A New Republic

In A New Republic, one of America’s most respected historians offers a major statement on the nature of our political system and a critical look at the underpinnings of our society. American democracy, says John Lukacs, has been transformed from an exercise in individual freedom and opportunity to a bureaucratic system created by and for the dominance of special groups. His book, first published in 1984 as Outgrowing Democracy, is now reissued with a new introduction, in which Lukacs explains his methodology, and a new final chapter, which sums up Lukacs’s thoughts on American democracy today.

Reviews of the earlier edition

“A rich, subtle, and often ingenious argument . . . an eloquent, provocative, but disturbing book.”—Edwin M. Yoder, Jr., Washington Post Book World

“Mr. Lukacs is an original and subtle historian, and [this book] is an engaging intellectual surprise party. . . . I was continuously enchanted by the play of his ideas—by the sharpness of his distinctions and the acuteness of his descriptions.”—Naomi Bliven, New Yorker

“It has been a long time since Americans were offered such a provocative interpretation of their historical predicament. . . . We would be foolish not to examine it closely.”—Laurence Tool, Society

In A New Republic, one of America’s most respected historians offers a major statement on the nature of our political system and a critical look at the underpinnings of our society. American democracy, says John Lukacs, has been transformed from an exercise in individual freedom and opportunity to a bureaucratic system created by and for the dominance of special groups. His book, first published in 1984 as Outgrowing Democracy, is now reissued with a new introduction, in which Lukacs explains his methodology, and a new final chapter, which sums up Lukacs’s thoughts on American democracy today.

Reviews of the earlier edition

“A rich, subtle, and often ingenious argument . . . an eloquent, provocative, but disturbing book.”—Edwin M. Yoder, Jr., Washington Post Book World

“Mr. Lukacs is an original and subtle historian, and [this book] is an engaging intellectual surprise party. . . . I was continuously enchanted by the play of his ideas—by the sharpness of his distinctions and the acuteness of his descriptions.”—Naomi Bliven, New Yorker

“It has been a long time since Americans were offered such a provocative interpretation of their historical predicament. . . . We would be foolish not to examine it closely.”—Laurence Tool, Society

Library Journal

Published as Outgrowing Democracy in 1984, Lukacs's volume contends that our nation's concept of democracy has been altered over time. This edition includes a new introduction and closing chapter updating the author's thoughts. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

John Lukacs is the author of more than twenty books on history, among them The Hitler of History; The End of the Twentieth Century and the End of the Modern Age (nominated for the Pulitzer Prize) and six books available from Yale University Press.