Claremont Review of Books

The Claremont Review of Books (CRB) is a quarterly review of politics and statesmanship published by the Claremont Institute. Many consider it a conservative intellectual answer to the liberal New York Review of Books. In the journal's words, it "offers bold arguments for a reinvigorated conservatism, which draws upon the timeless principles of the American Founding and applies them to the moral and political problems we face today. By engaging policy at the level of ideas, the CRB aims to reawaken in American politics a statesmanship and citizenship worthy of our noblest political traditions." A typical issue consists of several book reviews and a selection of essays on topics of conservatism and political philosophy, history, and literature.

It began publishing in its present form in 2000, under the editorship of Charles Kesler. Contributors have included Harry Jaffa, Mark Helprin (a columnist for the magazine), Victor Davis Hanson, Diana Schaub, Gerard Alexander, Allen C. Guelzo, Joseph Epstein, Hadley Arkes, John Marini, and William F. Buckley, Jr..
Elliott Banfield is the journal's art director. Martha Bayles is the magazine's film and television critic. The staff includes senior editor Christopher Flannery and William Voegeli, managing editor John B. Kienker, and associate editor Kathleen Arnn. Joseph Tartakovsky is a contributing editor.

“It is a joy to read the Claremont Review of Books,” says Victor Davis Hanson. Scott Johnson of Power Line blog writes that “One of the reasons that the Claremont Review of Books is my favorite magazine is that each issue constitutes a virtual education in politics.” Milton Friedman said that “Each issue of the Claremont Review of Books covers an extraordinary wide range of books, each well and thoughtfully reviewed and is introduced by a gem of a comment by its literate editor, Charles R. Kesler. I recommend it highly.” Norman Podhoretz said “In my judgment, the Claremont Review of Books is one of the best edited and best written magazines of any kind in America, and an invaluable center of conservative thought on a rich and varied range of subjects to the discussion of which it unfailingly brings to bear the highest order of critical intelligence.”

Charles R. Kesler's "Democracy and the Bush Doctrine" was reprinted in an anthology of conservative writings on the Iraq War, edited by Commentary Managing Editor Gary Rosen. The CRB was party to a high-profile exchange in Commentary between Editor-at-Large Norman Podhoretz and CRB editor Charles R. Kesler and CRB contributors and Claremont Institute senior fellows Mark Helprin and Angelo M. Codevilla over the Bush Administration’s conduct of the Iraq war.