The War on the West

Written by Douglas Murray

Narrated by Douglas Murray

An Instant New York Times Bestseller!

China has concentration camps now. Why do Westerners claim our sins are unique?

It is now in vogue to celebrate non-Western cultures and disparage Western ones. Some of this is a much-needed reckoning, but much of it fatally undermines the very things that created the greatest, most humane civilization in the world.

In The War on the West, Douglas Murray shows how many well-meaning people have been fooled by hypocritical and inconsistent anti-West rhetoric. After all, if we must discard the ideas of Kant, Hume, and Mill for their opinions on race, shouldn’t we discard Marx, whose work is peppered with racial slurs and anti-Semitism? Embers of racism remain to be stamped out in America, but what about the raging racist inferno in the Middle East and Asia?

It’s not just dishonest scholars who benefit from this intellectual fraud but hostile nations and human rights abusers hoping to distract from their own ongoing villainy. Dictators who slaughter their own people are happy to jump on the “America is a racist country” bandwagon and mimic the language of antiracism and “pro-justice” movements as PR while making authoritarian conquests.

If the West is to survive, it must be defended. The War on the West is not only an incisive takedown of foolish anti-Western arguments but also a rigorous new apologetic for civilization itself.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Apr 26, 2022
• ISBN: 9780063162051

Douglas Murray

Douglas Murray is an associate editor of The Spectator. His latest publication, The Madness of Crowds, was a bestseller and a book of the year for The Times and The Sunday Times. His previous book, The Strange Death of Europe: Immigration, Identity, Islam, was published by Bloomsbury in May 2017. It spent almost twenty weeks on the Sunday Times bestseller list and was a number one bestseller in nonfiction.

Reviews for The War on the West

[Laura · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An excellent, amusing, and readable critique, The War on the West details the unique situation of Westerners constantly attacking their own culture while instead revering some of the most unsavory cultures and individuals in history.

From statue toppling to racist gardening, seeing so many instances of Anti-Racist™ mayhem laid out together in one book makes one wonder how this insanity has made it as far as it has. Murray investigates the feelings of resentment and revenge at the base of this movement, its hypocrisy, its insincerity, and its own racism, and endeavors to remind us just why the West is still the number one place immigrants want to move.

I recommend this book to anyone who might be inclined to think Anti-Racism™ is just a nice equality movement seeking equal rights and respect for minorities. You'll be surprised.

[Destin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A Necessary and timely read/listen. Sometimes it takes a Brit to tell us what’s wrong with America.

[Connie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellently researched and documented. Devastating critique of anti Western thought. As a professional teacher for over 35 years, I am deeply interested in the arguments posed by those who wish to influence students and cultures. Murray's book is now the fifth book I have read and reflected on concerning critical theory and it's associated philosophies regarding race and Western culture. I appreciate Murray's tone and his efforts to bring out reasonable rebuttals to current rejections of Western culture. I particularly appreciated his closing call for better recall of the myriad positive contributions that western culture has brought to the whole world. Surely no culture is without it's failures, but I believe Mr Murray's analysis shows that western culture is more able and willing than most to engage in self correction. And in that project the West deserves significant credit.

[Colton Harding · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely fantastic book! Douglas does a great job reading it. I laughed out loud at multiple passages, some of the CRT things are just so absurd. And the logic is impeccable, the West is something to celebrate.

[Will Carson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An important and excellent book for anyone wanting to understand all the anti-West (and anti-White) obsession in recent years.

[Roger · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A thoughtful look at the culture war against the west. The author articulates thoughts that I have but am unable to express. Would have liked to see more about the causes and defenses against attacks on Western culture.

[Speranta Carp · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A great book about the importance of preserving what is good in the western culture

[Alexandra Squiers · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a beautifully written, humane argument for moving forward with all of culture, knowledge and the arts available to uplift anyone of any background. It’s also a brave warning to stop capitulating to those who would enforce a grim, debilitating self loathing on an entire civilization to gain an illusion of power. We actually have common problems we could be solving. We have no more time to play this destructive game. A must read.

[David Barker · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It is such a great book and so important for understanding what is happening in our world.

[Justin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another review here seems to be so inflammatory as to be a deliberate attempt to undermine what Murray is really saying. But that is not the essence of the work. This is not simply about a 'war on white people' but all the western traditions of democracy, rationalism, art, assimilation, and individualism. It is a tradition that has grown to eschew the very idea of racial or tribal politics.
Murray himself has made this clear on many occasions as well as in the book. Well there are many racist things said about white people now, the essence of the attack is against Western Civilization and what that Civilization has accomplished.

On the off chance the other review is genuine, it's worth bearing in mind a quote from Bertrand Russell, "A stupid man's report of what a clever man says can never be accurate, because he unconsciously translates what he hears into something he can understand." -- Bertrand Russell

[Yun Li · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I will give the book an initial score of 3 stars after the intro, but will change it after I finish. I found it highly amusing that one of the reviewers quoted Bertrand Russell, since this old philosopher was just as critical of Western Civilization and Imperialist Nations as the current “Anti-racists” featured in this book. The author seems to suggest that the criticisms are new and current, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Here’s a direct quote from Russell’s On the Problem of China: “Our prosperity, and most of what we endeavour to secure for ourselves, can only be obtained by widespread oppression and exploitation of weaker nations”.

[Cyan Quinn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Douglas Murray has really grown as a thinker. He used to be a neo-con. But now he is accepting the reality of the war on white people? Truly amazing. Just a few years ago, he would have denounced anyone saying this as a white supremist.

It's heartening that mainstream conservative journalists and writers are waking up to reality and standing up for westerners/white people.

[johnteybl · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent commentary and critique of the self destructing ideology consuming the modern West. Must read for all who are concerned. Big plus for narration by author.

[Paul aka Pawel L. · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

You nailed it well written and read
I hope you’re not be canceled.

[Kelly Nestell · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent audio! Dignified and enlightening. Truth telling at its finest!