Stealthily Wielding Caesar’s Sword

MANY A BOOK has touted the importance of tradition in the pursuit of the good life. To my mind, the measure of such a work’s success is the likelihood that it will persuade someone who comes in unconvinced.

, by the firebrand and Catholic convert Sohrab Ahmari, initially offers high hopes on this front. Ahmari is an excellent writer, and his first few chapters are able examples of the genre. To support the notion that there’s more to knowledge than scientific fact or that a belief in God is logical, he employs the sorts of arguments and examples you might expect to find in, say, Bishop Robert Barron’s well-regarded documentary series. But the project is ultimately hampered by bizarre storytelling choices and sneaking signs that the author hasn’t been entirely honest about his