Neoconservatism: The Biography of a Movement

Neoconservatism has undergone a transformation that has made a clear identity almost impossible to capture. The Republican foreign policy operatives of the George W. Bush era seem far removed from the early liberal intellectuals who focused on domestic issues. Justin Vaisse offers the first comprehensive history of neoconservatism, exploring the connections between a changing and multifaceted school of thought, a loose network of thinkers and activists, and American political life in turbulent times. In an insightful portrait of the neoconservatives and their impact on public life, Vaisse frames the movement in three distinct ages: the New York intellectuals who reacted against the 1960s leftists; the 'Scoop Jackson Democrats', who tried to preserve a mix of hawkish anticommunism abroad and social progress at home but failed to recapture the soul of the Democratic Party; and, the 'Neocons' of the 1990s and 2000s, who are no longer either liberals or Democrats. He covers neglected figures of this history such as Pat Moynihan, Eugene Rostow, Lane Kirkland, and Bayard Rustin, and offers new historical insight into two largely overlooked organizations, the Coalition for a Democratic Majority and the Committee on the Present Danger. He illuminates core developments, including the split of liberalism in the 1960s, and the shifting relationship between partisan affiliation and foreign policy positions. Vaisse gives neoconservatism its due as a complex movement and predicts it will remain an influential force in the American political landscape.

About the Author :
Justin Vaisse is Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. Arthur Goldhammer received the French-American Translation Prize in 1990 for his translation of A Critical Dictionary of the French Revolution.

Review :
The influential neoconservative movement is a complex and often surprising thing...Vaisse examines the intellectual evolution of leading neocon thinkers like Norman Podhoretz, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, and William Kristol; explores the impact of neocon journals and think tanks; and recounts the movement's love-hate relationships with Democratic and Republican administrations. His critical but evenhanded treatment brims with insights... Vaisse's is one of the most lucid and sophisticated accounts yet of this crucial political force. Publishers Weekly 20100322 Justin Vaisse demonstrates that an ideology can have just as prickly a personality, and can be just as dynamic, as any celebrity...Surveying not only the political and cultural contributions of icons Norman Podhoretz and William Kristol, but also less frequently discussed figures such as Eugene Rostow and Bayard Rustin, Vaisse presents an influential and deeply polarizing set of intellectuals evenhandedly. -- Josh Lambert Tablet 20100503 Very intelligent and well-researched. -- Adam Kirsch Tablet 20100601 The proper way to commence appraisal of this admirable book is possibly by proposing a public service award of some sort for Justin Vaisse. This U.S.-based French foreign-policy scholar makes it feasible at long last to figure out what in blue blazes people are talking about when they praise or, more commonly at present, flog "the neocons."...A major virtue of Mr. Vaisse's painstakingly clear and beautifully executed narrative is its intellectually scrupulous tone: no malice; no abrasive score-settling. The author seeks neither to exalt nor vilify his subjects. -- William Murchison Washington Times 20100608 Essential reading for anyone wishing to understand the contours of our recent political past. -- Barry Gewen New York Times Book Review 20100613 [Vaisse] has written a book on neoconservatism that is thoughtful and well-informed...In a crowded field, Vaisse has written a fine primer, judicious, thorough and sure-footed. -- Rich Lowry Washington Post 20100704 [A] fascinating book...Vaisse provides a cogent analysis of neoconservative thought and beliefs. -- John Hancock Concord Monitor 20100718 Vaisse's book is the best yet to appear on the neoconservatives. It is comprehensive, searching, highly critical, but also dispassionate in tone. -- Anatol Lieven New Humanist 20100701 A great strength of Vaisse's book is his stress on the second age of neoconservatism, which spans the gap between the Public Interest writers and the national greatness drumbeaters of today...No one who absorbs Vaisse's discussion of this second age can harbor any illusions about whether the neocons count as genuine conservatives...Vaisse...[has] provided...tools that will help us understand a pernicious political movement. -- David Gordon The American Conservative blog 20101028 [Vaisse] provides an unusually nuanced and historically grounded account of the controversial neo-conservative movement--tracing its origins to disputes among New York liberals in revolt against the excesses of the 1960s. -- Gideon Rachman Financial Times 20101126 [An] excellent book...Essentially, Vaisse sees modern neoconservatism as a species of nationalism or patriotism. -- Richard King The Australian 20101201 Absolutely excellent...With sobriety, subtlety and matchless breadth, Vaisse explores the many dimensions of the most consequential intellectual movement in post-Second World War American politics. -- Randy Boyagoda Globe and Mail 20101223