Besmirching a tradition

Edmund Fawcett’s new book, Conservatism: The Fight for a Tradition, is a history of the conservative approach to politics in America, England, France, and Germany from the eighteenth century to the present. It is divided into six parts. The first two are general accounts of conservatism, while the remaining four cover the periods between 1830–80, 1880–1945, 1945–80, and 1980 to the present. The book discusses many conservatives in each of the countries, in each period, and gives an account of the role they played in the political condition of their countries.

Fawcett’s references to others’ accounts of conservatism are extensive and exceptionally helpful for both scholars and general readers. Reading the book makes obvious that the author has consulted a wide range of books, views, and articles in the relevant languages. The...