The Ominous Parallels
The Ominous Parallels: The End of Freedom in America is a 1982 book by the philosopher Leonard Peikoff, in which the author compares the culture of the United States with the culture of Germany leading up to the Nazis. The book has an introduction by the philosopher Ayn Rand, who describes it as "the first book by an Objectivist philosopher other than myself". Rand credited Peikoff with identifying "the cause of Nazism—and the ominous parallels between the intellectual history of Germany and of the United States".[1]
 Cover of the first edition | |
| Author | Leonard Peikoff |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | C. Lichty |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Ayn Rand Library |
| Subjects | Nazi Germany Politics of the United States Philosophy |
| Publisher | Stein and Day |
Publication date | 1982 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover and Paperback) |
| Pages | 383 |
| ISBN | 0-8128-2850-X |
| OCLC | 488363398 |
Publication history
The hardcover first edition was published by Stein and Day in 1982. A paperback edition was published by New American Library in 1983.[2]
In 2013, parts of The Ominous Parallels were republished in a new work by Peikoff, The Cause of Hitler's Germany.[3]
Reception
German expatriate Hiltgunt Zassenhaus gave the book a positive review, saying it showed the importance of working to build a free society.[4] In a Chicago Tribune profile of Peikoff, Rogers Worthington called it "a fascinating weave of German history, philosophic determinism, and Objectivist polemic".[5] The reviewer for The Indianapolis Star found Peikoff's description of the parallels interesting, but was disappointed that his proposed remedy was Rand's Objectivist philosophy.[6]
References
- Rand, Ayn. "Introduction". In Peikoff 1982, pp. vii–viii.
- Perinn 1990, p. 53.
- Peikoff 2013.
- Zassenhaus 1982.
- Worthington 1982, p. 3.1.
- Cole 1982.
Bibliography
- Cole, Ben (November 7, 1982). "Wants World According to Ayn Rand?". The Indianapolis Star. p. 4F – via Newspapers.com.
- Peikoff, Leonard (1982). The Ominous Parallels: The End of Freedom in America. New York: Stein and Day. ISBN 0-8128-2850-X.
- Peikoff, Leonard (February 2013). "Preface: The Cause of Hitler's Germany". Retrieved January 10, 2016.
- Perinn, Vincent L. (1990). Ayn Rand: First Descriptive Bibliography. Rockville, Maryland: Quill & Brush. ISBN 0-9610494-8-0. OCLC 23216055.
- Worthington, Rogers (September 7, 1982). "Ayn Rand's Disciple Sees U.S. Mired in Irrationality". Chicago Tribune. pp. 3.1, 3.5 – via Newspapers.com.
- Zassenhaus, Hiltgunt (December 26, 1982). "How the U.S. Today Is Like Nazi Germany". The Baltimore Sun. p. D4 – via Newspapers.com.