01/09/2009
I would like to take the opportunity this column affords for my annual review of some books that I have found to be extremely helpful and that, I believe, would greatly benefit any American who truly loves freedom and constitutional government. The Old Testament prophet warned, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." That adage is as applicable today as it was then. Truly, our country is being destroyed because of a huge ignorance regarding the principles upon which freedom and liberty rest.
Accordingly, I strongly recommend that readers locate and consume as many of the following books as possible. Some will be difficult to find, while others will be easily obtained.
A History of the American People by Paul Johnson
History of the United States by Alexander H. Stephens
Political Sermons of the American Founding Era, 1730-1805 Edited by Ellis Sandoz
Common Sense, The American Crisis, and Rights of Man by Thomas Paine
Discourses on Government, Vol. 1 by Algernon Sidney
The Rights of War and Peace by Hugo Grotius
Commentaries on the Laws of England (Book 1) by William Blackstone
A View of the Constitution of the United States of America by William Rawle
Two Treatises of Government by John Locke
Lex Rex, or the Law and the Prince by Samuel Rutherford
The Essays or Counsels, Civil and Moral by Sir Francis Bacon
Of the Law of Nature and Nations by Samuel Pufendorf (A large set of at least 8 volumes, but highly regarded and widely quoted.)
The Law by Frederic Bastiat
Vindiciae, Contra Tyrannos edited by George Garnett
Hitler’s Cross by Erwin Lutzer (I consider this book to be of highest priority for every Christian minister and layman. If you have not read this book, go buy it immediately!)
The True Story of The Bilderberg Group by Daniel Estulin
The Secret Team by L. Fletcher Prout
The Secrets of the Federal Reserve by Eustace Mullins
The Creature from Jekyll Island by G. Edward Griffin
Defending The Declaration by Gary T. Amos
Christianity and the Constitution by John Eidsmoe
Christianity and the American Commonwealth by Charles B. Galloway
We Hold These Truths by Lawrence Patton McDonald
The Five Thousand Year Leap by W. Cleon Skousen
Global Bondage by Cliff Kincaid
The Late Great U.S.A. by Jerome Corsi
Constitutional 'Homeland Security,' Vol. 1 by Edwin Vieira, Jr.
Of course, I also encourage readers to not forsake the greatest of all books, The Holy Bible. As President Theodore Roosevelt said, "No educated man can afford to be ignorant of the Bible." And as President Andrew Jackson said, "That Book [the Bible], Sir, is the Rock upon which our republic rests."
Obviously, I would not agree with every word or every conclusion propounded by the authors listed above (except the authors of the Bible, of course). Taken on the whole, however, a familiarization with the above volumes would greatly assist any person who desires to contribute to the survival of liberty in these United States of America.
Of course, it is also essential that readers be thoroughly familiar with the three great documents upon which America was founded: the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
For those who are interested in the War for Southern Independence (otherwise known as The Civil War), I recommend the following books:
The War Between the States by John J. Dwyer
A Constitutional View of the Late War Between the States by Alexander H. Stephens
The Story of the Confederacy by Robert Selph Henry
Story of the Confederate States by Joseph T. Derry
A Short History of the Confederate States of America by Jefferson Davis
The South Was Right! by James Ronald Kennedy and Walter Donald Kennedy
The Real Lincoln and
Lincoln Unmasked by Thomas J. DiLorenzo
Life and Campaigns of Lt. General T. J. (Stonewall) Jackson by R. L. Dabney
Stonewall Jackson: The Man, The Soldier, The Legend by James I. Robertson, Jr.
Call of Duty by J. Steven Wilkins
Life & Letters of Gen. Robert Edward Lee by Dr. J. W. Jones
For spiritual inspiration and enlightenment, I recommend the following works:
The Road to the Cross by Herbert F. Stevenson
The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan
Morning and Evening by Charles Haddon Spurgeon
The Normal Christian Life by Watchman Nee (Any book written by Nee is worth reading.)
Just about anything written by Madame Guyon, especially Union with God and Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ (There is no need to send me a nasty letter about her being a "mystic." Her writings are fantastic.)
The Treasury of David by Charles Haddon Spurgeon (This is the best commentary on the book of Psalms that I have ever read. It is magnificent.)
The Christian in Complete Armour, Vol. 1 by William Gurnall
Just about anything from Andrew Murray, including: The Master’s Indwelling, Holy in Christ, The Blood of the Cross, and With Christ in the School of Prayer
The True Bounds of Christian Freedom by Samuel Bolton
Communion with God by John Owen
The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer
I remember someone telling me, "A man is only as great as the people he associates with and the books he reads." There is certainly much truth in that statement. Therefore, we should all choose our friends carefully and drink deeply from the well of good books.
Happy reading!
Dr. Chuck Baldwin is the pastor of Crossroad Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida. He hosts a weekly radio show. His website is here.
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