Dakota Beacon

We wish our favorite writers would live forever. But alas, they are mortal. Fortunately, their words live on.

The great historian, Paul Johnson, passed away on January 12, 2023 at the age of 94.

I own several of his books, at least his more important ones and I dip into them occasionally. Johnson, British by birth, was an author and journalist who wrote prolifically producing more than 50 books. Notably, he fell in love with America. At one time he wrote a weekly essay for “The Spectator” and was a frequent contributor to the “Daily Telegraph,” the “New York Times,” the “Wall Street Journal,” and other newspapers and magazines.

So what makes Paul Johnson so great and so memorable? Not only is he noted for his worthy histories, he was also a lethal polemicist from the conservative side of the aisle. People of the same persuasion will read his books and follow his reasoning with pleasure and amusement. Similarly, people familiar with his contemporary, the historian Victor Davis Hanson, will greatly appreciate Johnson’s work. They are just about birds of a feather although Johnson’s work was more voluminous.

Much ground has been lost over the past half century to the Left following their promulgation of the Culture Wars. Paul Johnson served as a bulwark doing yeoman’s work stemming that tide. In addition to his accurate observations and valid commentaries, his prose is very easy to read and understand.

When I heard of his passing, my tribute to Paul Johnson was to turn to my selection of his books. What follows is an ever-so-brief synopsis of some of the volumes.

-- “Intellectuals.” Johnson offers a captivating description of some of the minds that shaped the modern world. A series of case studies reveals intellectuals as brilliant, contradictory, -- and dangerous. Familiar names include Rousseau, Shelley, Marx, Tolstoy, Hemingway, Bertrand Russell, Sartre, Norman Mailer, James Baldwin, and Noam Chomsky. George Orwell had it right when he observed, “Some ideas are so stupid that only intellectuals believe them.” This quote is spot on as it sums up “Intellectuals.”

-- “Modern Times.” Johnson’s evaluation shows time and again that every utopian experiment in the 20th century ended tragically. The connecting link for all of them was collectivism and concentrated power in the hands of the economic, political, cultural, and military managers, often consolidated into one central manager. Anyone seeking an excellent and uncensored history of the 20th century (and some 19th century) look no further than “Modern Times”. Nothing comparable will be found within academia or touted by the legacy media.

-- “A History of the American People.” Henry A. Kissinger once said of Johnson’s book, “His theme is the men and women, prominent and unknown, whose energy, vision, courage, and confidence shaped a great nation. It is a compelling antidote to those who regard the future with pessimism.” Johnson captures the American spirit precisely by describing Americans as problem solvers extraordinaire. Johnson's book clearly shows that America was always a “religious nation” and that religion in general (and Protestant Christianity in particular) remains a powerful social stabilizer.

-- “A History of the Jews.” Some acknowledge this to be one of the best histories of the Jewish people written in the past few hundred years. The book includes both a 4000 year survey of Jewish history as well as the genius the Jewish people bestowed on the world. Johnson makes a worthy point. If one does not have some grasp the Hebrew Scriptures, one will have difficulty discerning Christ.

-- “A History of Christianity.” This is a history of a religion after all and not an evangelical call to conversion. Even so, Johnson’s book presents a worthy rendering of the impact of the life of Jesus Christ on the two subsequent millennia following His visit on earth. It offers “the big picture” of Christian history and superbly serves anyone looking for a good overview.

As an outstanding success, Paul Johnson raised the bar of clean historical writing for all who follow. Good luck to anyone who will tackle so huge a range of subjects in the future with such understanding and liveliness.

You left us too soon, Paul Johnson. RIP.

Dennis M. Patrick can be contacted at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).