Against the Tide: The Best of Roger Scruton's Columns, Commentaries and Criticism

The definitive edition of the late Sir Roger Scruton's philosophical and political essays and reviews, now collected in one volume edited by Mark Dooley

The philosopher Roger Scruton was the leading conservative thinker of the post-war years in the English speaking world. He was also a journalist, critic and commentator whose public pronouncements were prophetic, coruscating and provocative.

In this book are assembled the very best of Scruton's essays and commentaries, arranged thematically. The selection has been made and edited by Mark Dooley, Scruton's Literary Executor.

Right up until the last essay in this book ('How I was sacked without reason'), Scruton proves himself to be at his most scintillating and controversial. He writes with passion and conviction about such varied topics as feminism, racism, fascism, Tony Blair, Jeremy Corbyn and Donald Trump. In all cases he takes aim at those who defy conservative common sense in favour of liberal falsehoods. But with polymathic intelligence, he also writes of Michel Foucault, Male Domination, The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Monumental Egos and The Trump of Nothingness.

This book shows Scruton at his most brilliant and demonstrates how his influence will remain strong and will last. Like Christopher Hitchens' final collection And Yet, this new collection shows a writer at the height of his intellectual powers whose works will provide a philosophical legacy for many years to come.