The Triumph of Liberty: A 2000 Year History Told Through the Lives of Freedom's Greatest Champions

This book is good for basic information, but the best thing, or things about it are the tidbits of information that lead one to further reading. It is a great source for pointing the reader not only to great thinkers, but also to works by great thinkers worthy of further investigation.

With this book, Jim Powell advances the notion that modern history can best be viewed as a quest for freedom, and even the most cynical among us must agree that "wresting liberty from tyranny's iron fist" is indeed worth fighting for. In a series of short biographical vignettes, Powell looks at the lives of sixty-five historical figures that he deems heroes in this struggle, making for a fascinating and inspiring read. However, any such grouping of people is bound to spark debate, as very few of these individuals would call themselves "libertarian", nor would all libertarians be quick to claim them all as ancestors or heirs.Historian Paul Johnson may sum up this book best with these words from its foreword: "I do not agree with all of it". That luminaries like Cicero and Thomas Paine belong in this canon is almost without question, but the case for Beethoven, Goya, and Robert Heinlein (among others) requires one to adopt the modern "big L" libertarian perspective in its entirety. I, for one, would prefer to see Margaret Thatcher's place in the book removed, and replaced by a section on Nelson Mandela; economic issues aside, surely most people would place the latter above the former as a champion of liberty and justice in our time.Thus, the greatest weakness of this book is also its strength: it forces the reader to think, to consider what "liberty" really means. Given the state of the world today, that fact alone merits my recommendation.

This book provides inspirational biographies of some of the major figures that have advanced the cause of liberty. Jim Powell is a masterful storyteller. A senior fellow at the Cato Institute and the senior book reviewer at laissezfaire.org, Powell's years of research help him produce a book that respects the struggle for liberty in the context of the times. This helps to produce a wide-ranging book that transcends sectarian politics.In this book you'll find the authors of some of the greatest books in history. This is virtually a book of books.

The subject matter here simply can't be beat. The biographies are universally well-written and often shed light on people you thought you knew well (for example, the Jefferson profile). Powell has also done us a great service by bringing to light some lesser-known individuals whose actions deserve more attention than they get in the usual history books (e.g. Edward Coke). Everyone will disagree with some of the opinions here, but that is only further evidence of the author's originality.

For anyone with an interest in history and an appreciation for the defining struggle of the 20th century (man against state), these vignettes provide both an inspiration and a warning. The inspiration is from the raw courage, conviction, and strength of these people; the warning is that many paid a heavy price and that the struggle for freedom is renewed with every generation. You don't have to be a libertarian or Republican to enjoy this; the context of these struggles is not always strictly poltical per se, but nearly all these men and women had allegiance to, and drew strength from, a higher ideal then man. Raoul Wallenberg's story alone is worth the price.