Nationalism has long been regarded as a specter of far-right ideology. Hitler, Mussolini, and Milosevic have been some of its most destructive practitioners. But do these dictators and their movements accurately reflect the concept of nationalism? In his introductory essay, Michael Lind provocatively argues that we have forgotten the true theory of nationalism and seeks to revitalize its potential as a positive cultural and political force.

The Nationalist Reader includes writings by leaders and thinkers as diverse as Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, Alexander Hamilton, Henry Kissinger, and James Fallows. These thinkers make the case that instead of being divisive and reactionary, nationalism can be a dynamic and uniting force. The underlying message of nationalism -- loyalty and belief in your country -- can actually be put to good use in America today, reinvigorating our stale politics and tired civic culture and helping to reduce strife and conflict among the many different groups within our borders. Properly understood, nationalism can restore our sense of common purpose and community.