Heaven Can Indeed Fall: The Life of Willmoore Kendall (Political Theory for Today)

Willmoore Kendall was a man against the world, a "maverick," an "iconoclast." His thoughts were profound, his countless enemies powerful, his personal life full of drama. Heaven Can Indeed Fall is the first full-length biography of Kendall and integrates the man with the teacher, thinker, and cold warrior. Once a Marxist, Kendall became a fearsome foe of global communism. He never apologized for supporting Joseph McCarthy. As the co-founder of National Review he helped turn the word liberal into an insult. A "stormy petrel," Kendall was a man "who never lost an argument or kept a friend." Yet he was one of the most effective and sensitive teachers of his age. His ideas shaped Cold War practices of intelligence analysis and psychological warfare. As an academic he became the premier American theorist for conservative populism. The recent reemergence of populist ideas among American conservatives makes understanding Kendall ever more imperative. This book shows how a child prodigy and bucolic boy scout became an ambitious intelligence analyst, razor-tongued polemicist and profound student of American politics. By knowing Kendall one can better understand Cold War America, and contemporary America as well.ISBN : 9781793624444 Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Contents List of Illustrations Preface: 1959: Willmoore Il Magnifico Notes Acknowledgments List of Abbreviations Introduction Notes Chapter 1: 1909–1929: Sightless Senior and the “Boy Wonder” Notes Chapter 2: 1929–1935: “I Beg to Disagree” Notes Chapter 3: 1935–1942: “A Great Creature of the Earth” Notes Chapter 4: 1942–1947: “Spreading Like the Green Bay Tree” Notes Chapter 5: 1947–1954: “It Sure Is a Hard World” Notes Chapter 6: 1954–1959: “Why Are You So Damn Logical?” Notes Chapter 7: 1959–1963: “In Open Air Again” Notes Chapter 8: 1963–1967: “Kendall for King” Notes Conclusion Bibliography Index About the Author "Willmoore Kendall was a man against the world, a "maverick," an "iconoclast," a man "who never lost an argument or kept a friend." He co-founded National Review, helped turn the word liberal into an insult, and became the chief theorist of conservative populism. Understanding Kendall helps us understand America"-- Provided by publisher