Bradley talks about his biography on the influential conservative writer russell park. This was recorded at the 2016 Chicago Tribune led fast. Lit fest. [applause] good morning everybody it is great to be around a bunch of friends who feel the same way. It is my pleasure to help kick of lit fest. Ay it is my pleasure to welcome bradley j berserk who is the author of russell kirk, american conservative. Bradley is the russell kirk chair and a professor of history at hillsdale college. He came over this morning from southcentral michigan. He is here to talk about his book about russell kirk. One of the first questions i have is who is russell clear . Undoubtedly cast a very large shadow over american political and intellectual thought in the latter half of the 20th century. It could be argued that he still does. Namerussell kirks is not a that is much known these days, or much less invoked. , butbook does many things it also helps serve as a marvelous and bracing introduction to russell
Began, he was raised in that commonwealth and graduated summa cum laude from tufts university. He then earned an ma and phd from harvard university, where he studied under bernard bailyn. He taught at harvard and the university of michigan before joining the faculty at brown in 1969. A prolific author, professor wood has won numerous awards. In 1970, his book creation of the american republic, 17761787 won the bancroft prize. In 1993, his radicalism of the American Revolution won the Pulitzer Prize for history. The americanization of Benjamin Franklin was awarded the Julia Ward Howe prize by the Boston Authors Club in 2005. His volume in the oxford history of the United States entitled empire of liberty a history of the early republic, 17891815 was given the association of american publishers award for history and biography in 2009, the American History book prize by the New York Historical society, and the society of the cincinnati history prize in 2010. Incidentally, professor wood,
The faculty at brown in 1969. A prolific author, professor wood has won numeral russ awaou. In 1970 his book won the ban cost prize. In 1993, his radicalism of the American Revolution won the pulitzer price for history. The americanzation of Benjamin Franklin was awarded a prize by the Boston Authors Club in 2005. His volume in the oxford history of the United States entitled empire of liberty a history of the early republic was given the association of american publishers award for history and biography in 2009. The American History book prize by the New York Historical society and the society of the cincinnati history prize in 2010. Incidentally, proefessor wood, e heard from someone else from the society last week. He was awarded a medal by president obama. He is a fellow of the American Academy of arts and sciences and the american philosophical society, the countrys oldest learned society. He and his wife louise have three children, two of whom are professors and all of whom are i
Innovative course award on the topic of ordinary lives in the American Revolution. And his book stolen, which tells the true story about five boys who were kidnapped in the north and smuggled into slavery in the deep south is being published in october. So thank you once again for joining us this evening. And without any further ado, please join me in welcoming dr. Rick bell. All right, folks, thanks to heather and cspan for covering this. Those of you might have heard me give other programs wont be surprised to hear my strange accept which is not exactly a maryland natives accent. I born and raised in england yet find myself teaching about American Revolution, which is a blessing and a curse in an under graduate classroom to teach with an accent like this. Im very proud where i grew up. I often carry in my back pocket on occasions like this a giant british flag, which i might drape around the scenery for cspan to drink in. But i was also naturalized as a u. S. Citizen a couple of year
Normandy, thinking about what to do, that campaign in the mediterranean into europe from i just didnt have the heart for it. Ive been thinking for a long time about what it is i really wanted to do and as a narrative writer, the boys had a fascination since i was a kid. So im one third of the way in from what i hoped would be another trilogy. This one is a history of the revolution from both the american side and the british side. Why do you say its more important now than ever . When we look at the resolution, we are trying to figure out who we are, who we come from. We are trying to understand if anybody can themselves. What are they dying for . What is that all about . It seems to me that this day, in a moment when the country is with the most practice in politics that you and i can remember, trying to understand the first to come out of the revolution at the beginning of the republican, its important to remind us of who we are and what people are willing to die for. From your book,