A captivating account that narrates, month by month, the events of 1917: Red Banners, White Mantle is popular Catholic history at its finest. The drama of the Great War and the Russian Revolution are juxtaposed with the spiritual dimension of the age: the diabolism of Rasputin, the Apparition of the Virgin at Fatima, the malignancy of Lenin, the saintly courage of (the now blessed) Charles of Austria. Few standard histories have ever given such a high degree of consideration to the supernatural and the Christian interpretation of history as does 1917.

Publication Date:  July 2010

Too many colleges and universities have become places for focusing on means and not upon ends—and, as such, places where the confused and bewildered of the next generation acquire techniques and tools, but graduate having gained neither direction nor order to their souls.

The Hillsdale College History Faculty has painstakingly assembled American Heritage: A Reader in order to provide its own students with a true liberal arts education grounded in the American tradition. Perfect for classroom use at the high school level and up, this extraordinary textbook will provide readers both inside and outside the classroom with a traditional educational experience that enlarges and ennobles the mind.

From the Preface:

“The primary role of this Reader is to supply a rich sample of documents from the periods we examine. These primary sources provide portals into the American past. Reading them, we escape the provincialism of our own time and culture. As artifacts of the past, they do not convey information merely, but they are the sources that historians interpret to make sense of our past.  Consequently, we invite students to engage in the same enterprise as they examine these fragments of the American past as the primary means of understanding both the roots of American order and sources for contemporary disorders.  This daunting task of viewing sympathetically ideas that, although part of our heritage, seem distant and alien is an important and exhilarating part of a proper education in which one seeks to make sense of oneself as an American.”

Stanley Jaki examines the words Jesus spoke to Peter at Caesar Philipi (Matthew 16:18): “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I shall build my Church.” The richness of their meaning is uncovered through Jaki’s splendid discussion of the geography of biblical events and the Old Testament background to communal structure and leadership.

Why another book about C. S. Lewis? The answer is simple: C.S. Lewis: A Critical Essay is the most concise and vivid introduction to the life and writings of the greatest apologist of the twentieth century. First published over forty years ago, and now updated to include an entirely new essay by the author, Kreeft’s books wisely allows Lewis to speak for himself through a series of judiciously chosen quotations. C. S. Lewis: A Critical Essay is a memorable tribute from one of today’s foremost Christian apologists —whose own writings have often been compared to those of Lewis—to his acknowledged master.

Peter Kreeft is a professor of philosophy at Boston College and at the King’s College in New York City. He is a regular contributor to several Christian publications, is in wide demand as a speaker at conferences, and is the author of over fifty-five books, including Christianity for Modern Pagans, The Philosophy of Jesus, and Handbook of Christian Apologetics.

A giant in stature and influence, the late Henry Hyde’s defense of freedom, justice, and the sanctity of innocent human life left a powerful legacy on Capitol Hill and around the world.  Catch the Burning Flag: Speeches and Random Observations is a handsome hardcover collection that captures the most important thoughts and deepest reflections by the great conservative, renowned for decades as the House of Representative’s most persuasive orator. A must for your library, Catch the Burning Flag includes Hyde’s most powerful speeches (with his own insightful commentary) on a range of topics, from the Clinton impeachment trials, term limits, and abortion to flag burning, the Iran-Contra affair, and the fate of Democracy.

From the Foreword:

“These speeches reflect a rare combination of eloquence and erudition, and something more. In an age of increasing specialization on Capitol Hill, Henry Hyde was the Renaissance man there. Readers of this book must be impressed by the breadth and variety of his expertise. Considering the liberal assault on Hyde as a Catholic extremist who keeps poor women from abortions and persecuted Bill Clinton, the tone here may come as a surprise to some. These selections are free of Republican partisanship and remarkably non-ideological.

A collected book of speeches is rare in 21st Century American politics because hardly any members of today’s political class have anything to say that is worth putting between hard covers. It is painful even to contemplate reading the pabulum passing for oratory–tired rhetoric distilled from partisan talking points. I cannot think of more than two or three sitting members of Congress who conceivably would publish a collection of their speeches that anyone other than members of their immediate families would want to read.

Hyde delivered two of the rare speeches in the contemporary House that were recalled beyond the moment of their presentation: one in behalf of a constitutional amendment against flag burning, and the other against term limits. In each, he was able to take two unpopular causes derided by the liberal establishment (the news media in particular) and elevate them with the combination of eloquence and scholarship that has marked his Congressional oratory.”–Robert Novak

Henry J. Hyde (1924-2007) served as a Republican Congressman from the Illinois 6th District from 1975 to 2007, following service in the state legislature from 1986 to 1974. Considered to be the most persuasive speaker on Capitol Hill, he was chairman of the House Judiciary and International Relations Committees. The Chicago native graduated from Georgetown University and Loyola University School of Law, served in the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946, and the United States Naval Reserve until 1968.

What They Are Saying:

“Henry Hyde’s luminous career demonstrated that strong convictions, strongly fought for, need not be impediments to bipartisan respect and affection. Readers of this volume will be delighted by the power of a much-loved man’s public life. Their delight will be dampened only by the melancholy realization of how rare such men are.”–George F. Will, Pulitzer Prize-winning syndicated columnist

“For more than three decades, Henry Hyde was one of the most respected Members of Congress. No wonder that this collection of his speeches and essays is wise and inspiring, poignant and funny, candid and insightful–sometimes all at the same time. Hyde recently received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, our nation’s highest civilian honor. This book shows how richly he deserved it.”–Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight, Knights of Columbus

Classical Education: The Movement Sweeping America examines the decline of American education and offers a solution. It is not more spending or a new and innovative program. Rather the solution, according to authors Gene Edward Veith, Jr. and Andrew Kern, is classical education.

“America education cannot improve until we have a new theory of education. Fortunately, one exists,” Veith and Kern write. “An increasing number of schools and educators are returning to an approach to education that is the bedrock of Western culture:  classical education.”

Veith and Kern examine contemporary education theories that have failed during the 20th century. Among them are modernism, postmodernism, and multiculturalism. They in turn produced Whole Language, Goals 2000, School-to-Work, critical thinking and technology in the classroom. It is clear that these approaches are not working.

In Classical Education, the authors examine six different approaches elementary and secondary schools use to tie the “3 Rs” to the moral and civic education of the Western tradition. They include Christian Classicism, which is advocated by the Association of Classical and Christian Schools; Democratic Classicism, which has been adopted by over 100 public schools; Moral Classicism, which is based on the idea that education is a path to virtue; and Liberating Classicism, Marva Collins’ program for minority children in poor neighborhoods that emphasizes phonics and character education.

This revised and updated edition includes new chapters on classical education in Catholic schools and in the homeschooling movement.

Veith and Kern also review the best liberal arts colleges in the U.S. that teach Western tradition and they provide a directory listing of organizations that work for a return to classical education.

Gene Edward Veith is Professor of English and Director of the Cranach Institute at Concordia University-Wisconsin. He is the culture editor of World magazine and author of a dozen books, including Reading Between the Lines: A Christian Guide to Literature, State of the Arts: From Bezalel to Mapplethorpe, Modern Fascism: The Liquidation of the Judeo-Christian Worldview, Postmodern Times: A Christian Guide to Contemporary Thought and Culture, and Christians in a Dot.Com World. Veith is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma and received a Ph.D. in English from the University of Kansas.

Andrew Kern is director of CIRCE (Consulting and Integrated Resources for Classical Education), a consulting and research service to classical schools and those that want to start one. He helped establish two classical schools, Providence Academy in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Foundations Academy in Boise, Idaho, and has taught every grade from third to twelfth on almost every subject. A sought-after teacher-trainer, Kern is a popular speaker at classical education conferences and workshops. He is a graduate of Concordia University.

What They Are Saying:

“This is a perfect little book on a vast subject: lucid without being simplistic, opinionated without being dogmatic, comprehensive yet to the point. In unaffected, everyday language, it conveys a wealth of ancient education wisdom to modern minds.”–David Hicks, author of Norms and Nobility: A Treatise on Education

“Classical Education reminds us that every achievement of humankind is valuable, and every child’s soul is damaged when we fail to demand that they achieve. Our young people respond with violence and anger when schools and teachers put labels on them: “Inferior,” “born to fail,” “inability to cope.” Our children don’t need tags, measures, inkblot tests. They are screaming for a curriculum that challenges their minds.”–Marva Collins, founder of Westside Preparatory School, Chicago

The work of Benedictine priest, theologian, and world-renowned physicist Stanley Jaki is given its first systematic study here inCreation and Scientific Creativity. Haffner also provides a full bibliography of over three decades of Jaki’s scholarship, along with a comprehensive overview of Jaki’s life and career.

While conservatives are presumed to be critical of Darwin’s theory, many on the right, such as George Will, James Q. Wilson, and Larry Arnhart, have mounted a vigorous defense of Darwinism. As Discovery Institute’s John West explains in his book, Darwin’s Conservatives: The Misguided Quest, their attempts to reconcile conservatism and Darwinian biology misunderstand both.

In this small but incisive book, Dr. West addresses how Darwin’s theory, contrary to its conservative champions, manifestly does not reinforce the teachings of conservatism. According to West, Darwinism promotes moral relativism rather than traditional morality. It fosters utopianism rather than limited government. It is corrosive, rather than supportive, of both free will and religious belief. Finally, and most importantly, Darwinian evolution is in tension with the scientific evidence, and conservatism cannot hope to strengthen itself by relying on Darwinism’s increasingly shaky empirical foundations.  This book issues a challenge to conservatives they cannot afford to ignore. According to According to,  Prof. J. Budziszewski of the University of Texas, Austin, hails the book for “showing clearly that Darwinism is not a source of conservative insight into human nature, but only a source of confusion.”

Dr. John West is a Senior Fellow at the Seattle-based Discovery Institute, where he is Associate Director of Discovery’s Center for Science & Culture and Vice President for Public Policy and Legal Affairs. Dr. West holds a Ph.D in Government from Claremont Graduate University and a B.A. in Communications from the University of Washington.

What They Are Saying:

“Darwin’s Conservatives is concise, precise and convincing. …” — Phillip E. Johnson author of Darwin on Trial

“John West rolls through the arguments for a pro-Darwin conservatism like an Abrams tank leveling a street barricade: methodically and irresistibly. If there are any conservative Darwinists left after this rout, it’s only because they won’t stand and fight.” — George Gilder, author of Wealth & Poverty and Telecosm.

This succinct but illuminating book defends the free market, while criticizing a narrowly economistic understanding of man and society. Baldacchino argues that a sound economy has ethical and cultural prerequisites that are integral to its survival. Includes an introduction by Russell Kirk.

Joseph Baldacchino is the President of the National Humanities Institute and Editor of the academic journal Humanitas. For many years he was a Washington reporter and editor, in which capacity he addressed most aspects of national policy and politics but with particular emphasis on ethical and cultural issues. Baldacchino is editor of Educating for Virtue and, with others, the author of Irving Babbitt in Our Time. His present writing project, with others, is a constitutional history of the United States entitled Who We Are: The Story of America’s Constitution.

From the Introduction:

“Any society’s moral order develops from its religion, its philosophy, its humane literature. The discipline of political economy, little understood until the latter half of the eighteenth century, is no independent creation: what economic views one holds must depend upon one’s apprehension of human nature. An economic system indifferent to morality will not long endure. For proof of these theses, read with attention Baldacchino’s succinct study, the work of a sound scholar endowed with a philosophical habit of mind.”–Russell Kirk

What They Are Saying:

“Baldacchino has raised many of the important issues on which we economists and historians of economic thought need to get busy”–William F. Campbell, Jr., Louisiana State University