Media Reviews
'Raymond Chandler observed that there are no dull subjects, only dull minds. Political moderation must seem the dullest of subjects, but in the hands of Robert Calhoon, a gifted historian, it emerges not only as illuminating history but as imperative for an understanding of our own tortured times.' Eugene D. Genovese, author of Roll Jordan Roll and Mind of the Master Class
'This is a wise, humane, and learned book. In the midst of an era torn by conflict and locked, some say, in cultural 'wars,' Calhoon has illustrated the power of moderation in America's past. No tepid 'centrists,' the politicians, preachers, and pedagogues who advocated moderation in unlikely places and inconvenient times followed a model of civil action that has roots in ancient Athens and Sparta. Calhoon gives us a view of British governance, the American Revolution, and the era of the Civil War from the perspective of the men and women who combined principle and prudence in a struggle against zealotry and extremism. The book opens us to resources in the American tradition that can serve us well.' E. Brooks Holifield, Emory University
'Like a master sculptor who can see human forms in blocks of marble, Robert Calhoon has identified a vein of political moderation in American history, which time and again, he argues, provided a critical element of strength and stability in the civic community. Deftly interweaving political, intellectual, and religious history, and illustrated with moving vignettes of dozens of Americans who rejected political polarization for conciliation and mediation, Calhoon makes a powerful appeal for recognizing the importance of political moderation in American history, its deep legacy in European political thought, and its continued utility in today's world.' Elizabeth Mancke, University of Akron
'Robert M. Calhoon restores political moderation to its rightful place in American history. Through deft and searching biographical portraits of principled moderates who resisted radical and reactionary appeals, Calhoon illuminates the deeper commitments to custom, tradition, and faith that have made America moderate. Thoughtful and provocative, Political Moderation makes us reconsider the assumptions that have shaped our national narrative.' Peter S. Onuf, University of Virginia
'For three decades Robert Calhoun has produced a steady catalogue of major scholarship on such diverse topics as Loyalists in the American Revolution, life in the southern backcountry, and evangelical conservatives in the antebellum South. Now, with Political Moderation in America's First Two Centuries we have the long awaited synthesis that looks comprehensively and authoritatively at conservative political movements throughout early American history. Thoroughly researched, wonderfully written, and brilliantly synthetic, this books is certain to become the standard on the foundations of American conservatism. In one volume readers are drawn into a definitive summation of 'moderation' in politics, religion, and culture. A must read for students of early America and for all inquirers into the roots of political consciousness in America.' Harry S. Stout, Yale University
Raymond Chandler observed that there are no dull subjects, only dull minds. Political moderation must seem the dullest of subjects, but in the hands of Robert Calhoon, a gifted historian, it emerges not only as illuminating history but as imperative for an understanding of our own tortured times. -Eugene D. Genovese, author of Roll, Jordan, Roll and Mind of the Master Class, with Elizabeth Fox-Genovese, (Cambridge University Press, 2005)
This is a wise, humane, and learned book. In the midst of an era torn by conflict and locked, some say, in cultural `wars,' Calhoon has illustrated the power of moderation in America's past. No tepid `centrists,' the politicians, preachers, and pedagogues who advocated moderation in unlikely places and inconvenient times followed a model of civil action that has roots in ancient Athens and Sparta. Calhoon gives us a view of British governance, the American Revolution, and the era of the Civil War from the perspective of the men and women who combined principle and prudence in a struggle against zealotry and extremism. The book opens us to resources in the American tradition that can serve us well. -E. Brooks Holifield, Charles Howard Candler Professor of American Church History, Emory University
Robert M. Calhoon restores political moderation to its rightful place in American history. Through deft and searching biographical portraits of principled moderates who resisted radical and reactionary appeals, Calhoon illuminates the deeper commitments to custom, tradition, and faith that have made America moderate. Thoughtful and provocative, Political Moderation makes us reconsider the assumptions that have shaped our national narrative. -Peter S. Onuf, University of Virginia
For three decades Robert Calhoun has produced a steady catalogue of major scholarship on such diverse topics as Loyalists in the American Revolution, life in the southern backcountry, and evangelical conservatives in the antebellum South. Now, with Political Moderation in America's First Two Centuries we have the long awaited synthesis that looks comprehensively and authoritatively at conservative political movements throughout early American history. Thoroughly researched, wonderfully written, and brilliantly synthetic, this books is certain to become the standard on the foundations of American conservatism. In one volume readers are drawn into a definitive summation of moderation in politics, religion, and culture. A must read for students of early America and for all inquirers into the roots of political consciousness in America. -Harry S. Stout, Yale University
Like a master sculptor who can see human forms in blocks of marble, Robert Calhoon has identified a vein of political moderation in American history, which time and again, he argues, provided a critical element of strength and stability in the civic community. Deftly interweaving political, intellectual, and religious history, and illustrated with moving vignettes of dozens of Americans who rejected political polarization for conciliation and mediation, Calhoon makes a powerful appeal for recognizing the importance of political moderation in American history, its deep legacy in European political thought, and its continued utility in today's world. -Elizabeth Mancke, University of Akron
This is an intriguing and eclectic survey of political moderation. -Willard Carl Klunder, Journal of American History
An engaging, learned contribution to the literature on US politics. Highly recommended. -Choice
Robert McCluer Calhoon's ambitious work covers a tremendous amount of temporal and spatial ground... -William and Mary Quarterly
This is a marvelous book... it both reflects and will further stimulate the rethinking of accepted positions across much of early American history. --Journal of Southern History
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