Russell Kirk (1918-1994) was an influential American political philosopher who developed a form of conservatism rooted in a belief in a transcendent order, "natural" societal distinctions, the close links between property and freedom, the value of custom and convention, and the political value of prudence when it comes to innovation. These and other themes of Kirk's life work are explored in this collection of representative writings put together by Panichas (editor of Modern Age, the quarterly review founded by Russell Kirk in 1957). Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)