This crisp and concise but synoptic account of the political philosophy of Alexandre Kojève brings to vivid life the excitement and originality of this great Hegelian's thinking. Nichols explains to the Anglo-American world the compelling theoretical reasons for Kojève's immense influence on French philosophy, politics, and political theorizing. The book will be essential reading for anyone who wants to grasp the deep foundations and sources of continental political theory-and practice-in the twentieth century.

Thomas L. Pangle, University of Texas at Austin

James Nichols has written a concise and extraordinarily informative book that uncovers the coherence of thought that underlies the seemingly contradictory ideas of one of the twentieth century's greatest philosophers. While Alexandre Kojève may not exactly be a household word, he was enormously influential in shaping the intellectual world of the late 20th century, and this book helps us to better understand why.

Francis Fukuyama, author of The End of History and the Last Man

Nichols's book should become the standard introductory text on Alexandre Kojève. By providing a clear and thoughtful account of the major aspects of Kojève's oeuvre, Nichols shows that this interpreter of Hegel developed a powerful version of modern political philosophy from which we can still learn today.

Michael S. Roth, author of Knowing and History: Appropriations of Hegel in 20th-century France

It is James H. Nichols, Jr., who can be thanked for giving us the first (abridged) English translation of Kojeve's Introduction to the Reading of Hegel, a book that established Kojeve's well-deserved reputation in France as one of the most original and influential thinkers of the twentieth century…. Nichols' is precisely the sort of book that one should keep by one's side…. Nichols has provided us with a concise but comprehensive introduction to one of the most intriguing philosophers of the twentieth century.

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