Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto

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Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto

4.12 of 5 stars 4.12 · rating details · 3,112 ratings · 491 reviews

Conservative talk radio's fastest-growing superstar is also a New York Times bestselling phenomenon: the author of the groundbreaking critique of the Supreme Court, Men in Black, and the deeply personal dog lover's memoir Rescuing Sprite, Mark R. Levin now delivers the book that characterizes both his devotion to his more than 5 million listeners and his love of our countr...more

Hardcover, 256 pages

Published March 24th 2009 by Threshold Editions (first published January 1st 2009)

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Mar 17, 2012 Mike (the Paladin) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Conservative. That word is a bit over used you know? I mean I'm a conservative, but what does that mean to you and to anyone and everyone else for that matter? To Karen Finney on MSNBC we have been informed that "conservative Values" is code for "race".

If you believe that, you don't understand what a conservative is. (And I suspect Clarence Thomas, Condoleezza Rice, Thomas Sowell, etc., etc might disagree with you.)

If you have an open mind and if you really want to know what a conservative is...more

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Jun 18, 2009 Elizabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars

Liberty and Tyranny by Mark R. Levin (pp. 256)

Subtitled “A Conservative Manifesto”, Levin does a strong job of articulating a modern conservative perspective without a lot of the base pandering hyperbole. The first two chapters read much like an intro level Poly Sci class referencing Jefferson, de Tocqueville, the Declaration of Independence, and other origin classics.

The problem with reviewing any political text, especially one by a popular TV/radio host, is that personal politics may greatly a...more

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Jan 31, 2010 Kipi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, read-in-2009

4.5 stars

Most of the polls I’ve been able to find have our country fairly split 45% conservative/ 10 middle-of-the-road/45% liberal. The levels of conviction of those two groups of 45% vary from “very” to “moderate, leaning” on both sides. While most of the mainstream TV media (with the exception of Fox News) leans left, talk radio leans right, and that’s where Mark Levin has found his niche. Here in the DFW area you can hear his show every afternoon on WBAP 820 from 5:00 - 8:00. With all the dr...more 4.5 stars

Most of the polls I’ve been able to find have our country fairly split 45% conservative/ 10 middle-of-the-road/45% liberal. The levels of conviction of those two groups of 45% vary from “very” to “moderate, leaning” on both sides. While most of the mainstream TV media (with the exception of Fox News) leans left, talk radio leans right, and that’s where Mark Levin has found his niche. Here in the DFW area you can hear his show every afternoon on WBAP 820 from 5:00 - 8:00. With all the driving of children to this activity or that, I have heard his show often. I will admit that I don’t usually listen for long. Either we get to where we are going so the radio is turned off, the Rangers game starts or I get a little tired of hearing Mark yell.

And he yells a lot.

Not that I don’t agree with most of what he says. I just don’t like the yelling.

When it comes to writing, though, he is quite articulate, and his latest work is Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto. Anyone who has spent time listening to his radio show can have no doubt as to where he stands on the issues, and he lays it out here precisely, piece by piece. He is an attorney, so he makes his arguments well. He does, in fact, say what most conservatives wish that their Republican congressmen would say, and he says it with passion.

The 45% of Americans that consider themselves conservative will read this book and be more certain of their convictions. The 45% who are liberal, whom Levin calls “statists,” will probably find nothing here that will change their minds. I don’t believe, though, that the intent of the book was to win over those who vehemently disagree with him, any more than Al Franken or Michael Moore believe that they could win over a true conservative. It just isn’t going to happen. That 10% in the middle could be another matter. I…from my starting point as a conservative…found the logic of his arguments compelling. It is laid out well, making one point after another in clear concise language. The only chapter that was sort of lawyer-sounding was the one on the Constitution. He refers back to that magnificent document throughout the book, but it is only that one section that was a tad too lawyer-ese-y for me.

For anyone who is uncomfortable with the socialist direction in which our country seems to be heading, I would highly recommend this book. Read it and then write your representatives at all levels of government, and let them know how you feel. If you lean more to the left, I would still recommend it as a well-written book…I’m just pretty sure you won’t like it. Whether you agree with his stance or not, he is resonating with American readers. The book has been #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list (non-fiction) since it was published five weeks ago. It is also the #1 non-fiction seller at Amazon.com.(less)

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Jun 26, 2009 Charlotte rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone interested in living in a safe, prosperous country

Recommended to Charlotte by: heard on the radio

Shelves: economics-politics, favorites, nonfiction, top-shelf

I have been a student of economics and free markets for awhile now. While I'm no professor, I do have a pretty clear grasp of what makes a healthy and strong economy and country, and what hurts one. I thought that reading Levin's book would be more preaching to the choir, but I was very pleasantly surprised. He is knowledgeable, factual, and presents things in a most refreshing way. I often have to revisit concepts I thought I was familiar with to really grasp what he was educating us about in h...more

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Apr 16, 2011 Mark added it

From 1776 to 1781, the U.S. founding fathers worked to draft and ratify a document that established a limited government that would bring together a confederation of the states. Their goal in limiting the scope of government power was to protect the sovereignty of states and maximize individual freedom. It quickly became evident that the powers granted the Continental Congress were simply too weak for effective governing and our current Constitution had to be drafted. Their desire for a limited...more From 1776 to 1781, the U.S. founding fathers worked to draft and ratify a document that established a limited government that would bring together a confederation of the states. Their goal in limiting the scope of government power was to protect the sovereignty of states and maximize individual freedom. It quickly became evident that the powers granted the Continental Congress were simply too weak for effective governing and our current Constitution had to be drafted. Their desire for a limited government remained the same, though, and many on all side of the political spectrum have lost sight of this. Ronald Reagan famously said that "government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem." Too many feel that only government can solve all our problems, and this is exactly what Mark Levin addresses in his book Liberty and Tyranny.

Levin sets up most of the book as a differentiation between two imaginary characters, The Statist and The Conservative. He provides an eye-opening summary of the battle of principles being played out in our own time. The first several chapters cover Faith, The Constitution, and Federalism, but by chapter 7, we start to recognize the very things that are happening in the U.S. today. Here he addresses the welfare state being promoted by the current administration, and all progressives over the last 100 years.

"If the Statist were to devise a scheme whereby a grandparent would be stealing future earnings from his own grandchild, would the grandparent consent to such immoral behavior?"

If you think not, maybe you just aren't paying attention. This week the congress has been planning to raise the debt ceiling another $1.9 trillion to a total of $14.3 trillion. What's the plan here? Spend the government into the ground. Create total dependence on government. Remake the government in your own image. Google: Cloward and Piven, or Saul Alinsky

It's not just the massive spending programs that have taken place over the past year, but the unfunded liabilities from entitlement programs like Social Security. They've led people to believe that their taxes are being taken and put into a savings account on their behalf (that's what the privatization of social security would have done if the Dems hadn't killed it under Bush.) On the contrary, they simply take money from workers, write checks to retirees, and promise to pay workers back when it's their turn to retire. As of this writing, Social Security liabilities stand above $14 trillion. Total U.S. UNFUNDED liabilities stands over $107 trillion. If you're breathing and you are a U.S. citizen, you owe $347,000, even if you were literally born yesterday. Adding "free" health care into the mix is a guaranteed disaster. The last year should have been spent lowering taxes and allowing the private sector to create jobs, not raising taxes and spending more, while no jobs were created (or saved) and official unemployment soars past 10% (at least 17% when you add in people who have given up looking for a job).

Chapter 8 is about enviro-statism. Whenever someone says the debate is over, and the science is settled, be very skeptical. Global warming continues to crumble under the weight of its own cover-ups, and the "scientists" just yell louder that the debate is over, calling skeptics "deniers". They simply don't have the science to show the Earth is warming, let alone to show that it's man-made. The greenies have doubled down on their efforts towards environmental control, translated into control of YOU. Cap and trade will not have any effect on the environment. What it would do if passed is make people who are invested in "green technology" like Al Gore and General Electric rich, and force the working man to pay double for energy, and eliminate cheap energy needed for developing countries. More government control. Less freedom. Decreasing prosperity.

Chapter 9 is one of the most unsettling in the book. Illegal immigrants are literally changing the face and culture of the country. Continued unchecked mass immigration is unsustainable, just like current government spending. The preservation of our history and culture is impossible when illegals continue to flood over the border, refuse to assimilate or learn the language, set up their own communities, and reproduce at a rate higher than naturalized citizens, providing "anchor babies" in a distortion of U.S. law. It's estimated that 9 percent of the population of Mexico was living in the U.S. by 2004. For 40 years the flood has continued, and must be stopped. By the time 2010 is out, progressives will not doubt have a bill proposing citizenship for illegals who are already here. Those who began their association with the country by breaking the law, don't pay income taxes (the Fair Tax would force them to), and use facilities such as emergency rooms without paying, would become voters that ensure progressive (not to be confused with actual progress) control of government for generations to come.

After a chapter about gun control, Mark Levin ends his relatively small volume with about 10 pages summarizing the basic conservative position on various aspects of politics. His book provides a potent counterpoint to those to say conservatives are simply a party of "no". Look closer at those things to which we say "no": Change for the sake of change, a government that insists we push a $1 trillion health care bill through congress in a matter of weeks, unconstitutional government control, higher taxes, higher energy costs, inaction on illegal immigration.(less)

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Aug 12, 2012 Don Incognito rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

I wasn't planning to read this book, but someone gave it to me as a gift. "A Conservative Manifesto" is a pretty apt title. It's a thoughtful discussion of various issues important to conservatives, and then a short list of relatively general suggestions for what to do about them, mostly at the political level.
This is a fairly short book--just over 200 pages--and is thoughtful but not extremely deep or revelatory. If you've been a conservative for a while, you won't learn much that you don't alr...more

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Jun 15, 2012 Jay rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: politics, non-fiction

If you want to know the difference between being a Conservative and being a Liberal you must read this book. After you read it you will have a better understanding of what a Statist is and does and how it effects you. It's one of the best books I've ever read and one of the most important.

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Feb 08, 2013 Zach rated it 4 of 5 stars

Straight to the point: "Liberty and Tyranny" is a well-written manifesto that lays down the Conservative ideology succinctly and accurately. Mark Levin does a tremendous job explaining the views of the Conservative, as well as the Statist, and what each group's intentions are and how it plans to attain them. Mr. Levin's analysis of the "Statist" may seem harsh throughout the book, but he supports his findings with verifiable facts that makes one hard-pressed to argue with some of the analyses re...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars

I don't usually like "political" books, I've read a coupld by Sean Hannity and Ann Coulter and found them terribly unsatisfying. I thought that was what Mark Levin's book "Libery and Tyranny" was when I picked it up. I could not have been more wrong. Instead it is a primer of Conservatism or as close to one as I've seen. I have always had what I consider "Conservative" beliefs and it is easier for me to tell what a Conservative isn't than what one is. For instance, I look at either of the Bush p...more

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Mar 04, 2012 Adam Wiggins rated it 2 of 5 stars

=== Synopsis

The Conservative believes that there is an underlying moral order: an interlocking set of virtues, duties, and rights. The (often unwritten) rules of cooperation that promote the betterment of individual and society are what the author calls "civil society."

Civil society and the moral order are encoded in, and executed through, the collection of culture, language, family, religion, and local, state, and federal government. When these pieces interlock smoothly, it creates maximum pros...more

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Jul 27, 2011 Kash rated it 5 of 5 stars

I've never listened to Mark Levin before. I am not a fan of his radio show either. Too busy with other stuff. Though I have to admit I liked his recent book "Liberty And Tyranny". It gave me enough knowledge and information to figure out the correct path in each debate, especially on health care and immigration issues. I think this book is a great one in terms of reminding people of how powerful they can be in rolling back the Statists' agenda. The book is written in an eloquent way that reminds...more

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Oct 15, 2010 Joseph rated it 5 of 5 stars

Much of what I have to say about this has been adequately stated by other reviewers. First off, this book is unlike other books written by pundits, which tend to be directed at specific people or address a particular event or issue within politics.

Liberty and Tyranny is a must read for the moderate, libertarian, anarchist, liberal, and Republican. For well read American conservatives, this may not tell you anything you don't already know. This volume concisely makes the case that conservatism i...more

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Sep 18, 2010 Kirk Sinclair rated it 2 of 5 stars

Perhaps I should put a disclaimer as to why I read this book. I am a "grassroots empiricist," meaning: 1) the literal meaning of words matter and 2) localized community experiences matter more than centralized ideologies. When I first saw the title I immediately was disinclined to read it because: 1) liberty and manifesto do not belong together literally, so 2) I suspected that this was some type of ideological propaganda. I did not really know anything about Mark Levin ahead of time so only the...more Perhaps I should put a disclaimer as to why I read this book. I am a "grassroots empiricist," meaning: 1) the literal meaning of words matter and 2) localized community experiences matter more than centralized ideologies. When I first saw the title I immediately was disinclined to read it because: 1) liberty and manifesto do not belong together literally, so 2) I suspected that this was some type of ideological propaganda. I did not really know anything about Mark Levin ahead of time so only the title formed the basis of this opinion.

Precisely because I'm a "grassroots empiricist" that unpacks the meaning of words and puts a premium on actual experiences, my conservative nephew asked me to deconstruct this for him. He agreed with it in principle but thought there were things not quite right about it. As it turns out his intuitions were sound.

The title, in fact, is indicative of a good many hypocrisies wrapped into Levin's thesis. You would be bored to tears if I exposed them all so I'll just feature one. Levin faults the Statist court that came out of the New Deal, and the heavy-handedness of FDR to pack that court. In truth, the Supreme Court was first packed in 1800 by Federalists, and in 1805 had arbitrarily made itself the final arbiter of the Constitution (that role is not accorded to the Supreme Court by the Constitution itself).

Up until the New Deal the Supreme Court demonstrated the same "Statist" tendencies that Levin criticizes, they were just done for a different purpose. Furthermore, by the seventies one could make a fair argument that the "Statist" court had returned to its original nature, branded as the "laissez faire" court in the nineteenth century.

I actually wrote a series of blog posts that unpacked some of the other hypocrisies of this work, once again at the behest of my conservative nephew. I'm neither conservative nor liberal; I believe strongly in fighting the misinformation either ideology tends to generate.

Overall, the work would be better titled: Order and Tyranny. Levin really advocates the type of order typical of a conservative position. There is nothing wrong with that. We need order, just as we need liberty. When you use propaganda to "have it both ways," so to make it seem that your ideology has no trade-offs, is when you create more harm than benefit for society.

Despite these problems I give the book two stars instead of one because, after all, I have no doubt that propaganda is its intent and the book achieves its goal with a fairly well-written style. The people most likely to read it would be likely to embrace it without awareness of the hypocrisies.(less)

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Nov 10, 2009 Spaniard rated it 5 of 5 stars

Mark Levin begins his masterpiece by meticulously detailing the idea of American Sovereignty which is rooted in a belief that God has given man a desire for liberty. In so doing he describes how liberals reject this notion of American Superiority and how they seek to surrender voluntarily the sovereignty that our forefathers fought and died for. According to Levin the desire of the founders was to give their posterity a free nation, unencumbered of political weights that always run any nation ag...more Mark Levin begins his masterpiece by meticulously detailing the idea of American Sovereignty which is rooted in a belief that God has given man a desire for liberty. In so doing he describes how liberals reject this notion of American Superiority and how they seek to surrender voluntarily the sovereignty that our forefathers fought and died for. According to Levin the desire of the founders was to give their posterity a free nation, unencumbered of political weights that always run any nation aground. Levin makes the case that conservatives should be familiar and know the philosophical, historical, and theological foundations for the principles they wish to disseminate in order to defend liberty from the tyranny of good intentions by the liberal left.

There are many on the political right who find themselves unable to articulate conservative ideas. Aside from Ronald Reagan, Pat Buchanan, and Alan Keyes have you ever encountered an articulate presentation of just what is a conservative? In Liberty and Tyranny Mark Levin outlines a conservative primer where he states in no uncertain terms what precisely a conservative believes regarding social progress, the role of government, rights of individuals as being derived from God, free market enterprise, general welfare based on the decisions of individuals and not the State, eco extremism, the power of representative government being usurped by an activist judiciary, uncontrolled illegal immigration, and so much more.

In what I regard as the best part of the book, Levin interweaves the disciplines of philosophy, logic, and history to define “statism” as the longing for complete control of all human activity by a collective group of humans who supposedly know better, these generally comprise workers of the State or the federal government. As you read further and encounter other parts of the book you will notice that Levin uses another definition to describe the statist mindset, as that which believes that the federal government is supreme, correct and the first place whereby all individuals should turn to have their everyday problems solved. If you are thinking Great Society, Obama bailouts and government control of car companies, and banks, then you are not far in your understanding of how deep the modern ideology of liberal “statism” has permeated our culture and society. I trust you will find this tome a worthy read and may you always fight for freedom and liberty.

(less)

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Aug 23, 2009 Rick rated it 4 of 5 stars

I liked this book because it was succint and to the point. Each chapter takes a general political ideology and breaks it down to the facts of how we got to where we are today on the topic (like gloabal warming) and describes how a conservative (not a Republican) would/should deal with the topic. Growing up I always heard about DDT and how it was a terrible chemical that caused deformities and contaminated food and water. Come to find out there has never been any evidence of deformity and the dru...more

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Jul 11, 2009 Chris rated it 5 of 5 stars

As promised, an excellent read, laying down the foundation for Conservatism, it's history, why it's essential to preserve it, and ways of preserving it. Levin methodically and empirically submits the case of liberalism (i.e. statism) versus conservatism and why conservatism is THE only ideology (historically and presently) that exists to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States and the people of this great land. Statism is a stealth and dangerous ideology and one that cannot "def...more

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Jun 15, 2009 Emily rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone

Recommended to Emily by: my mom

I loved this book. I borrowed it from a friend, but I will definitely be buying my own copy and making it part of my home school curriculum at some point. It is one of the most well-informed political books I have ever read. It explains in detail how we have strayed greatly from the Constitution and what the consequences of that are. Levin is very intelligent and explains things very well, without being too high brow--anyone could understand what he is talking about. The book is presented as a s...more

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May 17, 2009 Lynn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Mark Levin has crafted an outstanding summary of the heart of conservatism. Possibly the most striking approach is that he does not identify "liberals" as the antithesis of conservatives, but rather Statists. In doing so, he frames a poignant argument that provides a valuable yardstick to identifying Statists dressed in conservative clothing.

Far from simply being a summary of conservative principles, Mark Levin draws from today's national scene and compares and contrasts Conservative and Statist...more

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view all 9 comments

Jason Williams Cool. Except, again, you try to slip the term "free enterprise" in there. You probably aren't aware of your minor semiotic slips that are products of,...more
Aug 16, 2009 09:40pm

Lynn I think I figured out what made me lose interest in continuing the exchange. I tried to go back to your initial couple of posts as "shujew," to see if...more I think I figured out what made me lose interest in continuing the exchange. I tried to go back to your initial couple of posts as "shujew," to see if I inadvertently set the tone, but they have disappeared for some reason (not my doing). While I could be wrong, comparing the tenor of the subsequent posts leads me to believe it wasn't me. My apologies if it was.

It's the condescension. Statements like "Oh, probably because you don't even know what that is." You see, you're not even seeking to educate and persuade, but rather to flaunt a presumed academic mastery or intellectual superiority. I'm happy to debate the ins and outs of economic and political systems, but it's only fun when dealing with someone who doesn't rely on snide remarks and condescension, especially when they are the guests on someone else's page.

I might, *maybe*, be more interested if I wasn't working 80+ hours a week getting a new project off the ground, but at the moment the discussion isn't even remotely diverting or engaging enough to warrant spending any more precious "free time" on it.

I'd also ordinarily be happy to take the discussion in smaller chunks and over a longer span of time, but since I don't have a clue who you are (and I have no idea what brought you to my initial posting), I don't even have an interest in doing that. As I mentioned, the condescension kind of killed my interest. I've found debate with opposing viewpoints to be wonderful experiences in the past, but you're not fun to chat with. There's a chance I might get lured back into a discussion if it looks appealing (I really do love discussion and debate)... but my experience here so far leads me to doubt it.

And as for not knowing what an anarcho-syndicalist is... it was immortalized by Dennis the Peasant in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I could write more, of course, but why bother? Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to get back to "(perpetuating) the economic and social differences in our society."

All the best,
Lynn(less)
updated Aug 17, 2009 05:34pm

May 07, 2009 Douglas Stewart rated it 5 of 5 stars

Every generation is eventually defined, in history, by how they responded to and reacted to the challenges they faced. For better or for worse, everyone from Academia to the typical blue-collar worker will issue the generation, collectively, a grade on their performance. As the people of America remain divided on their opinion of progress inthese confusing times, Mark Levin, a constitutional attorney who served in the Reagan administration, helps the reader simplify the effects of our efforts an...more

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May 04, 2009 Darlene added it

I am neither condervative nor liberal. I got the book from the libary, becuase I listen to his talk show and he is very loud and rude. However, The book was interesting and gave a lot of historical facts; but, it truly shows how america has not grown. This book has been on the best sellers list for four weeks. Mr. Levin actually has the audacity to state that we need to force Latino people to assimilate. Does Mr. Levin not forget what happen the last time this country forced assimilation on a ra...more

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Oct 04, 2009 Ray rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is subtitled "A Conservative Manifesto", so it's clear what it's about. I don't see it as one which will convert the non-believers, but one which will reinforce the Conservative viewpoint.

Levin sees the ever expanding government as a threat to our historical liberty, and offers his common sense conservatism as the answer to this threat. The FDR Administration is one example of government excess which Levin refers to often. He cites FDR's administration as an example of the wrong direc...more

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Oct 20, 2010 Jon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-2010

Extremely well written and enjoyable relative to the subject matter. What I really liked about Levin was that he stayed away from classifying either party as one being liberal (Democrat) versus one being Conservative (Republican). He simply spoke from the pragmatic view of conservatism which is a direct contradiction to statism - the former espousing inalienable rights of the individual versus the latter espousing that the state knows best for the individual. He did not hesitate to be critical o...more

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Aug 16, 2012 Jacob rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: pysch-and-sociology, non-fiction, politics

I originally found out about Liberty and Tyranny when I saw it on a list of the best Conservative books. Prior to this reading, I had no idea who Levin was or what ideas he would be trying to focus on in this book. That said, saying I found this book underwhelming would be a gross understatement. I do not read any book expecting perfection but I do expect, especially when it comes to those books which debate the validity of a particular ideology, to be well reasoned and intellectually honest. Wh...more

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Jul 26, 2011 Ronald Wise rated it 1 of 5 stars

Billed as a "manifesto", key terms are made proper nouns (e.g., "the Conservative", "the Statist") to flag the right-wing code words. The things Levin likes are of course "Liberty", and everything else is equated to "Tyranny", sometimes with no supporting logic except that he does a short rant about something and concludes the paragraph with, "and that is tyranny."

There's nothing new in this book you won't find in Glen Beck, Bill O'Reilly, or Johah Goldberg, except for more recent examples of Ob...more

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Jul 07, 2010 Nathan rated it 1 of 5 stars

"Poorly argued" would be the short way I would describe my dissatisfaction with this book.

As for the longer version... I guess my biggest problem would be that the "opposition" the author describes appears to be a creation entirely of his own imagining. Everything from their background to their ideologies to their political agenda is outlined, yet nowhere does the author provide any evidence that there exists a group that actually matches the provided description.

The author provides these imagin...more "Poorly argued" would be the short way I would describe my dissatisfaction with this book.

As for the longer version... I guess my biggest problem would be that the "opposition" the author describes appears to be a creation entirely of his own imagining. Everything from their background to their ideologies to their political agenda is outlined, yet nowhere does the author provide any evidence that there exists a group that actually matches the provided description.

The author provides these imaginary people with a label - "Statists" - and then proceeds to argue why they and their vision for the future will be the destruction of America and the birth of a real-world system of government straight out of Orwell's "1984."
This sort of hyperbolic approach might have been just fine, if the author had actually used it to help illustrate his point of view and to show how the policies he's in favor of would help keep America from that terrible fate. But instead, everything discussed had the tone of: "The Statist wants you to believe 2+2=5, but I'm here to tell you it does not: it equals 4! But he is out there, and he is doing everything he can to convince us that the answer is 5... and thus we must be ever vigilant to keep him from achieving his dastardly goals."

(Ok, maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration, but the book really does read like that: here's an imaginary group of people who believe these imaginary things that are clearly detrimental to freedom in our country, and so we need to oppose them every chance we get.)

I was hoping for a more reasoned approach, one that might actually explain how rational people can legitimately be concerned about the possibility of tyranny emerging in our country, but this book simply doesn't provide that.

P.S. If you do go ahead and read it anyway, I'd suggest an exercise: every time the author describes an aspect of "the Statist," write it down. Then, when you've finished the book and have probably 5-10 pages of notes, type them up and post them here and we'll see if we can't figure out just who the heck this book was actually discussing! :-)(less)

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Apr 12, 2009 Jason rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: EVERYONE

Liberty & Tyranny is the current darling of the American conservative movement, and its record-breaking sales (Amazon) and place on the New York Times bestseller’s list is a point of pride for those who believe in the political ideology Levin espouses.
The books presents conservative beliefs, their origin, and contrast with the opposing point of view depicted as the “statist”, who can best be defined as the enemy of freedom and those who desire power over other people through manipulation of...more

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Jun 15, 2011 Michael rated it 2 of 5 stars

I asked a conservative family member to recommend some authors/books on conservative thought and practice. This book came highly recommended and was a decent delivery, though he should probably stick to radio.
As a liberal democrat and a scientist, the first several chapters were fairly painful to read. The subtitle was very well-chosen, it is a manifesto: all opinions intended to be interpreted as facts. Reading the first several chapters always made me think "But why?! What about ___?!" to near...more

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Feb 26, 2010 Laura rated it 1 of 5 stars

This was the book club choice for February. In the short synopsis I read on Amazon of this book I determined that this would not be a reading choice ranked high on my enjoyment scale. I decided to be as open minded about this read as I could manage. That said, if you are looking for an objective treatise on conservative politics verses liberal politics this is not it. To paraphrase a friend of mine who posted a review of Levin’s book recently on Goodreads — Conservatives = Saints- Liberals = Dem...more

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Jul 14, 2010 John Karp rated it 3 of 5 stars

Interesting read, so far. Author appears to be well versed in the Constitution. Certainly has an agenda in terms of this book and that's to bash Obama. I'm neither an Obama lover nor hater but I have a hard time calling everything black or white. I'm a little suspicious of anyone that takes an extreme point of view. His take on the Constitution is spot on - there are a lot of powers that should be leveraged by the states however over the last 200 years they've allowed the government to take over...more

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Feb 26, 2010 Greg rated it 2 of 5 stars

Mark Levin's Liberty & Tyranny (A Conservative Manifesto) is more like a 200 odd page assault on the Democratic party. While he chooses to create the image of a pitched battle between "The Conservative" and "The Statist", it's pretty easy to see straight through to the core of his message, Democrats are evil and want to create a Stalin-esque authoritarian state in America (or more specifically, that they already have).

This book is fraught with tautologies and straw man arguments, so much so...more

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About Mark R. Levin

Mark Levin has become one of the hottest properties in Talk radio, his top-rated show on WABC New York is now syndicated nationally by Cumulus Media. He is also one of the top new authors in the conservative political arena. Mark's radio show on WABC in New York City skyrocketed to Number 1 on the AM dial in his first 18 months on the air in the competitive 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM time slot. Mark's book...more Mark Levin has become one of the hottest properties in Talk radio, his top-rated show on WABC New York is now syndicated nationally by Cumulus Media. He is also one of the top new authors in the conservative political arena. Mark's radio show on WABC in New York City skyrocketed to Number 1 on the AM dial in his first 18 months on the air in the competitive 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM time slot. Mark's book Men in Black was released February 7, 2005 and quickly climbed to Number 3 in the nation on the New York Times Best-Seller list. When your book is endorsed by Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, you know you have a winner on your hands. In a short period of time, Mark has become one of the most listened to local radio Talk show hosts in the nation.

Mark Levin took over the WABC 6:00 PM slot on September 2, 2003. Before that, he hosted a popular Sunday afternoon program. "He's smart, witty, and fast on the draw," according to WABC Program Director Phil Boyce. "He has this sharp sarcastic wit that can easily stun his opponents. I know I would not want to debate him." Mark's show follows the ever popular Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity on WABC, but everyday he manages to come up with a new twist on the day's top news events, as well as his own unique information. His passion and intellect have made him a favorite of tens of thousands of radio listeners in the New York City area.

Mark has been a frequent guest and substitute host on The Sean Hannity Show, and has also been an advisor to Limbaugh, who frequently refers to him on the air with the nickname "F. Lee Levin." He is perhaps more well-known for his nickname, "The Great One," coined by his friend Hannity.

Mark Levin is one of America's preeminent conservative commentators and constitutional lawyers. He's in great demand as a political and legal commentator, and has appeared on hundreds of television and radio programs. Levin is also a contributing editor for National Review Online, and writes frequently for other publications. Levin has served as a top advisor to several members of President Ronald Reagan's Cabinet - including as Chief of Staff to the Attorney General of the United States. In 2001, the American Conservative Union named Levin the recipient of the prestigious Ronald Reagan Award. He currently practices law in the private sector, heading up the prestigious Landmark Legal Foundation in Washington DC.

Source: http://marklevinshow.com/article.asp?...(less)

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“The Conservative does not despise government. He despises tyranny. This is precisely why the Conservative reveres the Constitution and insists on adherence to it.” — 48 people liked it

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