Radicals for Capitalism by Brian Doherty

Great review from the Manhattan Institute’s City Journal:

Doherty, a senior editor of Reason, has written what should be the standard intellectual history of libertarianism for many years to come. Most laymen can probably offer a reasonably accurate definition of libertarianism’s core premises: maximum personal and economic liberty, so long as it’s not harming others, with government power restricted to such functions as defense or the administration of justice (though not all libertarians concede even those). But Doherty’s history makes clear that libertarianism is a political philosophy anchored in a robust intellectual tradition.

His examination of that tradition is both comprehensive and insightful….

Doherty’s clear, wry prose lightens the sometimes leaden subject matter, especially when he delves into the personalities behind libertarianism. And what a crew!