Reviews for Conflict and consensus in American history

The average rating for Conflict and consensus in American history based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2010-03-17 00:00:00 David Valencia "I see history as centrally a race and conflict between "social power" ' the productive consequence of voluntary interactions among men ' and state power. In those eras of history when liberty ' social power ' has managed to race ahead of state power and control, the country and even mankind have flourished. In those eras when state power has managed to catch up with or surpass social power, mankind suffers and declines." - Murray N. Rothbard, Conceived in Liberty, Vol. 1, p. 10. The above quote pretty much sums up the approach Rothbard took in writing Conceived in Liberty. The struggle between the liberty of the individual and the acquiring and concentration of powers into a group (the state, a religion, or a company) are the gory economic details that Rothbard elaborates on while other history books exclude. This approach, of observing the flow of money and power provides a much more insightful look at history. The book also takes one through the evolution, formation, and realization of what individual liberty is. Unfortunately, many back then, and many more today, fail to see and comprehend this struggle between liberty and tyranny, and thus, I fear we will have to repeat the painful lessons of history rather than move forward and build a better world. Volume One covers the discovery of the Americas and the colonies in the 17th century. Volume Two covers the period of "salutary neglect" in the first half of the 18th century. Volume Three covers the advance to revolution, from 1760-1775. Volume Four covers the political, military, and ideological history of the revolution and after. Liberty has always been threatened by the encroachments of power, power which seeks to suppress, control, cripple, tax, and exploit the fruits of liberty and production. This struggle is raging today, and this book has many lessons in it to awaken and motivate us today to continue to fight for liberty.

Review # 2 was written on 2011-07-29 00:00:00 Benjamin Andrews I greatly enjoyed reading this book which was the first book length (or in this case, multi-volume book length) I've ever read on the Revolutionary period in American history. The work is extremely enlightening and Rohtbard's characteristic writing style and his frankness about who the good guys are makes the work highly readable. The work is also interesting as Rothbard clearly views the Revolution from the standpoint of how a libertarian revolution might happen--which tactics of revolution are most effective and which consistent with libertarian theory? A must for anyone interested in libertarianism or in libertarian interpretations of history.