Today, my book, Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution, has finally hit the shelves. I am delighted to report that the book opened the week on Monday at 4th on Amazon’s bestsellers before the release. It was also ranked 1st on the History, Constitutions, Democracy and other subject categories. I am deeply grateful to everyone who has ordered the book, which was released to coincide with our 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
“In this book, Professor Turley explores the meaning and future of democracy on the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. The book is divided into two halves. The first half looks back at the unique confluence of people and events that led to the establishment of the American Republic. Using Thomas Paine as a common thread through both the American and French Revolutions, Turley explores how one revolution led to the world’s oldest and most stable democracy while the other led to the “Terror.” The difference came down to the protections in the Madisonian system against “democratic despotism,” a tendency of democracies to devour themselves in majoritarian terror.
The second half of the book looks forward, exploring whether the American Republic can survive in the 21st Century in light of changes ranging from AI to robotics to global governance systems. Turley believes that the American Republic is uniquely suited to address those challenges, but it will require a return, not a rejection, of the core values that defined the American Revolution. That includes what Turley calls a “liberty-enhancing economy” that affords citizens the freedom of self-determination and true independence. Drawing from sources across art, philosophy, history, literature, and economics, Turley presents a unique and passionate perspective on the future of American democracy.”
Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution may be purchased from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, Bam!, Walmart, Hudson, and other sites.
I am also thankful for the positive early reviews of the book from liberals and conservatives.
“A masterpiece… a moving account on the very essence of liberty that should be on the shelf of every American.”– Mark Levin, host of Life, Liberty & Levin and #1 New York Times bestselling author
“Turley demonstrates a discomforting, and painfully timely, truth: The phrase “democratic despotism” is not an oxymoron.”– George F. Will, Pulitzer Prize winner and Washington Post columnist
“Rage and the Republic is Jonathan Turley’s birthday gift to America to mark its 250 years of independence… A wise guide to avoid wrecking the American project.”– Uri Berliner, contributing editor, Free Press and former senior business editor at National Public Radio
“A fascinating and inspiring account of the foundations of the American system…a must-read.”– Nadine Strossen, former president of the American Civil Liberties Union
“[A] scholarly tour de force that could not be more timely.”– Charles Lane, author of The Day Freedom Died and nonresident senior fellow, the American Enterprise Institute
“Brilliant and riveting. The American Revolution comes alive, and so does the birth of the Constitution.”– Jed Rubenfeld, Yale Law Professor, author, and constitutional law expert
“[A] valuable contribution to American civic life.”– Robert P. George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and Director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions, Princeton University
“In this riveting book, [Turley] revisits the past—focusing particularly on the remarkable life of Tom Paine and how the democratic principles of the French Revolution differed from our own—to identify the nature of the current threats to our liberties and our constitutional order. History has never been put to a better use.”– Randy E. Barnett, Patrick Hotung Professor of Constitutional Law at the Georgetown University Law Center and Director of the Georgetown Center for the Constitution
“A fluent take on history and politics from a thoughtful contrarian.”– Kirkus Reviews
Congratulations Jonathan for all your marvelous work.
I’ve long admired Professor Turley for his insight and breadth of knowledge. I eagerly await his latest book ! However, I am concerned about the future of our Country. Notwithstanding Turley’s optimism… take a seriously long look at today’s Democrat party:
Endless abuses from outrageous taxes, corruption de jour, weaponization of government at every juncture… and a deep, deep lack of moral integrity and leadership that is endowed with piety !
You are describing the Trump administration.
I’ll stipulate.
You are rubber.
I am glue.
Are you sure you don’t have this backwards?
Dear Bryan: WHERE did you get the outrageous notion that it is DEMOCRATS who are imposing outrageous taxes, engaging in corruption, and lack moral integrity and leadership–qualities that virtually define Trump?
Trump is the one who works for the wealthiest who donated to his campaign, in addition to rolling back consumer and environmental protections, the wealthiest got massive tax breaks, paid for by cutting off USAID for starving people, hundreds of thousands of whom have died. You speak of “corruption”? That word fairly defines Trump–right before he started stinking up the White House, he sold $500 million in his made up crypto currency that has no intrinsic value, to some UAE billionaire and then after taking office, approved the sale of sophisticated computer chips that should have never left the United States, and would not have ever done so under any other administration. He accepted a jet from Qatar that we taxpayers will pay billions to refurbish, and which he will take with him when he leaves. You speak of “weaponization of government at every juncture”? Where to start? How about using the DOJ to go after every one of his perceived enemies–Comey, Letitia James, head of the Fed for refusing Trump’s command to lower interest rates, sending in ICE murderers to Minnesota, which ranks 28th in the number of migrants, all because Tim Walz ran against him as VP and, again, protecting the wealthiest by hiding the involvement of well-connected prominent men who raped little girls and whose names are in the Epstein files, after running on the promise for transparency. You speak of a “deep, deep lack of moral integrity”? Trump is a convicted felon, he has earned a deserved reputation as a womanizer, crook in business dealings, lying on loan applications, cheated on all 3 of his wives, cheated to get into office by lying about bringing down the cost of groceries, threatened to take Greenland by force, resulting in NATO sending troops to defend NATO against an invasion by the US, lied about the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti and has commanded his lackey FBI and DOJ to investigate them and their families, and has insulted and alienated our EU and NATO allies. His outrageously incompetent and unqualified administration has seized 2020 ballots and election materials in Fulton Co, Georgia, and will lie by claiming that they prove Trump won, even though 3 Republican-led recounts that have already been done prove Biden won. His administration ignores court orders, insults judges and he is calling for Republicans to take over the midterms because he knows they will lose. How about arresting journalists, threatening the FCC licenses of mainstream media? Republicans have wholly failed to do their jobs as a co-equal branch of government, and you complain about Democrats?
Ano
He accepted a jet from Qatar that we taxpayers will pay billions to refurbish, and which he will take with him when he leaves
__________________________
Lying again. That wonderful 747-8 is now part of the US Air Force.
Designated by the service as the “VC-25 bridge aircraft,” the jet was accepted by the US government in May, and modifications began in September — marking an extraordinarily quick turnaround for converting the aircraft into a flying White House.
“The Air Force remains committed to expediting delivery of the VC-25 bridge aircraft in support of the Presidential airlift mission, with an anticipated delivery no later than summer 2026,” an Air Force spokesperson said in a statement.
Congratulations! Proud to know you, Professor!
welcome to the 1850’s…the Democrats are at it again!
Republicans are not at it, again
Time to ARREST Every Democrat committing TREASON, helping illegals!
by the 10,000’s
Were you sodomized by Abraham Lincoln last night in your dreams?
I wonder if the democrats are going to start wearing white again.
Good luck to the good professor. I read your first book and I shall read this book. I can only hope it’s as good as you first.
I expect my preordered copy today. No ice or snow here in Southwest Florida. I’ll give my copy to my grandson, who is in law school, as I did your first book.
I love JT and read and watch him wherever he comments. I just can’t get myself to read non-fiction; my mind wanders. I’ll wish you the best and congratulations!
If you only read fiction, then this is absolutely the book for you.
Unfortunately, Amazon has misclassified the genre of Turley’s book in the History section.
It actually belongs in the Fantasy section, or possibly the Humor section.
It is quite a hilarious read.
“hilarious” ? A word often used by georgie when he cannot respond with merit
Now, show me on the doll where he touched you…
hilarious!
Well done, Sir.
Quote for the day…
“Orbán doesn’t arrest journalists. And in Hungary if you walk the streets of Budapest or other Hungarian cities, you will not find heavily armed masked men abducting people. That doesn’t happen in Hungary.”
Steven Levitsky
I don’t know, ,this might be a better quote of the day concerning trump…
“These people aren’t evil masterminds — evil, yes, but masterminds, no.”
Paul Krugman.
But they do arrest little old ladies for silently praying across the street from abortion clinics in the UK.
62,000,000 and increasing exponentially. They swore few and far between. At least the women in charge are not greedy. Why $904,014 only represents a 32% increase from her 2021 compensation of $683,697. And they just throw out all that wonderful red gold. Pity, really. That’s a lot of transfusions down the drain, and protein rich dog food.
Who is more likely to arrest a journalist, Peter Maygar if he wins the next election: BEWARE
EPP Leaders Push to Kill National Vetoes and Lock EU into War at Zagreb Retreat – Hungarian Conservative (JAN 2026)
Removing Orbán from Power:
“That is why the European People’s Party is supporting a Brussels-aligned candidate in Hungary’s election,’ political director of the Hungarian prime minister Balázs Orbán wrote in a recent post on X. Opposition leader Péter Magyar and his party, Tisza, have long been considered a ‘puppet of Brussels’ and are expected to advance Brussels’ pro-war agenda if elected in April.
After finishing second in the 2024 European elections, Weber quickly welcomed Tisza into his political family in order to secure influence over Budapest and provide the party with resources to defeat Orbán. It is also telling that, while many influential EPP figures—such as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk—were present at the Leaders Retreat, Péter Magyar was conspicuously absent. His lack of an invitation signals that Brussels is attempting to maintain the pretence that it is not interfering in Hungary’s elections, while also indicating that it has little interest in Tisza’s views on the aforementioned plan. Instead, they appear to expect Péter Magyar to implement it swiftly and without question.”
https://www.hungarianconservative.com/articles/current/epp-leaders-retreat-zagreb-manfred-weber-war-ukraine-veto-eu-hungary-interference/
Congratulations professor!! Will this one be as successful as your first, requiring the publisher to print a fourth running? 🙂
Congratulations, Professor. Just ordered it, can’t wait to read it.
Jonathan, you deserve the best. You are one of the best human beings ever. Sounds trite, I suppose. That is not how I intended it. Intellectually and morally you stand out like no one else. Not true. Abraham Lincoln comes to mind. I know your book will make us think. O how I wish you would become in charge of holding judges, courts and lawyers accountable. Would love to see you research the level of integrity a pro-se and others less well endowed litigants, can expect to find in our cesspool of corruption, our vaunted judiciary, which I believe is far below the criminal doings of the mob.
Best to you and yours
Apparently you do not understand what it is to be a completely mindless, non-thinking sycophant.
Yes, but you do.
WAITING FOR OURS…. GRACIAS!!!
Did you know there was a fascist slogan from Mussolini’s Italy: “Mussolini is always right.”
Hmmmm, Pretty much matches trumps comments about himself doesn’t it.
How did it end for Mussolini exactly? Anybody care to describe the last hours of Mussolini’s life?
If only you were half a clever as you think you are, oh wait, you are only 1/3 rd. My mistake.
How did that election in Texas go in that far right district? Oh yea, in one year the election flipped 30 points from R to D.
Amazon has notified me there is a delay in receiving my copy of your new book. North Carolina cannot deal with snow and ice storms!
Justice Scalia review: “Definitely not argle-bargle”.
Not surprised!
Mine was preordered and is on the way. Very much looking forward to it.
Funny but there are no endorsements by Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Reid Hoffman, Gorge and Alex Soros, or even Gavin Newsom. Wonder why?
Congratulations. I’m providing my adult children with this book.
My preordered copy from Amazon arrived yesterday.