Published in 1960 under the name of Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater, The Conscience of a Conservative is a greatly influential and significant book on the American conservative political movement. Written at the height of the Cold War and in the wake of America's greatest experiment with big government, the New Deal, Goldwater's message was not only remarkable, but radical. He argued for the value and importance of conservative principles, freedom, foremost among them in contemporary political life. Using the principles he espoused in this concise but powerful book, Goldwater fundamentally altered the political landscape of his day and ours.

The book was instantly popular and launched by Goldwater, a Senator from Arizona when the book was published, into the national spotlight and helped him become the Republican nominee for President in 1964. 'The Conscience of a Conservative' defines what it means to be a modern political conservative in a way that is very accessible and understandable and continues to influence American political writers to this day. It remains an essential read for any student of political science and post-war American political history.