Making Patriots
How can we raise our children to understand the freedoms they enjoy and to appreciate the blessings of this country? “Tell them thrilling stories from America’s past,” says Mrs. LYNNE CHENEY, explaining how to make history come alive for students of all ages. “Few tales are more wondrous than that of the founders seeking independence and - against the odds - winning it. Few plots are more thrilling than their deciding to establish representative government and - against the odds - succeeding. And few stories are more heartening than the way that the idea of equality has expanded over two centuries, including more and ever more of us in the phrase ‘we the people.’”
The Past as Personal
One of the most pleasurable ways to learn history, Mrs. LYNNE CHENEY says, is to explore family history. She talks of the lessons she learned while writing Blue Skies, No Fences, a memoir of growing up in Wyoming and a tribute to her forbears, brave souls who made the westward journey. “The American past is filled with heroes and heroines who have no monuments and whose names aren’t in the textbooks,” she says, “but we are most surely indebted to them.” She offers encouragement and advice to those who want to discover the heroes and heroines in their own stories.
Telling the Truth
In our schools and colleges, students now learn that truth doesn’t exist. There are only opinions, the thinking goes, and the most powerful establish what we believe. As in her book Telling the Truth, Mrs. LYNNE CHENEY explains this viewpoint’s effect on American life in fields ranging from education, to politics and the media, where journalists commonly maintain that objectivity is an illusion, “a pretentious fantasy,” in the words of one. With provocative examples, Cheney makes clear the devastating impact on society of abandoning the notion of objective reality—and the importance of encouraging the pursuit of truth.
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Scholar and former Second Lady of the United States Dr. Lynne Cheney is a no-nonsense sought-out voice on both the past and present of American politics
Dr. LYNNE CHENEY's 12th book, The Virginia Dynasty: Four Presidents and the Creation of the American Nation, adds to her oeuvre on American history. In a recent profile by the Wall Street Journal, Dr. Cheney - who in addition to being an historian is the former Second Lady of the United States and former Chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities - said she hopes that by studying America's origins we can understand and reassert the 'civic glue that has held us together.' Her timely commentary about the state of American politics is based on her historical research, current status as a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, as well as being a living part of an era of American politics. Dr. Cheney is a no-nonsense sought-out voice on both the past and present of American politics, as shown during this recent virtual event with the National Constitution Center.
Lynne Cheney reveals the universal truths and values of our nation's history
Former Second Lady of the United States and New York Times bestselling author LYNNE CHENEY is a renowned historian and gifted orator who provides eye-opening and inspiring lessons on democracy and leadership. Drawing on personal and national history, Cheney reveals universal truths and values that resonate with every audience. Her bestselling works include a biography of a founding father, James Madison: A Life Reconsidered, a memoir that intertwines a history of the pioneering west and her personal life, Blue Skies, No Fences, and several historical children’s books, including We the People: The Story of Our Constitution, which tells the story of how our country came to be for future generations. A passionate champion for the need to learn history in order to understand our world today, Cheney has been sought-out to speak at the National Constitution Center, The Nixon Library, The Reagan Forum, and more. Following an engagement at the Hudson Library and Historic Society, the event host raved of Cheney: “We and our patrons adored her. It was a rewarding experience. All of our readers had positive comments, many saying it was the best program ever. Honestly we had no negatives-- she is a super lady.”
Called “the really indispensable Cheney” by columnist George Will, Lynne Cheney enlivens audiences and lights up TV screens while arguing for the need to teach America’s story fully and fairly. As chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities and second lady, she brought this message to audiences across the country.
With a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin, Mrs. Cheney also speaks forcefully on the importance of nurturing a diversity of viewpoints on college campuses, as well as in the mainstream media. Through speeches and appearances on radio and television - including a stint as co-host on Crossfire Sunday - she has established her identity as an incisive commentator on culture and politics.
Mrs. Cheney’s 12th and newest book, The Virginia Dynasty: Four Presidents and the Creation of the American Nation, adds to her oeuvre on American history. Her biography of the fourth U.S. President, James Madison: A Life Reconsidered, “is probably the best single volume bio of Madison that we now have” according to Gordon Wood of The New York Times Book Review. Talk-show host Mike Gallagher called Lynne Cheney’s Blue Skies, No Fences “A riveting book.” “A delightful memoir of more innocent days,” observed Kathryn Lopez of National Review Online. Lynne Cheney’s bestselling children’s books, including America, A Patriotic Primer and We the People have also garnered wide praise, with reviewers noting their careful research and compelling presentation. Cheney is no stranger to controversy, but as Sanford Pinkser, reviewing Telling the Truth in The Philadelphia Inquirer, wrote, “Even those who disagree with [Cheney] will find much more to debate than to easily dismiss.”
Lynne Cheney’s pamphlets, books, and editorial pieces have won her a wide following among those who yearn for a re-invigoration of common sense and patriotism in our schools, colleges, and national life. Currently a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, her views on subjects ranging from the state of our schools to the condition of our politics gain authority not only from her deep knowledge of history but from her experiences at the highest levels of our national life.
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