In Alexis de Tocqueville, Joseph Epstein—who over the past three decades has acquired a reputation as one of America’s most distinguished men of letters—provides a fresh account of the celebrated writer’s classic travels in America.

De Tocqueville (1805-1859), only 25 at the time of his arrival in the United States, was a keen observer, and wrote on a broad range of subjects—from religion to criminal justice—most of which remain startlingly relevant today. The book gives a biographical account of de Tocqueville’s sojourn in the U.S. and explores how he arrived at his profoundly influential interpretation of our then-new civilization. Because his insights have proven so enduring, Epstein also compares what the French writer witnessed in the 19th century with the state of our nation in the present day.