May 26, 2021
Schedule
4:00 p.m. Pacific / 7:00 p.m. Eastern
The Reagan Foundation is thrilled to announce that New York Times Best Selling author Sebastian Junger will join us for a virtual conversation for his latest book, Freedom (Publish Date: May 18). He will be joined in conversation by General Stanley McChrystal. To watch this event, you must purchase at least one copy of his book through our museum store. To purchase a book and register for the event, please click here. The link to watch the event will be emailed to all purchasers within 48 hours of the event.
Freedom is a profound rumination on the concept of freedom from the bestselling author of The Perfect Storm, War, and Tribe.
Throughout history, humans have been driven by the quest for two cherished ideals: community and freedom. The two don’t coexist easily. We value individuality and self-reliance, yet are utterly dependent on community for our most basic needs. In this intricately crafted and thought-provoking book, Sebastian Junger examines the tension that lies at the heart of what it means to be human.
For much of a year, Junger and three friends—a conflict photographer and two Afghan War vets—walked the railroad lines of the East Coast. It was an experiment in personal autonomy, but also in interdependence. Dodging railroad cops, sleeping under bridges, cooking over fires, and drinking from creeks and rivers, the four men forged a unique reliance on one another.
In Freedom, Junger weaves his account of this journey together with primatology and boxing strategy, the history of labor strikes and Apache raiders, the role of women in resistance movements, and the brutal reality of life on the Pennsylvania frontier. Written in exquisite, razor-sharp prose, the result is a powerful examination of the primary desire that defines us.
