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Freedom Reading List PDF Print E-mail

Political Theory:

Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration – John Locke
A foundational work of classical liberalism. Locke lays the foundation for a theory of natural law that based on property rights.

The Spirit of the Laws – Montesquieu
This work greatly influenced the Framers, particularly Montesquieu’s separation of powers theory.

The Ethics of Liberty – Murray Rothbard
This work lays out Murray Rothbard’s radical, ethics-based political theory. A must-read for any student of natural law or anarcho-capitalist political theory.

For a New Liberty – Murray Rothbard
In For a New Liberty Murray Rothbard presents his anarcho-capitalist political theory and discusses how it can be implemented.

Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal – Ayn Rand
Though not nearly as popular as her works of fiction, this book is perhaps the best explanation of Rand’s philosophy and its application to government. It also contains an essay in which a young Alan Greenspan argues for a gold standard—a position that he later abandoned, despite his claims to the contrary.

The Road to Serfdom – Friedrich Hayek
Hayek warns of the dangers of state control over the economy and the horrors to which it will lead.

The Constitution of Liberty – Friedrich Hayek
This is Hayek’s magnum opus, laying out his views on the importance of economic liberty and an examination of the development of law.

The Law – Frédéric Bastiat
In this short but important work, Bastiat condemns government taxation and social programs as ‘false philanthropy and legalized plunder.’

Anarchy, State, And Utopia – Robert Nozick
In this important work of libertarian political theory, Nozick makes the case for a minarchist government and discusses how such a government would come about.

Restoring the Lost Constitution: The Presumption of Liberty – Randy Barnett
An illuminating examination of the Constitution from an original meaning perspective.

The Machinery of Freedom: Guide to a Radical Capitalism – David Friedman
Friedman makes a utilitarian case for an anarcho-capitalist society, and describes how such a society could come about. An excellent companion to Rothbard’s The Ethics of Liberty.

Discovery of Freedom: Man's Struggle Against Authority – Rose Wilder Lane
This book is a withering attack on statism, nationalism, and what Nobel Laureate F. A. Hayek calls the 'fatal conceit' of national economic planning. It is an intellectual tour de force that stood up to the collectivist paradigm of its time and pointed the way to rediscovering the principles of the American Revolution--a true revolution unlike those of the Old World that 'are revolutions only in the sense that a wheel's turning is a revolution.' Her exciting description of the revolutionary period (you can tell she wishes she'd been there to lend a hand to Paine, Mason, Jefferson and the gang) is the best of a brilliant book.
(Ed Crane, president, Cato Institute) 

The God of the Machine – Isabel Paterson
A classic work of libertarian political theory. (description by Ron Paul)

Love of Liberty – Leonard E. Read

Speaking of Liberty – Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr.
The book is united by a set of fixed principles: the corruption of politics, the universality and immutability of the ideas of freedom, the centrality of sound money and free enterprise, the moral imperative of peace and trade, the importance of hope and tenacity in the struggle for liberty, and the need for everyone to join the intellectual fight. We all have searched for the book we could give to friends and neighbors, business associates and family members, to explain why we believe in the cause of liberty. Speaking of Liberty is that book. (Product Description)

Democracy in America – Alexis De. Tocqueville
It's hard to think of a work that has so influenced our understanding of the United States as this—still the most authoritative, reflective set of observations about American institutions and the American character ever written. (Publishers Weekly)

The Mainspring of Human Progress – Henry Grady Weaver

Skepticism and Freedom: A Modern Case for Classical Liberalism – Richard Epstein
An excellent defense of limited government and individual rights from an utilitarian perspective.

Common Sense – Thomas Paine
Common Sense is credited with inspiring the Founding Fathers in their fight for independence with this work.

The Rights of Man – Thomas Paine
Paine makes the case that the people have a right to revolt when the government is not safeguarding their natural rights. The work was largely a response to Burke’s condemnation of the French Revolution.

The Federalist Papers – Madison, Hamilton, Jay
Three of the Founders defend their vision for America and the Constitution.

The Anti-Federalist Papers and the Constitutional Convention Debates– Anti-Federalists
A great companion to the Federalist Papers. Many of the fears the Anti-Federalists voice in this work have been realized in this country, making this an important read for those who love liberty.

The Great Libertarian Offer – Harry Browne
Former Libertarian presidential candidate Harry Browne makes a simple and pragmatic case for liberty, including how much of the Federal government could be disassembled and sold off to return to limited government and pay off the national debt.

Walden and Civil Disobedience – Henry David Thoreau
Thoreau makes an excellent case for self-reliance and individualism.

On Liberty and Other Essays – J.S. Mill
Mill builds a case for liberty from a utilitarian perspective.


Foreign Policy:

A Foreign Policy of Freedom: Peace, Commerce, and Honest Friendship – Ron Paul
Ron Paul's explanation of why America’s interventionist foreign policy is destructive and should be replaced with trade and diplomacy.

The New American Militarism: How Americans Are Seduced by War – Andrew J. Bacevich
A superbly researched, articulate book that compellingly challenges the basic assumptions of the use of American military power in the turbulent years since World War II. A clarion call for reform, The New American Militarism offers a blueprint for the 21st century that should be compulsory reading for the military establishment, Congress, the White House, and for every citizen concerned with how the United States wages war. (Carlo D'Este, author of Eisenhower: A Soldier's Life)

A Pretext for War: 9/11, Iraq, and the Abuse of America's Intelligence Agencies – James Bamford
In this hard-hitting expose, investigative journalist Bamford (The Puzzle Palace; Body of Secrets) paints a damning portrait of an incompetent and politicized intelligence community. Before 9/11, he contends, the inadequacy of the CIA’s clandestine service hobbled its fight against Osama bin Laden, forcing it to rely on mercenary Afghan proxies and cruise missile drive-bys. Meanwhile, bread-and-butter undercover operations to infiltrate and monitor al-Qaeda were eschewed, and leads on the upcoming attacks bungled. (Publishers Weekly)

A Century Of War: Anglo-American Oil Politics and the New World Order – William F. Engdahl

Blowback, Second Edition: The Costs and Consequences of American Empire – Chalmers Johnson
If the 20th century was the American century, the 21st century may be a time of reckoning for the United States. Chalmers Johnson, an authority on Japan and its economy, offers a troubling prognosis of what's to come. Blowback--the title refers to a CIA neologism describing the unintended consequences of American activity--is a call for the United States to rethink its position in the world. (Product Description)

Endless Enemies: The Making of an Unfriendly World – Jonathan Kwitney
Kwitny, a correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, argues that U.S. foreign policy has been marked by support for Third World governments that deny their citizens the economic and political freedom we enjoy. He "makes a strong case for the benefits that would accrue if the U.S. government ceased intervening covertly in other nations' affairs," PW noted. (Publishers Weekly)

Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism – Robert Pape
One of the world’s foremost authorities on the subject of suicide terrorism, the esteemed political scientist Robert Pape has created the first comprehensive database of every suicide terrorist attack in the world from 1980 until today. In Dying to Win, Pape provides a groundbreaking demographic profile of modern suicide terrorist attackers–and his findings offer a powerful counterpoint to what we now accept as conventional wisdom on the topic. (Amazon.com)

Imperial Hubris: Why the West is Losing the War on Terror – Michael Scheuer
It's unclear how, in an age when even office workers must sign confidentiality agreements, an alleged CIA Middle Eastern specialist has gotten permission to publish a sprawling, erudite book on the origins and present state of the "war on terror." His main point is that Arab antagonism to the West (and even non-fundamentalist Arab regimes' winking at terrorism) has its root in real grievances that have gone unaddressed by U.S. measures. (Publishers Weekly)

War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death – Norman Soloman
Solomon's timely analysis, which continues through the current war in Iraq, provides the public, analysts, and journalists with useful tips on how to evaluate the prewar messages of any administration, current or historical. Of interest to both public and academic libraries. (Judy Solberg, George Washington Univ. Libs.)


Economics:

Economics in One Lesson – Henry Hazlitt
A short, simple examination of economics that is a must-read for anyone interested in economics.

Capitalism and Freedom – Milton Friedman
The chief proponent of the Chicago School builds the case for limited government. The sections on licensing and schooling are considered by many libertarians to be particularly insightful.

Human Action: A Treatise on Economics – Ludwig Von Mises
Human Action is the magnum opus of Ludwig Von Mises and the bulwark of Austrian Economics.

Antitrust and Monopoly: Anatomy of a Policy Failure – Dominick Armentano

Garet Garrett's: The People's Pottage — Garet Garrett
This is a persuasively argued and compellingly written early critique of the New Deal policies of the 1930s. (description by Ron Paul)

THE CREATURE FROM JEKYLL ISLAND - A Second Look at the Federal Reserve – G. Edward Griffin
This book is about the most blatant scam of all history. It's all here: the cause of wars, boom-bust cycles, inflation, depression, prosperity. Creature from Jekyll Island is a "must read." Your world view will definitely change. You'll never trust a politician again or a banker. (Product Description)

The Gold Clause: What It Is And How To Use It Profitably – Henry Mark Holzer, ed.
This book explains exactly what gold clauses are, giving their background and how they have been used in the past. It documents how they were abrogated in 1934 and presents the legal cases stirred up over them. Most importantly THE GOLD CLAUSE thoroughly documents the current revival of their use, explains, why they are again valid, and details how to structure them avoiding the critical pitfalls such as state usury laws. The only complete presentation of all the legal foundations for gold clauses , this book is an invaluable sourcebook for all who would use them, from laymen to legal professionals. (Product Description)

The Golden Constant: The English and American Experience, 1560-1976 – Roy William Jastram

The reigning error: The crisis of world inflation – William Rees-Moog

What Has Government Done to Our Money? – Murray N. Rothbard
Rothbard shows precisely how banks create money out of thin air and how the central bank, backed by government power, allows them to get away with it. He shows how exchange rates and interest rates would work in a true free market. (Product Description)

The Monetary Sin of the West – Jacques Rueff

Age of Inflation – Hans F. Sennholz
In his 1979 book Age of Inflation, professor Sennholz examined the monetary policies of the Federal Reserve and explained how they were responsible for the economic turmoil that was then afflicting the nation. Since that time, U.S. monetary policy has continued to be the unseen hand operating the world's economic engine. (Product Description)

Capitalism For Kids: Growing Up To Be Your Own Boss – Karl Hess
Written by libertarian and self-sufficiency guru Karl Hess,Capitalism for Kids lays out the fundamentals of entrepeneurship, and also describes the basic differences between capitalism and competing worldviews.


History:

The Real Lincoln: A New Look at Abraham Lincoln, His Agenda, and an Unnecessary War – Thomas DiLorenzo
The Real Lincoln destroys many of the myths surrounding Lincoln and highlights his utter disdain for freedom and the Constitution.

The Illusion Of Victory: America In World War I – Thomas Fleming
Fleming examines the politics, domestic and international, leading up to and during World War I.

The New Dealers' War: FDR and the War Within World War II – Thomas Fleming
Fleming explores the causes of World War II, as well as the disastrous policies that prolonged it and allowed the U.S.S.R. to control much of Europe.

Radicals for Capitalism: A Freewheeling History of the Modern American Libertarian Movement – Brian Doherty
Radicals for Capitalism is an excellent history of the libertarian movement in America, detailing both the philosophies of its major players as well as relationships they had with one another and the freedom movement as a whole.

As We Go Marching – John T. Flynn
Flynn was an accomplished journalist, analyzes facism in Italy and Germany and concludes by considering the state of America in his day (description by Ron Paul)

The Myth of the Robber Barons – Burton W. Folsom, Jr.
In spite of the easy reading of the text, the book has profound meaning for the nature of business in America, with implications for political philosophy and economic theory. There isn't a businessman in the country who would not profit from the reading of this important book. (Angus MacDonald, BOOK REVIEWS)

Decline & Fall of the Roman Empire – Edward Gibbon
British parliamentarian and soldier Edward Gibbon (1737-1794) conceived of his plan for Decline and Fall while "musing amid the ruins of the Capitol" on a visit to Rome. For the next 10 years he worked away at his great history, which traces the decadence of the late empire from the time of the Antonines and the rise of Western Christianity. (Amazon.com)

The twilight of gold, 1914-1936; myths and realities – Melchior Palyi

Wilson's War: How Woodrow Wilson's Great Blunder Led to Hitler, Lenin, Stalin, and World War II – Jim Powell
Wilson’s War makes a compelling case that Woodrow Wilson was America’s worst president and an unmitigated disaster for the world. In a learned exposition of the Law of Unintended Consequences, Jim Powell shows how U.S. intervention into World War I strengthened the hand of Soviet Communism and led directly to the rise of Hitler and World War II. Wilson’s War exposes how America’s court historians have misled the public for generations. (Thomas J. DiLorenzo, author of The Real Lincoln and How Capitalism Saved America)

America's Great Depression – Murray N. Rothbard
Applied Austrian economics doesn't get better than this. Murray N. Rothbard's America's Great Depression is a staple of modern economic literature and crucial for understanding a pivotal event in American and world history. (Product Description)

Back Door to War: The Roosevelt Foreign Policy 1933-1941 – Charles Callan Tansill
A most carefully written and thoroughly documented study of American foreign relations.... It is a book destined to be the standard authority on our war years. (New Republic)

The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam – Barbara J. Tuchman
Twice a winner of the Pulitzer Prize, author Barbara Tuchman now tackles the pervasive presence of folly in governments through the ages. Defining folly as the pursuit by governments of policies contrary to their own interersts, despite the availability of feasible alternatives, Tuchman details four decisive turning points in history that illustrate the very heights of folly in government: the Trojan War, the breakup of the Holy See provoked by the Renaissance Popes, the loss of the American colonies by Britain's George III, and the United States' persistent folly in Vietnam. THE MARCH OF FOLLY brings the people, places, and events of history magnificently alive for today's reader. (Product Description)


Fiction:

The Fountainhead – Ayn Rand
Rand’s first commercially successful work, The Fountainhead is a good introduction to Rand’s vision of individualism and achievement.

Atlas Shrugged – Ayn Rand
Rand’s great work, Atlas Shrugged expands on the individualist philosophy outlined in The FountainHead and delves further into the political implications of opposing philosophies.

1984 – George Orwell
Orwell’s description of a totalitarian surveillance state is simultaneously an enjoyable and frightening read.

Animal Farm (Signet Classics) – George Orwell
Orwell’s satirical novel provides the reader with a glimpse of collectivization and its inherent problems.

Doctor Zhivago – Boris Psaternak

The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress – Robert Heinlein
Perhaps the most explicity libertarian of Heinlein’s novels, The Moon is Harsh Mistress tells of a revolt led by those on the moon against their oppressors on earth. This work also birthed the famous “There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch.”


Civil Liberties:

Terrorism and Tyranny: Trampling Freedom, Justice, and Peace to Rid the World of Evil – James Bovard
Journalist Bovard, who has written for the Wall Street Journal and the American Spectator, among others, looks at the post-September 11 policies and actions of the government and finds them sorely lacking. (He also has a lot to say about how the government let the terrorist attacks happen in the first place.) Instead of fighting the terrorist menace, he argues, the Bush administration's cosmetic gestures reward incompetence and establish dangerous legal precedents. (Publishers Weekly)

Overblown: How Politicians and the Terrorism Industry Inflate National Security Threats, and Why We Believe Them – John Mueller
He [Mueller] examines how terrorism hypervigilance is threatening civil liberties, the economy, and lives. Mueller explores three themes: terrorist threats are overblown; we can learn from the lessons of previous international threats that they are often exaggerated; and by applying these lessons, we can create policy that reduces fear and the cost of overreaction. (Booklist)

Constitutional Chaos: What Happens When the Government Breaks Its Own Laws – Andrew P. Napolitano
In this incisive and insightful book, Judge Andrew P. Napolitano peels back the legal veneer and shows how politicians, judges, prosecutors, and bureaucrats are trampling the U.S. Constitution in the name of law and order and fighting terrorism. (Product Description)

A Nation of Sheep – Andrew P. Napolitono
In A NATION OF SHEEP, Judge Andrew P. Napolitano frankly discusses how the federal government has circumvented the Constitution and is systematically dismantling the rights and freedoms that are the foundation of American democracy.  He challenges Americans to recognize that they are being led down a very dangerous path and that the cost of following without challenge is the loss of the basic freedoms that facilitate our pursuit of happiness and that define us as a nation. (Product Description)

The Tyranny of Good Intentions: How Prosecutors and Bureaucrats Are Trampling the Constitution in the Name of Justice – Paul Craig Roberts and Lawrence M. Stratton
The Tyranny of Good Intentions is replete with examples of how government treads on freedom through ill-willed prosecution and faceless bureaucracy. (Amazon.com)

Psychology:

Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds – Charles MacKay

The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements (Perennial Classics) – Eric Hoffer
The True Believer is a visionary, highly provocative look into the mind of the fanatic and a penetrating study of how an individual becomes one. (Product Description)
 
© 2009 thefreedomrevolution.com