Dawn's Early Light: Taking Back Washington to Save America

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Dawn's Early Light: Taking Back Washington to Save America
Dawn's Early Light.jpg
Author Kevin Roberts
LanguageEnglish
SubjectAmerican Politics
GenreNonfiction
Publisher HarperCollins
Publication date
November 12, 2024
Publication placeUnited States
ISBN 978-0-063-35350-3 (print)

Dawn's Early Light: Taking Back Washington to Save America is a book written by The Heritage Foundation head Kevin Roberts, with a foreword by JD Vance.

Contents

History

The book was first scheduled for release on September 24, 2024, and was originally titled Dawn's Early Light: Burning Down Washington to Save America before being re-titled to Dawn's Early Light: Taking Back Washington to Save America. [1] The book's cover was also changed, the original featured a match. [2] [3]

The volume includes a foreword by JD Vance. [4] [5] [3] Amid the controversy surrounding Project 2025, in August 2024 Roberts postponed the book release until after the November election. [6] [7] Heritage and Project 2025 and Dawn's Early Light in particular were seen as potential liabilities by the campaign and as a result the campaign distanced itself from Heritage. [2] [8] Of the delay Roberts said “There’s a time for writing, reading and book tours, and a time to put down the books and go fight like hell to take back our country.” [9]

It was published by HarperCollins on November 12, 2024. [10] Publishing was handled by HarperCollins conservative imprint Broadside Books. [3] The launch party was held at the Kimberly Hotel in New York City. [2]

Contents

In the foreword Vance writes that it is "time to circle the wagons and load the muskets." [11] [12]

The main section of the book starts with a quote from the Aeneid "My spirit kindles to fire, and rises in wrath to avenge my dying land." [13]

According to The New Statesman at the core of the book is the idea that America's institutions need to be destroyed in order to be rebuilt. [14]

Reception

Colin Dickey of The New Republic says the book reveals planned "paranoid, Stalinist tactics" like using conspiracy theories to violently enforce the right's vision for the world, [15] citing how Roberts criticizes birth control and law enforcement (preferring more of a heavily armed frontier-like society), while promoting public prayer as a key tool in the competition with China. [15]

Lloyd Green of The Guardian focused on Roberts' desire to burn it all down comparing him to a pyromaniac. [16]

Freddie Hayward of The New Statesman writes "Throughout Dawn’s Early Light, the enormity of the ends – the preservation of America – is used to justify extraordinary means." and notes that "Whatever the flaws in his argument, what should worry the left is Roberts’ moral certainty. Gone are the flaccid paeans to the supremacy of the free market; in their place is a conviction to march through America’s institutions with a flamethrower." [14]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Durkee, Alison. "Project 2025 Think Tank Leader Delays Book—With JD Vance Foreword—Amid Controversy". forbes.com. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 Homans, Charles. "A Project 2025 Leader's Exile Ends". nytimes.com. The New York Times. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 Asiedu, Kwasi Gyamfi. "JD Vance wrote the foreword for Project 2025's Kevin Roberts' upcoming book". poynter.org. Poynter. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  4. ↑ McCoy, Robert (July 24, 2024). "J.D. Vance in Serious Trouble After Damning Project 2025 Book Foreword". The New Republic. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  5. ↑ Pengelly, Martin (2024-07-24). "JD Vance writes foreword for Project 2025 leader's upcoming book". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-07-25.
  6. ↑ Mascaro, Lisa (August 7, 2024). "Project 2025's new leader Kevin Roberts postpones his own book launch until after the election". Associated Press. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  7. ↑ ECKSTEIN, GRIFFIN. "Project 2025 architect pushes book with JD Vance foreword until after election". salon.com. Salon. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  8. ↑ Dobkin, Rachel. "JD Vance Foreword in Project 2025 Leader's Book Raises Eyebrows". newsweek.com. Newsweek. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  9. ↑ Harris, Elizabeth A.; Astor, Maggie. "Book With Project 2025 Ties and JD Vance Foreword Is Delayed Until After Election". nytimes.com. The New York Times. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
  10. ↑ Gabbatt, Adam. "'Go to hell': how Project 2025 chief kicked the Guardian out of book event". theguardian.com. The Guardian. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  11. ↑ Bedigan, Mike (July 31, 2024). "JD Vance says it's time to 'load the muskets' in foreword on new Project 2025 book". The Independent. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  12. ↑ Knutson, Jacob. "J.D. Vance wrote foreword of upcoming book from Project 2025 architect". axios.com. Axios. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  13. ↑ Pengelly, Martin. "Project 2025 chief's book urges 'burning' of FBI, New York Times and Boy Scouts". theguardian.com. The Guardian. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  14. 1 2 Hayward, Freddie. "Kevin Roberts's fire-breathing American right". newstatesman.com. New Statesman. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  15. 1 2 Dickey, Colin (August 9, 2024). "Voters Have a Right to Know What Kevin Roberts's Disturbing Book Says". The New Republic. ISSN   0028-6583 . Retrieved 2024-08-10.
  16. ↑ Green, Lloyd. "Dawn's Early Light by Kevin Roberts review – weird vibes and pyromania from Project 2025 chief". theguardian.com. The Guardian. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
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