The Free Man's Library

Henry Hazlitt's The Free Man's Library is a spirited guide to the literature of liberty, individualism, free markets, and limited government. In a time when political language has been blurred, Hazlitt argues that true liberalism has been misnamed and weakened by doctrines that expand state power while claiming to serve freedom. He insists that political liberty and economic liberty are inseparable: once government controls a person's livelihood, it can also reach thought, speech, and conscience. Built from an earlier bibliography by W. H. Hutt and Francis W. Hirst, Hazlitt's project grows into a far broader, more selective, and more candid reading list. He explains his choices, omits most pamphlets for practical reasons, and offers both fuller and shorter introductory courses, along with "ten best" lists that he admits are necessarily imperfect. The annotated entries champion thinkers such as Hayek, Mill, Mises, Burke, Auberon Herbert, and John Morley, while also examining anti-communist, anti-planning, and anti-protectionist works. Together, the selections form a sharp defense of self-government, private initiative, constitutional restraint, and the enduring conflict between freedom and collectivism. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.