Really a magnificent work! It is a well documented, well constructed, scholarly work describing Wilson's perspective and influence using his own words. This is not a "he said, she said" interpretation but rather the author goes right to the source: "Philosophy of History," by Hegel, "The State," "Constitutional Government," lecture notes and other writings of Wilson.

I started highlighting and dog earing every bombshell, surprise, and "Oh My God" I came across and while still in the introduction I realized I would be dog earing nearly every page! It's not "easy" reading but for someone who knows and understands the Constitution, this book reads like a Stephen King nightmare. Here's a couple of the biggest shockers (teasers not spoilers):

Through "historicism" Wilson concluded that the Constitution must be unbolted from the "unalienable rights" of the Declaration of Independence it embodies and have it basically "float" in context through history. The Constitution should mean whateverthehell we want it to mean today. He felt that the Constitution should not be anchored in its old, antiquated 18th century connotation and should be modernized and updated. After all, "slavery" is a term of revulsion today. Not so in the 18th century. So we can expect a term like "freedom" to mean something different as well!

THAT is a bombshell!

Here's another. Wilson believed and wrote about how we as a society have evolved beyond the need to be wary of government power. He offers no proof, no explanation just classic "trust me" assumptions. Concerns about too much centralized power are shrugged off as antiquated thinking. With the government tied closely to the people so that they (the people) can more intimately communicate the "will of the people" to the president, and with an educated president answerable to the people, the citizenry need not fear government. The sophomoric naivety of such a powerful man who rose to the presidency is incredible! Lord Acton ("Power corrupts. And absolute power corrupts absolutely!") might disagree with Wilson. This idea that government can be a POSITIVE force--that it is a tool to give the people what they want has some of its origins and most of its empowerment with Wilson. This idea is alive and well today and is clearly the source of many problems with government.

What I found most disturbing is the parallels I could easily draw between Wilson's writings and today's political rhetoric. We are most definitely NOT out of the Progressive Era. We are smack in the middle of it!

This is more than enlightening. More than educational. It is important. It should be wide read and common knowledge. It's the kind of book you should give to a friend to read after you're done.

Really a magnificent work! It is a well documented, well constructed, scholarly work describing Wilson's perspective and influence using his own words. This is not a "he said, she said" interpretation but rather the author goes right to the source: "Philosophy of History," by Hegel, "The State," "Constitutional Government," lecture notes and other writings of Wilson.

I started highlighting and dog earing every bombshell, surprise, and "Oh My God" I came across and while still in the introduction I realized I would be dog earing nearly every page! It's not "easy" reading but for someone who knows and understands the Constitution, this book reads like a Stephen King nightmare. Here's a couple of the biggest shockers (teasers not spoilers):

Through "historicism" Wilson concluded that the Constitution must be unbolted from the "unalienable rights" of the Declaration of Independence it embodies and have it basically "float" in context through history. The Constitution should mean whateverthehell we want it to mean today. He felt that the Constitution should not be anchored in its old, antiquated 18th century connotation and should be modernized and updated. After all, "slavery" is a term of revulsion today. Not so in the 18th century. So we can expect a term like "freedom" to mean something different as well!

THAT is a bombshell!

What I found most disturbing is the parallels I could easily draw between Wilson's writings and today's political rhetoric. We are most definitely NOT out of the Progressive Era. We are smack in the middle of it!

This is more than enlightening. It's important. It should be wide read and common knowledge. It's the kind of book you should give to a friend to read after you're done.

Woodrow Wilson was possibly the most damaging presidency in our history. And thanks to Amazon I can know less about him then I should. That's ok, the book would be preaching to choir at this point anyway. Just sit back, relax and watch the country fall...

We should put ol' Woody on the 1 dollar bill. That way we can see his face burn as we light piles of the junk paper just to keep warm.

In this book, Pestritto delves into the education and political ideologies of Woodrow Wilson. He uses many of Wilson's writings during his education to show the historicist nature of his political upbringing and, throughout the work, Pestritto supports his idea that Wilson's thinking differed substantially from the political thinking of the founders. Pestritto also uses the writings to show Wilson's praise and support of foreign governments such as the British parliamentary system. Pestritto presents a radical new vision for these modern times. I have heard and read many things about Woodrow Wilson, but this is the first piece that offers a truly critical view of Wilson's political ideology.
Pestritto delivers his argument masterfully with in depth evidence from Wilson's scholarly writings and firsthand accounts. Nearly all of his evidence comes from Wilson's literary works such as Constitutional Government and The State among others. The Analysis of Wilson's thought is thorough, well organized and planned, straight to the point. Pestritto does not beat around the bush in this book, which should receive high praise, especially during these modern times when politics are aiming to misguide and deceive the people of their true intentions. This book is not accompanied by graphics or visual aids but rather is a straight up read which may get extremely dry at times. One strategy that Pestritto uses that I find extremely helpful is that he writes down all of his sources and side notes at the end of each chapter, including the introduction and conclusion. I would say that although this book is fairly straight forward and well developed, it may be confusing to less experienced readers.
Personally, I think that Pestritto presents a very convincing argument that has changed my views of Woodrow Wilson. Before, I hadn't heard much in depth thinking of Wilson and had assumed all the praise given to him was a worthy justification. But now I see Wilson for what he represented and can only wonder how an extreme radical could gain so much power and influence over the people. I applaud Pestritto for his work, though I was quite bored and confused at times, because it shows the side of Wilson that was beforehand ignored, whether it was unintentional or deliberate. Not only has this book given me insight on one of the greatest political minds of the early twentieth century, but it has revealed why some aspects of the modern political realm have become so skewed from that of the Constitution and of the founding thought. I strongly advise anyone and everyone to read this book, whether or not it changes your view of Woodrow Wilson. I believe that this book could be a cornerstone to present political thought because it reveals so much about the thinking behind progressivism.

Note: This critique was written as a homework assignment. Any feedback is greatly appreciated

This one will make your head hurt...a lot of info on the early stages of 'progressivism' in the UnitedStates and how they feel the gov't should be setup and run....very much in conflict with the Framers of the Constitution.

The information provided in this book about Woodrow Wilson, our 28th President, comes mainly from WW. Prior to becoming president, he wrote extensively about his thoughts of government, and how the founding documents of the United States negatively impacted the way government was allowed, to operate. He was of the mind, much as President Obama, that our Constitution is far too restrictive. President Obama has referred to it as a fundamentally flawed and negative document because it tells what government can't do but doesn't say what government can do for the people (...for the people is his turn of phrase. I would say ...to the people). Also, he, WW, thought the Declaration of Independence should be read sans the opening paragraph(This is the age of Darwin don'tcha know?.

The way "progressives" promoted or sold their ideas to the public then, was along the lines of ...our founders and their ideas were all right for them and those of their time. Now, however, they seem quaint and are not relevant for moderns; people of the 20th century. You can see where that tack would be appealing to a people making amazing technological advances. It would seem you were part of a new age. The ideas and principals of a bunch of dudes from the 18th century were not timeless, but of another time.

It was, to me, very enlightening. As one learns more about the era of Wilson, it becomes evident how strong the philosophy of "progressivism" took hold. It's surprising we aren't more oppressed by government than we are. The book is well written. I'm can understand how to some it might seem laborious. I was warned of this in advance. I, however, excepting for a couple of chapters, found it to be exciting to learn just how much of what the left promotes today, was manifested in the era of, and by, Presidents Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson . The ideas had their geneses shortly after the Civil War and developed from there. Another book I will suggest to further understanding the development and propagation of so called "progressive ideas", is "The Metaphysical Club" by Louis Menand. Mr. Menand is definitely a man of the left. The story is about four men (from the era of reference) and how their ideas have impacted much of what Americans, in all levels of education, have been and are taught, and how those ideas have permeated our society as a whole.

This is a very scholarly work which may need to be read more than once. It explains the influence that European governments had on some U.S. leaders in the 20th Century.

The one star is for AMAZON and/or the publisher for recently doubling the price of this book.

Being a good book worthy of reading I placed this in my wish list only to discover that the price had nearly doubled. I was presented with the following when logging on to Amazon today. "the price of Woodrow Wilson and the Roots of Modern Liberalism (American Intellectual Culture) has increased from $17.37 to $30.17 since you placed it in your Shopping Cart."

The title of the book tells all: Woodrow Wilson and the Roots of Modern Liberalism. Dr Pestritto does not say that `Liberalism is a good thing'. Nor does he say that it is a bad thing. He merely states that it is, and shows how it came to be in these States, largely due to the efforts of one Thomas Woodrow Wilson, Ph. D. (Johns Hopkins). It is not Dr P's desire or intent to pass judgment on Dr W's cogitations or the value of them; all he does is track their evolution, and convolutions, and how they grew and bore something akin to fruit. Whatever your political preferences, and mine will become increasingly obvious as you read this review, you will learn from this volume how Dr Wilson's largely derivative political thought evolved, and how he influenced `progressive' politicians amongst his contemporaries, and continues so to do until this very now. It is interesting to note that as an hundred years ago, so to-day: that those who would rule us have taken to calling themselves `progressive' rather than `liberal'; as the latter has become a term of opprobrium, whilst `progress' is still thought of as a Good Thing though toward what we are progressing is left undefined. Progressives owe Dr Wilson an immense debt of gratitude, and should erect a statue in his honour. Conservatives, on the other hand - those who love the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and appreciate liberty - might do well to learn from him, however much they may yearn to see him hanged, for if one knows the plans of one's foes one is far better equipped to foil them.

Five stars are all that are allowed; I would give ten, and more if asked.

Now, I shall doubtless meander a good deal, in this review, for I am old and a fool, and rambling is one of the compensations God grants old fools. Dr Pestritto did not meander. Nor did he declare judgment upon Dr Wilson. He let Mr Wilson do that. There are men, even down to our time, who admire Woodrow Wilson extravagantly, and extol him as a True Visionary. They are mostly Scholars, when they are not Politicians pilfering from his political philosophy...as many, I warrant, as there are men who excoriate him as a Scoundrel or a Socialist or some other form of bad man. Then there are those like unto Dr Pestritto, who allow Dr Wilson or his shade to speak for himself, and thus leaving us, the readers, to draw our own conclusions. Out of his own mouth, or from his own pen, does Wilson beatify or damn himself. Hurrah, then, for Dr P! for he pays us the immense compliment of acknowledging that we might indeed possess the blessing of ratiocination! So few scholars, specially Historians, do so: they are always, in volumes of a thousand pages, telling us what really happened, what X really meant, and what we ought to believe about it all if we were but be as seeming wise and virtuous as they.

By compiling citations from Wilson's writings, and arranging them by broad subjects, Dr Pestritto does us all a service, not the least in sparing us from having to read all that stuff ourselves. What emerges is a portrait of Woodrow as Woodrow probably saw himself, if the warts be left out of the image in the mirror. It is not my place, or even my intent, to psycho-analyse Woodrow Wilson, all dead as he is (though so doing is the province of many writers, to-day), but what leaps out at one is the ineluctable fact that Wilson, almost from the cradle, was burthened with a large and inconvenient ego which kept him from using his not inconsiderable intellectual gifts as wisely and fruitfully as he might otherwise have done. All his writings and pronunciamentos might well be summarized in thios wise: `I believe (or feel; there is the sense of feeling rather than thinking in much of what he wrote) that Thus-and-such is so, and since I know myself to be wise beyond the measure of men, it is indeed and in very deed So, the facts be damned, and I shall avaunt banner and lead the masses to the Truth...or force them if they will not follow...and the facts be damned!'

Dr Wilson, we are told, was shocked! - shocked! - to find that Congress was corrupt and conniving; that laws were not made in open debate, but in secret and probably smoke-filled committee-rooms. Or so he maintained when plumping for a system modeled upon the British Parliament, In so stating, Dr Wilson did not penetrate anything the cow could not have penetrated, nor did he discover the heart of a secret hidden away since the beginnings of the world; he merely stated the obvious, or what any sane man in possession of his five wits and seven senses could have stated, and better, namely: He who purports to rule us will lie when he can get away with it, mislead when the opportunity arises, and always act in direct opposition to his proclaimed word. At least it was to Wilson's credit that he made public, or as public as the writings of a deservedly obscure academic manqué could be, his findings, and offered a sort of answer.

To deal with the evolution of Wilson's political views, as outlined by Dr Pestritto, is illuminating as a lesson for our times. Wilson, it would appear, never had an original idea. If he was a scoundrel, he was a derivative scoundrel, and invented no new scoundrelry himself. He much admired Bismarck and the Prussian system, as shown by his advocacy of a vast, permanent, life-tenured, nameless, faceless bureaucracy through which the people are to be ruled; he followed Hegel as closely as he might...and lapped up the other German philosophers as a cat laps milk. This was not uncommon in Wilson's time, amongst those with pretensions to intellectuality. What appealed most to Wilson, it seems, was the order and conformity of the Hegelian state, a state supreme over its subjects, which was assumed to represent the `popular will'. If he had ever heard of Keyserling's `Führerprinzip' he would have swallowed it whole, and with loud whoops. Wilson referred often to `the People' - almost as often as he referred to `the force of History' - but it would seem he knew nothing of the former, and precious little of the latter.

As to the People, they exist only to be ruled by the State; the State is there to to rule them as shall be determined by the Leader; the Leader is there to see that it happens. Wilson could and often did contradict himself in the same sentence. The People were sovereign and all-knowing, perhaps, but at the same time did not know their own will, what was Good For Them, the Greatest Good for the Greatest Number, so wanted a Leader, a Great Orator, who would with bombast and bull-dust tell them what they wanted. If they did not agree, with appropriate shouts and gestures, the Leader would give it them anyway, cramming it down their throats if need be. For the Leader, and the Leader alone, knows this will: the will of his omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient Juju, HISTORY, the Spirit of the Age, and lo! it had been given to St Woodrow to discover and translate the golden tablets of this deity, and interpret them for the less fortunate. A few moments' clear thinking would have sufficed to show that History has the exasperating habit of seeming to go all in one direction just long enough to fool us into thinking we can figure out where it is going, then swerving off in a new and unexpected direction...the trick G. K. Chesterton called `Cheat the Prophet'. And if ever a prophet were cheated, it is poor Woodrow. He may have had many virtues, but he lacked two of the chiefest: humility and common sense. Well, there's none of us perfect.

Dr Pestritto wisely ends his exposition of the Woodrovian thought in 1912, and delves not into his subject's reign as President. A whole separate volume would be needed, and perhaps one day we shall have one. He does allude to the animosity between Wilson and Roosevelt I, two men who shared many common views, and were each convinced, probably correctly, that the other was a knave. Poor Taft is hardly mentioned; he is but a cipher, anyway, caught between two such caperers on the stage of American politics.

Highly recommended, if you care for such things, and don't mind drawing conclusions from evidence.

And now I must apologise for rabbiting on so, though you were warned. I do hope you were entertained and perhaps edified by my remarks.

DrEwgog (Croton NY)
At a dinner recently, after mislabeling me in a dismissive fashion, an old adversary went on to describe his own position as "progressive." His audience responded to the word as if it conjured lullabies about puppies and colored ribbons. They had absolutely no concept of what is meant by the word, no notion of how the adherents of this movement have damaged and continue to threaten the liberty most of us cherish. Ronald Pestritto`s book goes a long way in informing his readers concerning the actual nature of progressivism and how it figured prominently in Wilson`s thought, and he does this in a mature, dispassionate fashion without recourse to snide asides or petulant rants. While this book is a well-documented scholarly work, it remains eminently readable. I think you will find it well worth your time and money.

$29.13 for a Kindle version(which is the only versions I buy) is ridiculous for a hard bound copy that sells for $36.95. I would buy this book in a second if the Kindle price was half the hard copy price.

Love him or hate him (for me it's definitely the latter), Woodrow Wilson is an extremely important figure in American history. He was also the only president we've had so far who was a career academic before becoming a politician. He's the only president who has held a PhD (Wilson's was in political science), and was a professor and university president before becoming Governor of New Jersey and, just a few years later, president. So in contrast to other presidents, Wilson left us a large body of academic books, essays, and lectures which provide a detailed window into his ideology.

In this book, R.J. Pestritto looks at that scholarly work in an effort to better understand Wilson's thinking as well as, by extension, the thought of the Progressive movement, of which Wilson became a leading light.

In short, Pestritto portrays Wilson as a `historicist' who believed that institutions and constitutions should evolve with the times, and that it was up to skilled elite leaders to make sure their government was in step with the spirit of the age and embodied some mystical `general will.' By rejecting a constant, universal view of liberty or natural rights or human nature, Wilson was in direct contrast to the American founders. In addition, Wilson was also a strong centralizer who believed in empowering administrative bureaucracies while keeping them insulated from the dirtiness of elected politics. Last, he was contemptuous of those who wanted to use the constitution to thwart the exercise of power.

Be forewarned - this is very much an academic work of intellectual history. In other words, it can be tiresome and dry reading. But it's important, not only to understand Wilson and the original, turn-of-the-twentieth century Progressive movement, but also to understand the intellectual and political foundations of today's Progressives, too.

Ordered the book, and the publisher put the wrong cover on it so they sent a second one to replace it. Since it was defective, I donated it to the library and then got billed for a second time. The publisher or Amazon owes me some money.... I am NOT a happy camper. The notice to return the book happened a week after the initial receipt of the merchandise and notice that a new one was coming to replace it. NOT a good way to do business. In past times, Amazon didn't charge for the second book when they sent out something that was in error. Shame shame!

While also reading one of the commonly acknowledged biographies of Wilson, I came across this book. The biography presents Wilson's social life in great and tedious detail, but says very very little about who he was and why he did what he did. Pestrito's book correct this defect. Wilson believed in the supremacy of The State above the individual. He was educated by Historicists who did not believed the Theory of Natural Rights as embodied in the Declaration and the Constitution. They latched on to Darwinism and corrupted it into a vision of perfection of mankind through perfection of the State. This book makes clear the roots of the philosophy but tells the story in clear and readily understandable terms. It is a page turner, not a sleep inducer. I would heartily recommend it for those interested in the intellectual history of the modern era.

This is pretty heavy reading, but provides some background to the origins of today's political mess. Wilson's arrogant, elitist, academic understanding of contrasting philosophies of the individual's relation to government, accurately describes the basis for present "left wing" statist politics. He actually believed the Westen governments of his day were modern, perfection and the wonderous end of history.

beg, borrow, but don't steal a copy. Sooner or later there will be enough used copies to bring the price down. I was stunned by the price of a book this old, so I took my own advice, but not on Amazon. I have other, less expensive sources for used books. I'm still reeling from the sticker price.

This is a well-documented and eye-opening examination of a forgotten (suppressed?) period in presidential politics and American history.

Scholarly, but not pedantic, it peels the onion-layers off of Wilson's political ideology, exposes its Hegelian historicist roots, and cogently supports Jonah Goldberg's claim that "it has happened here." Fascism, that is.

Moreover, by demonstrating that Wilson's thorough-going racism, disdain for the constitution and the principles it was based on, were firmly anchored in (Hegelian) progressivism, it makes one wonder why anyone would willingly claim the title of "progressive" today.

Have a pen handy for underlining passages, find a comfortable chair, and enjoy the ride!

I have never understood the rationale used by liberals to justify their preference for bigger government, higher taxes, and interpreting the Constitution as they choose.
Woodrow Wilson was an intellectual who viewed the government and the population in a different light than ever before. He believed that the government should do for the people whatever the people wanted, and taxed in order to do it. If so doing wasn't exactly stated in the Constitution, it was permissable to interpret it in a way that insured it's legality.
In the eight years of Wilson and eight more of FDR, the people of the USA became so dependent on the government that they expect the government to do everything for them. That belief is all that's necessary for liberals to do whatever is necessary to make it happen.
The individual has surrendered his self respect, his motivation, and his desire to achieve on his own.

This only being the third book I've read on Woodrow Wilson's political thought, I was struck by its argument--Wilson subverted the ideas of the Founders by his progressivism and his progressive thought is consistent throughout his writings (cf. Thorsen). Arguing that Wilson significantly diverged from the political thought of the Founders, Pestritto is critical of Wilson and brings to bear upon his argument insightful context that had a substantial influence upon Wilson's intellect. Pestritto is convincing throughout and each of his chapters are clearly organized so that the reader easily follows. One thing I had a hard time buying was the weight he gave Hegel in Wilson's thought. Nevertheless, the book is deeply read in the primary literature and is conversant with the secondary. I found it helpful in writing a paper and looking for how to approach Wilson's writings, in terms of specific pieces and interpretation, and where to look for other sources.