Ill Fares the Land

As the economic collapse of 2008 made clear, the social contract that defined postwar life in Europe and America is no longer guaranteed. Historian Judt challenges readers to confront societal ills and shoulder responsibility for the world they live in. Featuring a new preface by bestselling author of Between the World and Me and The Water Dancer, Ta-Nehisi Coates. We are in for a fight . . . and in that fight Tony's work will be needed. This volume, in particular, will be needed. --Ta-Nehisi Coates, from the preface

Tony Judt called America an eviscerated society, a nation tethered to its government more by tradition and law than collective benefit and unity. Written in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, Ill Fares the Land takes on the nihilistic individualism of conservatives and the failures of liberals to defend effective government. It reintroduces forgotten alternatives to address our common needs, and asks the central question facing us today: How can we make a good society now?