Dr Kahan is the author of Aristocratic Liberalism (Oxford, 1992) and Liberalism in Nineteenth Century Europe (Palgrave, 2003). He was also co-editor of The Tocqueville Reader (Wiley, 2002). Dr Meadowcroft is Lecturer in Public Policy at King's College London and the author of The Ethics of the Market (Palgrave, 2005) and co-author of Rescuing Social Capital from Social Democracy (Institute of Economic Affairs, 2007).

"This volume presents the ideas of conservative French political theorist Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859) within the context of his life and times. It recounts his biography and influences, then discusses the intricacies of his thought and ideas about democracy and freedom (and the tension between them) in America, France, and other countries; his ideas about poverty; responses to his work by contemporaries; and the impact of his contributions, including his works Democracy in America and The Old Regime and the Revolution." -Eithne O'Leyne, BOOK NEWS, Inc.

• Each study includes:; a) intellectual biography; b) historical context; c) critical exposition of the thinker's work; d) reception and influence; e) contemporary relevance; f) bibliography including references to electronic resources; g) index.