Land and Liberty

"In this lucid and deeply researched account, Christopher England cuts through the many myths and misinterpretations surrounding Henry George and his followers. Land and Liberty reveals that Georgism was an urban, global, and unflinchingly modern movement that aimed to make liberalism more egalitarian and democratic, influencing generations of reformers even after the dream of the single tax had faded into obscurity. It will be required reading for anyone interested in the origins and effects of George's transformative worldview."

"This is the definitive account to date of the life and influence of perhaps the important and under-appreciated economic thinker of all time. In this era of housing crises, network monopolies, and populist politics, Henry George's vision and example have never been more relevant. Those building the future are taking notice and should read this book with keen interest."

"Henry George made his famous critique of progress and poverty—of a civilization that piled up vast wealth for a few and spread poverty among the many—as a journalist living in Gilded Age San Francisco and New York City. England tells the story of Georgism as an egalitarian and democratic current of reform. He explores its global dimensions and, most significantly, covers much new ground in his treatment of the powerful impact the movement had on reform thought in the era of the First World War and beyond. This is a remarkable book that speaks to our present crisis of inequality."

"Henry George was an economic 'rockstar' who revolutionized how everyday people thought about the problems of wealth inequality and monopoly power that still plague capitalism today. With this fine book, we get not only the splendid biography George deserved, but a compelling story of his forgotten role in the shaping of progressive thought."

"There has never been an American intellectual (or politician) quite like Henry George. Christopher England not only contextualizes him—with all his virtues and flaws—within American liberalism but also reveals his often-hidden influence during his own lifetime and afterwards. A brilliant biography."

"Land of Liberty is not just the best book ever written about Henry George's ideas and their unappreciated influence on politicians, policy makers, and moral philosophers over the past century and more. Christopher England has produced one of those rare works of scholarship that ought to transform the way we understand the history of economic thought and social movements in the United States and elsewhere in the industrial world."