The Life and Letters of Francis Lieber

Book excerpt: Written with the participation of Lieber's wife, this biography is a compilation of excerpts from Lieber's letters and journals with connecting biographical sections by Perry. Though it was superseded by Frank Freidel's Francis Lieber, Nineteenth-Century Liberal, which is available as a Lawbook Exchange reprint, Perry's study retains certain advantages. In addition to its input from Lieber's widow the book reprints excerpts from Lieber's journals and letters that are not available elsewhere. Born and educated in Germany, Francis Lieber [1798-1872] was an important political philosopher and educator who helped to establish the study of political science in the United States. His works on civil liberty, military law and political ethics remain influential.