Burke published this book before Napoleon took power, before the bloodbath of the purges, before the French had beheaded their king. Yet, he predicted that all of that would happen. At first blush, I thought that the man must be a prophet. He fortold it all, in the exact order it would occur, and understood exactly why it would happen. Since that first reading, I have read quite a bit of history, and have learned how Burke did it. He was a genius for certain, but his extraordinary insight came from his extensive study of history. Similar events have occured more than once, under similar circumstances. As Santayana said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Burke remembered a broad span of the past.
His genius extends to more than just prediction. His breadth of understanding of political forces is astounding. He was a British Whig, which was the liberal party of the time, yet he has been claimed by Conservatives as their founding father! He understood the full breadth of political philosophy, and explained it all with crystal clerity. Here is a sample from either end:
From the liberal side--"The world on the whole will gain by liberty, without which virtue cannot exist."
From the conservative side--"The effect of liberty to individuals is, that they may do what they please. We ought to see what it will please them to do, before we risk congratulations, which may be soon turned into complaints."
How true that last quote proved, as the British (and Americans) went from fawning admiration of the French Revolution, to appalled repugnance, within very few years. Read him. It doesn't get any better than this.
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