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Zero Hour America: History's Ultimatum over Freedom and the Answer We Must Give
America has lost its way. And America will fall—unless.
Revolution? Oligarchy? Or homecoming? Americans are approaching a "zero hour" for the republic and its distinctive view of ordered freedom. America is caught between two revolutions and alternately suppresses and squanders freedom with a prodigal carelessness, with little understanding of the responsibilities that freedom requires.
Os Guinness warns that if America abandons its distinctive ideals and ideas, we will have carved into the chronicles of history yet another example of the failure of a free society. Like other crucial times in world history, the present crisis is a "civilizational moment" and also a pivot point that could lead to national renewal. Outlining seven key foundation stones of freedom, Guinness lays out a pathway for defining and ordering freedom, righting national wrongs, and passing freedom's baton from generation to generation.
Human freedom is precious and rare, and citizens who prize it must do what it takes to renew and sustain societies that are free for all of their members. America's window of opportunity is brief, and the alternative to renewal is bleak. The present moment must not be missed.
Revolution? Oligarchy? Or homecoming? Americans are approaching a "zero hour" for the republic and its distinctive view of ordered freedom. America is caught between two revolutions and alternately suppresses and squanders freedom with a prodigal carelessness, with little understanding of the responsibilities that freedom requires.
Os Guinness warns that if America abandons its distinctive ideals and ideas, we will have carved into the chronicles of history yet another example of the failure of a free society. Like other crucial times in world history, the present crisis is a "civilizational moment" and also a pivot point that could lead to national renewal. Outlining seven key foundation stones of freedom, Guinness lays out a pathway for defining and ordering freedom, righting national wrongs, and passing freedom's baton from generation to generation.
Human freedom is precious and rare, and citizens who prize it must do what it takes to renew and sustain societies that are free for all of their members. America's window of opportunity is brief, and the alternative to renewal is bleak. The present moment must not be missed.
193 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 20, 2022
15 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
About the author
Os Guinness
87 books354 followersOs Guinness (D.Phil., Oxford) is the author or editor of more than twenty-five books, including The American Hour, Time for Truth and The Case for Civility. A frequent speaker and prominent social critic, he was the founder of the Trinity Forum and has been a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution and a guest scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Studies. He lives near Washington, D.C.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 12, 2022
Another excellent book from Os Guinness. This one is extremely timely. Guinness defines freedom and the necessary conditions for freedom with more clarity than I have ever read. This book is worth multiple reads.
December 31, 2022
Os Guinness, though British, has lived in the USA since 1984. America, whether it accepts it or not, has been the world's gatekeeper for the past two-hundred years for all forms of attacks against freedom. As Os Guinness shows here, it has not only let it's guard down, it has ushered in the threats that it swore to destroy. Though interspersed with some nationalistic thought, Guinness shows that America is not only culpable for the great downward spiral, it still remains the world's lone nation that can stop it.
September 27, 2024
I have recently completed this book. It serves as a warning not only to the United States, but to all remaining free countries across the globe. It is an exceptional book penned by an exceptional writer.
November 1, 2022
Wise Counsel from Under the Vine and Fig Tree
Os Guinness continues to call out from the wilderness, imploring Americans to wake up (and certainly not to become any more woke) to the ominous signs all around us. Building on such excellent earlier works as “Last Call for Liberty” and “The Magna Carta of Humanity”, Guinness offers yet another prophetic warning in “Zero Hour America.” Sadly, our society and its choices of leadership show little inclination of understanding or heeding his previous warnings, and one is hard pressed to expect differently from this excellent book. While Guinness doesn’t emphasize it, history shows that only calamity or catastrophe are effective in getting our attention, too often too late. As he quotes essayist Michael Oakeshott, “The nature of man is the predicament of mankind.” Ironically, this voice calling from the wilderness comes from a Brit, who has adopted America as his home, and thus has a deeply considered understanding of our present dilemma, its roots, and its presumable outcomes.
Guinness covers so much in this modest volume, focusing on the true nature of freedom and its responsibilities, how societies historically have sought it, neglected it, and abandoned it, and how that describes and instructs the present American moment of truth. He contrasts the pivotal revolutions of 1776 (American, of course) and 1789 (French) and their fundamentally different conceptions of freedom and human rights, warning of the signs of modern American forgetfulness of its own roots and leaning toward the autocratic alternative. He beseeches us to remember our heritage and to repent and restore where we have gone wrong.
A recurring and hopeful theme in “Zero Hour America” is George Washington’s biblically inspired wish for citizens to live “under their own vine and fig tree”, a vision of peace, responsibility and covenantal goodwill that seems to elude us in our present situation. Washington, according to Guinness, made that allusion nearly 50 times in his writings. While Guinness declares that such a vision is not out of reach, and diagnoses what is necessary for its achievement, this reader sees little evidence of the most crucial components, leadership and will. Even a fine book such as this cannot provide those necessary foundations, but perhaps it can influence us to seek them in our institutions and leadership. We must try, and “Zero Hour America” is an excellent framework.
Os Guinness continues to call out from the wilderness, imploring Americans to wake up (and certainly not to become any more woke) to the ominous signs all around us. Building on such excellent earlier works as “Last Call for Liberty” and “The Magna Carta of Humanity”, Guinness offers yet another prophetic warning in “Zero Hour America.” Sadly, our society and its choices of leadership show little inclination of understanding or heeding his previous warnings, and one is hard pressed to expect differently from this excellent book. While Guinness doesn’t emphasize it, history shows that only calamity or catastrophe are effective in getting our attention, too often too late. As he quotes essayist Michael Oakeshott, “The nature of man is the predicament of mankind.” Ironically, this voice calling from the wilderness comes from a Brit, who has adopted America as his home, and thus has a deeply considered understanding of our present dilemma, its roots, and its presumable outcomes.
Guinness covers so much in this modest volume, focusing on the true nature of freedom and its responsibilities, how societies historically have sought it, neglected it, and abandoned it, and how that describes and instructs the present American moment of truth. He contrasts the pivotal revolutions of 1776 (American, of course) and 1789 (French) and their fundamentally different conceptions of freedom and human rights, warning of the signs of modern American forgetfulness of its own roots and leaning toward the autocratic alternative. He beseeches us to remember our heritage and to repent and restore where we have gone wrong.
A recurring and hopeful theme in “Zero Hour America” is George Washington’s biblically inspired wish for citizens to live “under their own vine and fig tree”, a vision of peace, responsibility and covenantal goodwill that seems to elude us in our present situation. Washington, according to Guinness, made that allusion nearly 50 times in his writings. While Guinness declares that such a vision is not out of reach, and diagnoses what is necessary for its achievement, this reader sees little evidence of the most crucial components, leadership and will. Even a fine book such as this cannot provide those necessary foundations, but perhaps it can influence us to seek them in our institutions and leadership. We must try, and “Zero Hour America” is an excellent framework.
February 3, 2023
All good and historical information and philosophical thought about the need for America to choose freedom, but I felt he became too wordy and erudite in some of his points. I appreciate his heart for biblical truth and desire for our nation to live in freedom.
October 30, 2022
Definitely a siren call to the American people. Written in a style that I would describe as a street preacher with a fire hose. Still worth the read.
January 28, 2023
Excellent. Highly recommend especially anyone studying history.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews