Regnery Publishing

Unfit for Command, published by Regnery Publishing.

Regnery Publishing, located in Washington, D.C., is a publisher that specializes in conservative books that they characterize on their website as “contrary to those of 'mainstream' publishers in New York.” The company has been a division of Eagle Publishing since 1993.

History

Regnery Publishing was founded in 1947 as the Henry Regnery Company by Henry Regnery, and was originally located in Chicago, Illinois. It originally had a close affiliation with the University of Chicago, and published books for the Great Books series at the University, which were primarily classics. The first book published by Henry Regnery Company was the The German Opposition To Hitler by Hans Rothfels, who was a close friend of Henry Regnery. One of the first well-known books it published (in 1951) was God and Man at Yale by William F. Buckley, Jr. Among its most famous books is the landmark Witness by Whittaker Chambers. + It was founded in 1947 as Henry Regnery Company by Henry Regnery, and was originally located in Chicago, Illinois. It originally had a close affiliation with the University of Chicago, and published books for the Great Books series at the University, which were primarily classics. The first book published by Henry Regnery Company was the The German Opposition To Hitler by Hans Rothfels, who was a close friend of Henry Regnery. One of the first well-known books it published (in 1951) was God and Man at Yale by William F. Buckley, Jr..

- In the 1970s Henry's son, Henry F. Regnery, worked at the company. Sadly, he was killed in a commercial airliner crash. In the 1980s, Alfred S. Regnery, the other son of Henry (Henry F. Regnery's brother), took control of the company. In the 1990s, the Regnery family sold the publishing company to Phillips Publishing, which put the book publishing company into its Eagle Publishing subsidiary. Eagle Publishing also publishes the weekly, Human Events, which Ronald Reagan proclaimed to be his favorite newspaper. Alfred Regnery has subsequently left his post as President of Regnery Publishing to become the publisher of the conservative American Spectator magazine. He still holds a seat on the Board of Directors. Pat Sajak is also a member of the board. Alex Novak, son of political columnist Robert Novak, is director of marketing. + In the 1970s Henry's son, Henry F. Regnery, worked at the company; he was killed in a commercial airliner crash. In the 1980s, Alfred S. Regnery, the other son of Henry (Henry F. Regnery's brother), took control of the company. In the 1990s, the Regnery family sold the publishing company to Phillips Publishing, which put the book publishing company into its Eagle Publishing subsidiary. Eagle Publishing also publishes the weekly, Human Events. Alfred Regnery has subsequently left his post as President of Regnery Publishing to become the publisher of the conservative American Spectator magazine. He still holds a seat on the Board of Directors. Pat Sajak is also a member of the board. Alex Novak, son of political columnist Robert Novak, is director of marketing. - - Regnery Publishing has become note-worthy despite its small size by a series of blockbuster books. Most of its audience, and probably Regnery itself, would attribute this to the perceived ideological and political censorship of conservative ideas by most other, traditional publishers, providing a pent-up demand for the other side of the story. - - Regnery has served as the launching pad, or amplifier, for a great many conservative authors, including Ann Coulter and Barbara Olson before her death on Flight 77 on 9/11. Many conservative authors have become known through publication by Regnery, and then gone on to command a place in the mainstream media once Regnery helped make them famous. - - In 2004, Regnery stunned the publishing world with its blockbuster Unfit for Command written by Dr. Jerome Corsi and former Swift Boat Veteran John O'Neill, who served in Vietnam at the same time and in the same grouping of boats as Presidential Candidate John Kerry. John O'Neill debated John Kerry on national television on the Dick Cavett show in 1971 about John Kerry's allegations of war crimes and atrocities by U.S. soldiers. Inflamed by John Kerry's perceived audacity to run for Commander-in-Chief after having slandered and trashed the soldiers who served in Vietnam, a group of veterans formed Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. - - On May 31, 2004, Corsi and O'Neil presented a proposal to Regnery after spending all weekend on it, with the assistance of radio talk show host Paul Schiffer, armed with bound examples of Corsi's proven writing skills from past books, and the incredible story John O'Neill had to tell from his real-life experiences in Vietnam. The book had not yet been written, and as a practical matter, purely for marketing, a book about John Kerry would have poor sales potential after the election. Publishing, marketing, and distributing a book that had not yet been written as of May 31, 2004, in time to remain relevant, seemed utterly impossible, by far. And yet Corsi and O'Neill, with input from many of the Swift Boat Veterans, wrote a near perfect draft in only one month, which is highly unusual. Regnery decided to roll out the book as soon as copies came off the presses, rather than building up an inventory first. The result was an incredible 'run' on copies of the book, sometimes unfairly blamed on bookstores, but entirely unintentional, driven by the calendar. - - From a book that had not yet been written at the start of June 2004, Regnery printed well more than 1 million copies of Unfit for Command and at last known report sold an astonshing 850,000 copies, and probably much more, most of them before November 2004. Unfit for Command is thought by many to have dramatically impacted the 2004 election, by causing an examination of the genuineness of John Kerry's military experience and capabilities to serve as President, as allegedly being "Unfit to Command," and by informing the public of Kerry's anti-military activities in the 1970's.

==Controversy and criticism==  ==Controversy and criticism== 
===Criticisms===  ===Criticisms=== 

- To the frustration and confusion of its liberal critics, Regnery has thrived on controversy over political ideas in the arena of ideas. Fulfilling its perceived mission to challenge the national debate and to provide a different set of voices for the nation to consider, Regnery seeks to promote works and voices that would otherwise never be heard. As a result, publishing what the liberal mainstream would have published anyway is not part of Regnery's mission. It is exactly those books that the liberal elite in Manhattan and Hollywood dislike most that are most in need of an alternative such as Regnery seeks to provide. As a result, to call a Regnery book politically controversial is probably a significant compliment signifying genuine achievement. - - Furthermore, criticism of Regnery is usually unmistakably filled with jealousy for the enormous success of some of Regnery's blockbuster books. The liberal and elite mainstream media and publishing world, having stifled conservative alternatives in the eyes of conservatives, betrays significant jealousy at the huge sales achieved by many of Regnery's conservative works. -

In describing Regnery's position in the publishing world, Nicholas Confessore, then writer for the leftist American Prospect, said,  In describing Regnery's position in the publishing world, Nicholas Confessore, then writer for the leftist American Prospect, said, 
:Welcome to the world of Regnery Publishing—lifestyle press for conservatives, preferred printer of presidential hopefuls, and venerable publisher of books for the culture wars. Call it—gracelessly but more accurately—a medium-sized, loosely linked network of conservative types, with few degrees of separation and similar political aims. Just don't call it a conspiracy.[1]  :Welcome to the world of Regnery Publishing—lifestyle press for conservatives, preferred printer of presidential hopefuls, and venerable publisher of books for the culture wars. Call it—gracelessly but more accurately—a medium-sized, loosely linked network of conservative types, with few degrees of separation and similar political aims. Just don't call it a conspiracy.[2] 

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====Alleged publishing of Islamophobic books====  ====Alleged publishing of Islamophobic books==== 
   

- In keeping with its mission of providing the other side of the story and challenging the national debate, some of Regnery's authors unabashedly shine a light on misconceptions and conventional wisdom about why many in the Islamic world seek to attack the West. After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, understanding why some in that part of the world seek to kill Americans would seem to be an urgent and important priority. + Carl Ernst, an academic scholar of Islamic studies, states that the Regnery Publishing, a subsidiary of Eagle Publishing and considered by many a leading conservative publishing company, is 'promoted and supported by right-wing organizations, who are perpetuating a type of bigotry similar to anti-Semitism and racial prejudice.' For example Ernst notes that Robert Spencer, whom Ernst views as a Islamophobe, has published some of his books through the Regnery Publishing press. - - However, Carl Ernst, an academic scholar of Islamic studies, states that the Regnery Publishing, a subsidiary of Eagle Publishing and considered by many a leading conservative publishing company, is 'promoted and supported by right-wing organizations, who are perpetuating a type of bigotry similar to anti-Semitism and racial prejudice.' For example Ernst notes that Robert Spencer, whom Ernst views as a Islamophobe, has published some of his books through the Regnery Publishing press. - - Ernst focuses on 'funding sources' of some other publishers, perhaps not intending to include Regnery, however Regnery has no 'funding sources' in that sense. Unlike the other organizations Ernst critques, Regnery is a for-profit publisher which makes money by selling books to consumers who want to read them. - - However, this criticism contrasts with how all other publishers are in the business of publishing books. Almost no other publisher would be criticized for the books that authors write. Thus, some suggest that such Islamic criticisms reflect how the Islamic world is unaccustomed to an open discussions of ideas and is in need of reform. Islamic critics have apparnetly not answered the specific content of Spencer's books, even though Spencer claims to base his arguments and conclusions on Islam's own religious and historical texts. An Islamic response from those actual texts might provide an informative contrary view. - - Specific Regnery books exploring Islamic militancy and those who happen to also qualify as extremist are mentioned in the links below.

===Ben Domenech===  ===Ben Domenech=== 

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===Conspiracy theories===  ===Conspiracy theories=== 
Regnery Publishing has put out many controversial books, some of which have contained information described by critics as questionable and sometimes inaccurate. For example, The Secret Life of Bill Clinton (1997), as noted in the Amazon.com editorial review, claimed the book "manages to connect the president to everything from 1997's Oklahoma City bombing to Arkansas's drug underworld to the mysterious death of White House aide and longtime Clinton friend Vince Foster, and, of course, to Paula Jones."[3]  Regnery Publishing has put out many controversial books, some of which have contained information described by critics as questionable and sometimes inaccurate. For example, The Secret Life of Bill Clinton (1997), as noted in the Amazon.com editorial review, claimed the book "manages to connect the president to everything from 1997's Oklahoma City bombing to Arkansas's drug underworld to the mysterious death of White House aide and longtime Clinton friend Vince Foster, and, of course, to Paula Jones."[4] 

- - Conservatives, however, are equally adamant that all of the assertions in such books are correct, and then some. Such criticism plainly divides along conservative / liberal lines, with criticisms coming almost entirely from the liberal side of the spectrum, whose philosophy Regnery books frequently disassemble. - - For example, during 'discovery' in the Filegate lawsuit, Judicial Watch uncovered an advance copy of Gary Aldrich's book "Unlimited Access" about the Clinton Administration which had been sent to the White House for preclearance on matters of security (not for political purposes) in keeping with established requirements. Rather than review the manuscript for any security concerns, then-Clinton staffer George Stephanopolous had marked up the manuscript with political objections and suggestions on how to attack Gary Aldrich politically to discredit the book. Thus it is often unclear whether charges of inaccuracy are genuine or pure politics. "Unlimited Access" was published by Regnery, and was indeed attacked by the Clinton White House upon its publication, just as Stephanopolous had pre-planned.

Publications

Books published by Regnery include:

• Aldrich, Gary. Unlimited Access. ISBN 0-89526-454-4.
• Horowitz, David. Unholy Alliance: Radical Islam and the American Left. ISBN 0-89526-076-X.
• Davis, Mark and Tyrrell, Emmett. Madame Hillary: The Dark Road to the White House. Regnery Publishing, 2004 ISBN 0-89526-067-0
• Evans-Pritchard, Ambrose. The Secret Life of Bill Clinton Regnery 1997, ISBN 0-89526-408-0
• Malkin, Michelle. In Defense of Internment: The Case for "Racial Profiling" in World War II and the War on Terror. ISBN 0-89526-051-4.
• Nietzsche, Friedrich. Philosophy in the Tragic Age of the Greeks. 1996 reprint: ISBN 0-89526-710-1. Translated with an introduction by Marianne Cowan.
• Olson, Barbara. Hell to Pay: The Unfolding Story of Hillary Rodham Clinton. ISBN 0-89526-274-6.
• O'Neill, John E.; & Corsi, Jerome E. Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry. ISBN 0-89526-017-4.
• Patteron, Robert. Reckless Disregard: How Liberal Democrats Undercut Our Military, Endanger Our Soldiers, and Jeopardize Our Security. ISBN 0-89526-086-7.
• Schlafly, Phyllis. The End of an Era. ISBN 0-89526-659-8.
• Spencer, Robert The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (And the Crusades). 2005. ISBN 0-89526-013-1.
• Woods, Thomas. The Politically Incorrect Guide to American History. 2004. ISBN 0-89526-047-6.
• Bethell, Tom. The Politically Incorrect Guide to Science. 2005. ISBN 0-89526-031-X
• Lucas, Carrie L.. The Politically Incorrect Guide to Women, Sex and Feminism 2005 ISBN 1-59698-003-6
• Wells, Jonathan. The Politically Incorrect Guide to Darwinism and Intelligent Design. 2006. ISBN 1-59698-013-3
• Kantor, Elizabeth. The Politically Incorrect Guide to English and American Literature. 2006. ISBN 1-59698-011-7

Regnery is a sister company of the conservative newspaper Human Events.

External links

• Official website
• Human Events' website
• Eagle Publishing's website