power at the center." He then proceeds to explain this sort of 'anarchy' that has developed in the loosening of personal ties because of the imposition of the national state in everyone's lives and the culture of absolutism and warfare especially. This is a must read, mostly due to the observances of this chapter.

I would also suggest reading this juxtaposed against Allan Bloom's "Closing of the American Mind." Nisbet directly challenges the main 'solution' Bloom argues for of how to solve the vacant thought and education found in higher ed.