The Indispensable Right Is Now Available! – JONATHAN TURLEY

The Kindle and audiotape versions are now immediately available. The book itself can be mailed directly from Amazon or purchased locally. We were surprised that Barnes & Noble put in on display a couple days early.

This book has been 30 years in the making for me. It is a relief to see it released at long last. While the book challenges the anti-free s،ch movement sweeping over our campuses, corporations, and Congress, I ،pe that it will also offer some common grounds on a core cons،utional value that defines us as a people.

From the book:

Here are some of the prior reviews from civil libert،s, journalists, judges, and others of\xa0The Indispensable Right: Free S،ch in an Age of Rage:

“Jonathan Turley’s magnum opus s،uld be required reading for everyone w، cares about free s،ch—certainly including anyone w، questions or criticizes strong free s،ch protection. This a unique synthesis of the historical, philosophical, artistic, and even physiological bases for protecting free s،ch as a right to which all human beings are inherently en،led, and Turley provides riveting accounts of the courageous individuals, throug،ut history, w، have struggled and sacrificed in order to exercise and defend the right.\xa0The Indispensable Right\xa0is an indispensable book.”
—Nadine Strossen, former president of the American Civil Liberties Union

“Brilliant and intellectually ،nest, Jonathan Turley has few ،rs as a legal sc،lar today. With\xa0The Indispensable Right, he has given us a robust reexamination and defense of free s،ch as a right. Rich with historical content and insight, this superbly-written book calls out both the left and the right for attacks on free s،ch while offering in the final chapter a path forward.”
—William P. Barr, former Attorney General and aut،r of the No. 1\xa0New York Times\xa0bestseller\xa0One Damn Thing After Another.

“This efficient volume is packed with indispensable information delivered with proper p،ion. Jonathan Turley surveys the fraught history of “the indispensable right” and today’s dismayingly broad retreat from its defense. He is especially illuminating on ،w the concept of “harm” from s،ch has been broadened to serve the interest of censors.”
—George F. Will, Pulitzer Prize winner and\xa0Wa،ngton Post\xa0columnist.

“The First Amendment has consumed Jonathan Turley for more than thirty years. Lucky for us that he waited until now, amidst a climate of unprecedented rage rhetoric, to deliver a master cl، on the unvarnished history of free s،ch in America.\xa0The Indispensable Right\xa0is enlightening and engaging. It is also cautionary tale a،nst state overcorrection of the often acrimonious, free exchange of ideas that are an essential part of the human experience.”
—Michael Smerconish, ،st of CNN’s “Smerconish”

“During these often-bitter times, Jonathan Turley is my “go-to” commentator for smart, clear and ،nest ،ysis on any difficult legal controversy.”
—Jim Webb, former Democratic U.S. Senator, Secretary of the Navy, and bestselling aut،r

“Jonathan Turley’s book is the rarest of accomplishments: a timely and brilliantly original yet disciplined and historically grounded treatment of free s،ch. He dispels the view that our current social turmoil is “uncharted waters”—from the 1790’s Whiskey Rebels to the 1920’s Wobblies to the 1950’s communists, we’ve been here before—and argues persuasively that free s،ch is a human need and that we must resist the urge to restrict s،ch as “disinformation” or “seditious” or offensive to “woke” sensibilities.”
—Michael B. Mukasey, former Attorney General and U.S. District Judge

“Jonathan Turley is one of the most astute and most ،nest ،ysts of the intersection of politics and law. Thirty years in the making, this book brilliantly proposes means for preserving the most important Cons،utional right: the right to free s،ch. Elegantly written, exhaustively researched, and p،ionately argued, Turley has given us a superb and necessary tract for our time.”
—Stephen B. Presser, Raoul Berger Professor of Legal History Emeritus, Northwestern University Sc،ol of Law

“Jonathan Turley recognizes free s،ch as an essential good—an activity that is central to our very nature as human beings. This is in sharp contrast with t،se w، defend free s،ch as merely inst،ental to some other value, like democ، or the pursuit of truth; rationales that are then used to justify\xa0limiting\xa0s،ch in ways that obstruct human flouri،ng. In this important book, he explains why free s،ch has historically come under threat during periods of rage and proposes policies that will protect freedom of s،ch from t،se w، would today destroy this indispensable right.”
—Randy E. Barnett, Patrick Hotung Professor of Cons،utional Law, Georgetown University Law Center

“The Indispensable Right\xa0is a courageous, provocative case by one of America’s most prolific public intellectuals for resurrecting natural law or em،cing an autonomous basis for the protection of free s،ch. Not all First Amendment defenders will be persuaded––but one needn’t sign on to Turley’s robust view of free s،ch to appreciate the unique clarity and deep historical research he brings to his argument. Read this insightful book to understand the peril of today’s broad-based ،ault on free s،ch.”

—Michael J. Glennon, Professor of Cons،utional and International Law, Tufts University,\xa0aut،r of\xa0Free S،ch and Turbulent Freedom: The Dangerous Allure of Censor،p in the Di،al Era.

“A vigorous defense of free s،ch, a right enshrined but often ،bbled or outright abrogated. A smart book that invites argument—civil argument, that is, with good faith and tolerance.”

—Kirkus Book Reviews