First published in 1976, this work traces the activist conservative intellectual movement as it emerged in the United States in the years following World War II. It is primarily an account of influential conservative books and other writings and their influence on the American political scene. Among the authors he discusses are Milton Friedman, Leo Strauss, Lionel Trilling, William F. Buckley, Brent Bozell, Russell Kirk, and Irving Kristol. The Epilogue of the second (1996) edition has been retained as chapter 12 in this edition and a new conclusion on the current state of conservatism has been added. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)