M. Stanton Evans (d. 2015) was one of the unsung heroes and key figures of the modern conservative movement, offering a model to be remembered and emulated in both thought and deed. A person of extraordinary breadth, he combined the roles of journalist, first-rank thinker, and political action, often at the center of crucial events for the conservative movement from the mid-1950s to his last decade in the 2010s. He was the principal author of the Sharon Statement, the founding document of Young Americans for Freedom. Evans was also a mentor to an entire generation of conservative writers and journalists, including Ann Coulter, John Fund, Martin Morse Wooster, Tim Carney, Richard Miniter, William McGurn, and this author.

Evans was libertarian in economics and policy, traditionalist in moral and social matters, respectful of religion, and resolutely anti-Communist. Over the years he wrote a number of elegant articles and one book (The Theme is Freedom) that reconciled many of the strains that often appear between these differing schools of conservative thought. He also wrote a controversial defense of Joseph McCarthy (Blacklisted by History), which is one of many examples of his fearlessness in contesting the conventional wisdom.

Beyond his professional profile, Stan was also known for his ironic dry wit, which only came out in person, as well as his personal modesty and kindliness, and fondness for fast-food, sports, and classic rock and roll music trivia. He was "the conservative for the common man."

About the Author

Steven F. Hayward is a resident scholar at UC Berkeley's Institute of Governmental Studies and a visiting lecturer at Berkeley Law. He was previously the Ronald Reagan Distinguished Visiting Professor at Pepperdine University's School of Public Policy. He is the author of six books, including The Age of Reagan: The Fall of the Old Liberal Order, 1964-1980, The Age of Reagan: The Conservative Counter-Revolution, 1980-1989, and Patriotism is Not Enough: Harry Jaffa, Walter Berns, and the Arguments That Redefined American Conservatism. He writes daily on Powerlineblog.com, one of the nation's most read political websites.

Reviews

"Stan Evans was a great journalist who deserves a great biographer-and now he has one in Steve Hayward, who captures the significance and humor of Stan's remarkable life in a book that is both an important contribution to the history of American conservatism as well as just plain funny." -John J. Miller, director of the Dow Journalism Program at Hillsdale College

"Erudition, wit, high principal, and humane sympathy made Stan Evans, despite his overarching modesty, a leading light of American conservatism. They are also the qualities Steve Hayward brings to this wonderful biography. It is illuminating in detail and deft in tone. No other scholar today could have produced such an engaging account of this important life." -Hugo Gurdon, Editor-In-Chief, Washington Examiner

"Few people were as central to creating today's conservative movement as Stan Evans. Steven Hayward chronicles his whirlwind accomplishments in a book that's both scholarly and entertaining: Author of the Sharon Statement of conservative principles, major newspaper editor at age 25, chair of the American Conservative Union, and teaching mentor to hundreds of aspiring journalists. Stan Evans, with his famously sardonic sense of humor, would grade this book 'Excellent, albeit incomplete in describing just how much fun the subject of interest had.'" -John Fund, National Review

"Here is a biography of one of the most thoughtful, brave, and witty founders of the American conservative movement by a biographer who is his equal in all three capacities. Astounding but true." -John O'Sullivan, editor emeritus, National Review

Book Information
ISBN 9781641771764
Author Steven F. Hayward
Format Hardback
Page Count 200
Imprint Encounter Books,USA
Publisher Encounter Books,USA