Guardian of the Republic: An American Ronin's Journey to Faith, Family and Freedom

by Allen West, Michele Hickford

Overview

The inspiring life and uncensored views of a veteran, patriot, former Congressman, conservative icon, and warrior for personal liberty…
 
Over the course of the past few decades, Allen West has had many titles bestowed on him, among them Lt. Colonel, U.S. Representative, “Dad,” and Scourge of the Far Left. He rose from humble beginnings in Atlanta where his father instilled in him a code of conduct that would inform his life ever after.  Throughout his years leading troops, raising a loving family, serving as Congressman in Florida’s 22nd district, and emerging as one of the most authentic voices in conservative politics, West has never compromised the core values on which he was raised: family, faith, tradition, service, honor, fiscal responsibility, courage, freedom.
 
Today, these values are under attack as never before, and as the far Left intensifies its assaults, few have been as vigorous as West in pushing back.  He refuses to let up, calling out an Obama administration that cares more about big government than following the Constitution, so-called black “leaders” who sell out their communities in exchange for pats on the head, and a segment of the media that sees vocal black conservatives as threats to be silenced.
 
Now more than ever, the American republic needs a guardian: a principled, informed conservative who understands where we came from, who can trace the philosophical roots of our faith and freedom, and who has a plan to get America back on track. West isn’t afraid to speak truth to power, and in this book he’ll share the experiences that shaped him and the beliefs he would die to defend.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780804138109
Publisher:	The Crown Publishing Group
Publication date:	04/01/2014
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

ALLEN WEST was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia—in the same neighborhood where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once preached. He is the third of four generations of military members in his family. During his twenty-two year Army career he commanded troops and deployed to several combat zones.  He was elected to Congress in 2010, representing the 22nd district of Florida for one term. A frequent commentator on Fox News and a sought after speaker, he lives with his family in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.  Michele Hickford is a writer and communications strategist. She has held senior positions at Turner Broadcasting and USA Networks, and served as Congressman West's Director of Outreach and campaign Press Secretary.

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Chapter 1
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Excerpted from "Guardian of the Republic"
by .
Copyright © 2014 Allen West.
Excerpted by permission of The Crown Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Prologue 1

Part I My Conservative Roots 5

Chapter 1 Early Lessons 7

Chapter 2 Shaping Operations 25

Chapter 3 My Warrior's Code 49

Part II Conservative Principles 61

Chapter 4 Philosophical Foundations 63

Chapter 5 Governing Principles 77

Chapter 6 Pillars of Conservative Thought 95

Chapter 7 Conflicting Philosophies of Governance 109

Part III Conservatism in the Black Community 131

Chapter 8 The Soul of Our Souls 133

Chapter 9 The Big Lie and the Twenty-First-Century Economic Plantation 149

Chapter 10 The Hunt for Black Conservatives 163

Part IV The Future of the American Republic 171

Chapter 11 Republic or Democracy 173

Chapter 12 The Dilemma for the American Republic 181

Chapter 13 Servant Leadership Versus Self-Service 191

Part V Conclusion 199

Chapter 14 Bravo-Foxtrot-Oscar 201

Acknowledgments 203

Index 207

Editorial Reviews

03/17/2014
This thin political memoir by former Florida Congressman West, writing with Hickford, chronicles his heroic fight against adversity, as well as detailing his noble convictions and courage as a black Republican. This ambitious 53-year-old former Army lieutenant colonel’s upward-bound story shifts in tone between grandiose and faux folksy, with West referring to himself at one point as a “simple fella from the inner city.” Despite his 22-year Army career and time in office, his reflections on the political process and social redemption are shallow. Though his instincts about limited government will appeal to right-wing readers, this self-declared ronin (a samurai warrior who has no lord or master) who also invokes Plato’s guardians and Republic in his title, cannot do justice to the ideas of Thomas Jefferson, Karl Marx, or Booker T. Washington. References to organizer Saul Alinsky suggest a conspiratorial line of thought about progressive opposition. West’s solutions and reform plans recycle familiar Tea Party shibboleths, and though they will convince many sympathetic readers that he is a patriotic American, others may question his capacity for innovative public policy. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

“Rarely have timeless conservative values been articulated and defended with this sort of clarity and vigor.  And rarely does one come across an individual like Allen West, whose personal code is one that, if we were all to emulate it, would make us stronger as a nation. Guardian of the Republic is a book to savor—entertaining, fearless, and fun."
-Mark Levin, New York Times bestselling author of The Liberty Amendments and host of the nationally syndicated “The Mark Levin Show”
 
 “Allen West is an interesting and impressive man, and he tells a gripping and fascinating tale. Read it. You’ll learn about war, politics, America…and life."
—William Kristol, Editor, The Weekly Standard
 
“Guardian of the Republic is a refreshing account of one man’s journey— through obstacle and opportunity and aided by faith and family—to become a warrior for the future of the American Republic. Allen West’s story is rooted in education, self-reliance and a relentless sense of purpose. He strips away the pretenses of liberalism and reminds us what’s at stake if we continue to make the wrong choices. Most inspiringly, he offers readers an invitation to stand strong on behalf of those values that have defined generations of Americans.”
—Michael Steele, former Chairman of the Republican National Committee
 
"Those familiar with Allen West already understand why he is one of the most controversial and compelling figures in American public life. This potent little book will show all others that the passionate reactions to his principled work are based on substance, not just style."
—Michael Medved, host of the nationally syndicated “The Michael Medved Show”

“Thorough in his analyses, Allen West in Guardian of the Republic offers a unique perspective on our country.  Informed by his dedicated military and public service, West provides a compelling defense of the conservative values he believes must guide the debate as we confront the political, economic and social challenges that face our nation.”
—Donald Rumsfeld, former Secretary of Defense and New York Times bestselling author of Known and Unknown and Rumsfeld’s Rules


"Guardian of the Republic is not simply the title of this powerful book.  It's what the Founders demanded of each of us: to be sentinels for freedom.  Allen West is such a soldier.  From the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan to the combat of Capitol Hill and beyond, he has fought tirelessly and fearlessly for the American idea.  This is a passionate clarion call to restore that idea—-"the last best hope of earth," in the words of Lincoln—-before it's too late." —-Monica Crowley, Ph.D. Fox News Channel, news analyst, Host, nationally syndicated radio show, "The Monica Crowley Show"
New York Times bestselling author, What The (Bleep) Just Happened?

From the Publisher

2014-02-19
Part memoir, part political manifesto, from a controversial conservative who sounds like he's preparing to run for public office. There is no doubting his sincerity or the courage of his convictions, as West details his formative years as the African-American son of a close-knit family that stressed education and had generations of military service. The turning point for the author came when he was a battalion commander and received information that an Iraqi policeman had been conspiring with terrorists to help ambush American troops. "The policeman had been stonewalling our interrogators, and we needed results," he writes. "So I made the decision to put additional pressure on him with a psychological intimidation tactic. I drew my pistol and threatened to kill him if he did not provide information." He got his information but lost his command, received a fine and a reprimand, and left the military with an honorable discharge. He subsequently served a single term as a Florida congressman and has been a commentator on Fox News. West, whose political positions aren't as distinctive as his military experience, believes black voters are ill-served by a Democratic Party that takes them for granted: "[W]hen the left wins, our community loses. The result of such blind loyalty is that many black voters have come to resemble Vladimir Lenin's ‘useful idiots.' " The Lenin reference isn't gratuitous, for the author sees signs of communism, or at least creeping socialism, throughout a government that has grown bloated while betraying the principles of the Founding Fathers. "On college campuses," he writes, "there are far too many political science departments following the dogma of Marx rather than Jefferson." So what about the Republican Party? It is "slowly diluting itself into oblivion as it listens to talking heads say it can only be successful as ‘Democrat Lite.' " With his philosophy shaped by the likes of Ayn Rand, no one will tag this author Democrat Lite.

Kirkus Reviews