What Price Liberty?: How Freedom Was Won and Is Being Lost
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Book Description
Join the first, most comprehensive discussion on 'liberty' - the defining issue of the twenty-first Century.
Product Description
Fear of terrorism, crime, social chaos - factors which have put our ideal of individual liberty very much into retreat. Particularly in light of the debate surrounding 42-day detention, it is important to remind ourselves of just how complex the battle to achieve these rights has been. However, the question remains; how can we resist the growth of intrusive authoritarianism without exposing ourselves to crime, terrorism and other risks?
History provides a guide to answering this question. What Price Liberty? takes us through four centuries of British, American and European history, elaborating not just how civil liberties were constructed in the past, but how they were continually rethought - and re-fought - in response to modernity, and puts into context the controversies of the past decade or so. If liberty is to survive now, it must again adapt to new circumstances, but it is up to us all to agree upon the value we place on it.
An essential and utterly enlightening discussion, What Price Liberty? provides the material and arguments with which we can make sense of our times.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
Quite a difficult read, this, because there is so much detail in there. Took me a while. This is almost a book of two halves - firstly, there's a fascinating historical account of how the concept of liberty has evolved over the years. Particularly interesting was the author's discussion of the American Revolution, I had not realised previously just how idealogically thought out this had been. (I suppose this could be because it is no longer quite as evident that the American system has been well thought-out!)
The second part of the book is far more contemporary. I guess it is still an historical account, just that it is fuelled by events that are a lot more recent (and therefore more detail exists). The author writes about how liberties were lost during, and mostly restored after, the two world wars, but to be honest saves most of his venom for the liberties that have been taken from us under New Labour in the early years of this century (including a detailed analysis of how the New Labour ideology - or lack of - has brought us to where we are).
Overall a good book. Detailed, challenging, but worthwhile.
The second part of the book is far more contemporary. I guess it is still an historical account, just that it is fuelled by events that are a lot more recent (and therefore more detail exists). The author writes about how liberties were lost during, and mostly restored after, the two world wars, but to be honest saves most of his venom for the liberties that have been taken from us under New Labour in the early years of this century (including a detailed analysis of how the New Labour ideology - or lack of - has brought us to where we are).
Overall a good book. Detailed, challenging, but worthwhile.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
This is a critical time for this country, as the basic freedoms that we take for granted are being eroded steadily by an ever-more intrusive state.
This book is an important contribution to the debate over individual liberty which has taken on a renewed significance since the events of September 2001. The author examines the ways in which the UK government has consistently attempted to force through measures aimed at the protection of the nation as a whole from terrorism at the expense of individual freedoms which can be traced back in embryo to the Magna Carta of 1215. Taking as his starting-point the clash of wills between King and Parliament which led to the Civil War of the 1640's, he traces in exemplary detail the ebb and flow of this balancing-act between the need of the individual to enjoy basic freedoms, and the responsibility of government to protect its citizens from outside attack.
The conclusion makes for sad reading, with New Labour betraying its popular roots and accusing those who oppose the encroachments of "Big Brother"-style government of siding with terrorism. How the debate will end no-none can tell, but let us hope that some sort of compromise will emerge, which protects the interests both of the individual, and of society as a whole.
This book is an important contribution to the debate over individual liberty which has taken on a renewed significance since the events of September 2001. The author examines the ways in which the UK government has consistently attempted to force through measures aimed at the protection of the nation as a whole from terrorism at the expense of individual freedoms which can be traced back in embryo to the Magna Carta of 1215. Taking as his starting-point the clash of wills between King and Parliament which led to the Civil War of the 1640's, he traces in exemplary detail the ebb and flow of this balancing-act between the need of the individual to enjoy basic freedoms, and the responsibility of government to protect its citizens from outside attack.
The conclusion makes for sad reading, with New Labour betraying its popular roots and accusing those who oppose the encroachments of "Big Brother"-style government of siding with terrorism. How the debate will end no-none can tell, but let us hope that some sort of compromise will emerge, which protects the interests both of the individual, and of society as a whole.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
I didn't study history at school beyond age 14 and as such much of the background in this book was new to me. Although the information content is very good, the writing style leaves you feeling as if you are wading through treacle. Despite that I persevered and I'm glad I did. I learned much about where our laws with respect to liberty have come from, and how they were framed. I got to understand why the Cavaliers and Roundheads fought, why Charles I lost his head and how the foundations of our current democracy were established.
Fast forward to the 21st century. Our liberties are being eroded under the guise of protecting us from a greater evil, frequently by trying to instill fear and implying that the state knows best. However, the sacrifice we are making, inch by inch, is not always obvious - the national DNA database, all-pervasive CCTV, Identity cards - or in proportion to the actual threat. Ben Wilson is undoubtably a valuable author of our time in drawing attention to the issues. The erosion of our liberties is subtle and yet has the momentum of an iceberg.
For example: you can't photograph or video a policeman, even if he is breaking the law, without breaking the law yourself. If we can't document the behaviour of our guardians on film, how can we as citizens report corruption, heavy handedness or discrimination by the people who we pay to protect ourselves and our society? Although, if you go to Buckingham Palace, you will find at least one policeman happy to pose for photographs with visitors. And the difference is?
I'd like to give this book five stars, being somebody who cherishes their privacy whilst supporting proportionate security measures, and once I'd ploughed through the denser areas of this book I did appreciate the author's effort. Unfortunately the message contained within is beyond many who might decide to pick it up; it is just too heavyweight. The underlying message is an essential one for any libertarian but I fear it is too hard to get to. An academic book in a popularist cover.
Fast forward to the 21st century. Our liberties are being eroded under the guise of protecting us from a greater evil, frequently by trying to instill fear and implying that the state knows best. However, the sacrifice we are making, inch by inch, is not always obvious - the national DNA database, all-pervasive CCTV, Identity cards - or in proportion to the actual threat. Ben Wilson is undoubtably a valuable author of our time in drawing attention to the issues. The erosion of our liberties is subtle and yet has the momentum of an iceberg.
For example: you can't photograph or video a policeman, even if he is breaking the law, without breaking the law yourself. If we can't document the behaviour of our guardians on film, how can we as citizens report corruption, heavy handedness or discrimination by the people who we pay to protect ourselves and our society? Although, if you go to Buckingham Palace, you will find at least one policeman happy to pose for photographs with visitors. And the difference is?
I'd like to give this book five stars, being somebody who cherishes their privacy whilst supporting proportionate security measures, and once I'd ploughed through the denser areas of this book I did appreciate the author's effort. Unfortunately the message contained within is beyond many who might decide to pick it up; it is just too heavyweight. The underlying message is an essential one for any libertarian but I fear it is too hard to get to. An academic book in a popularist cover.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A Great But Heavy-Going Book
From its title, it's clear that this book is not light reading. I found it extremely heavy going, but it is worth it as all the points made here, the history and context form part... Read more
Published 1 month ago by A. K. Sheikh
Very history-orientated...
Not quite sure what I was expecting with this book. Perhaps more of a 'current' flavour with respect to human rights and civil liberties. Read more
Published 10 months ago by R. A. Murtagh
Interesting, but a bit of a slog
What Price Liberty? is a rather long and wordy examination of the history of the fight for civil liberties in the UK. Read more
Published 14 months ago by TheLibrarian
About four pence.
Which is of course a flippant approach to what is a very strong, clearly researched useful mediation on a fundamental human concern, which as this book demonstrates and current... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Stuart Burns
Definitive and a must read (but make sure you do read!)
I bet everyone has bought a classic film DVD or three. The kind of thing that you buy because you feel you should see it but then take ages before you get around to doing so;... Read more
Published 17 months ago by M. Bhangal
Worth it in the end
It's a whopping 480 pages so be prepared to give this some time. It's well researched, thorough and worth the effort eventually. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Eve
Brilliant Book!
This was an absolutely fantastic review of the history of liberty. Erudite and accessible. I felt as though I had learnt a lot as I was swept through four hundred years of history,... Read more
Published on 8 Feb 2010 by Camilla ter Haar
There are better uses for your time
The author's point is an important one and - eventually - well made. However the problem with this book is its length. Read more
Published on 28 Jan 2010 by A Reviewer
A good primer
Ben Wilson's book is a good primer in the history of civil and human rights in the UK. It's not the easiest read in the world, being pretty heavy going at times but it is very... Read more
Published on 7 Dec 2009 by Sam Moore
Thought-provoking
This is densely researched, comprehensive study of the history of notions of liberty from the early 17th century to the present day. Read more
Published on 29 Oct 2009 by quippe
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