| − | '''Russell Kirk''' (1918 – 29 April 1994) was an American political theorist, conservative intellectual, historian of ideas, social critic, and man of letters, who is best known for his role in the American conservative movement. Kirk's 1953 book, ''The Conservative Mind: From Burke to Santayana'',<ref>It went into 7 editions, the later ones with the title ''The Conservative Mind: From Burke to Eliot''.</ref> was a book that tried to lay claim to the history and direction of the modern conservative movement. His book traced the development of conservative thought in the Anglo-American tradition, giving pride of place to the ideas of 18th century British writer and statesman [[Edmund Burke]], an Irish Protestant who was sympathetic to independence for the American colonies. | + | '''Russell Kirk''' (1918 – 29 April 1994) was an American political theorist, conservative intellectual, historian of ideas, social critic, and man of letters, who is best known for his role in the American conservative movement. Kirk's 1953 book, ''The Conservative Mind: From Burke to Santayana'',<ref>It went into 7 editions, the later ones with the title ''The Conservative Mind: From Burke to Eliot''.</ref> attempted without complete success to lay claim to the history and direction of the modern conservative movement. His book traced the development of conservative thought in the Anglo-American tradition, giving pride of place to the ideas of 18th century British writer and statesman [[Edmund Burke]], an Irish Protestant who was sympathetic to independence for the American colonies. |