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Free Speech

A History from Socrates to Social Media

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Free Speech

Written by: Jacob Mchangama
Narrated by: Fajer Al-Kaisi
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“The best history of free speech ever written and the best defense of free speech ever made.”—P. J. O’Rourke

Hailed as the “first freedom,” free speech is the bedrock of democracy. But it is a challenging principle, subject to erosion in times of upheaval. Today, in democracies and authoritarian states around the world, we are experiencing a free speech recession.

In Free Speech, Jacob Mchangama traces the riveting legal, political, and cultural history of this idea. Through captivating stories of free speech’s many defenders—from the ancient Athenian orator Demosthenes and the ninth-century freethinker al-Rāzī, to the anti-lynching crusader Ida B. Wells and modern-day digital activists—Mchangama reveals how the free exchange of ideas underlies all intellectual achievement and has enabled the advancement of both freedom and equality worldwide. Yet the desire to restrict speech, too, is a constant, and he explores how even its champions can be led down this path when the rise of new and contrarian voices challenge power and privilege of all stripes.

Updated with a new epilogue addressing topics ranging from AI to campus protests, Free Speech demonstrates how much we have gained from this principle—and how much we stand to lose without it.

Conservatism & Liberalism Europe Freedom & Security History Ideologies & Doctrines Law Politics & Government Western World
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Critic Reviews

“[An] expansive, atypical history… When free speech advances, as [Mchangama] shows, rulers and other elites often grow alarmed and conclude that it has gone “too far.” Long before governments and thinkers panicked about the spread of noxious ideas via social media, they panicked over the spread of noxious ideas via the printing press…Free Speech is addressed especially to the well-meaning among would-be censors. They should know how rarely censorship goes as planned.”—Wall Street Journal
“Mchangama’s conclusions, presented in a crisp and confident march through Western history, are sobering.”—Economist
"Smart, insightful, and astute… Mchangama provides a sweeping and lively account, rich in historical detail from societies around the world, exploring how the forces of authority and control — religious, political, ideological, economic, social, and cultural — relentlessly seek to impose restrictions on what people can think, write, and say, while the human instincts to freely express ourselves, to learn, and to spread new ideas, valiantly and persistently resist."—Los Angeles Review of Books
“[A] tour-de-force… Free Speech covers a lot of ground, offering an account of the history that is at once panoramic and intricately detailed… Most notably, though, Mchangama’s work is profoundly relevant for our current historical moment… What we have is precious—and must be protected and preserved. Gaining a sense of perspective, especially a global one, is precisely what makes Mchangama’s book so essential.”—Washington Monthly
“Engrossing and comprehensive.”—Washington Examiner
"A book that’s this thorough, detailed and balanced is especially valuable now, given our country’s current fit of polarization."—St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“A work with no real counterpart, at once vividly told, masterfully researched, and exceptionally executed page after page as the history of free speech breaches the barriers of time to come alive with verve and profundity. Given its breadth and depth, Mchangama’s work may well prove to be one of the most important books on free speech published in our lifetimes — an extraordinary achievement!”—First Amendment News
“[Free Speech makes] a persuasive argument that free discourse is essential to democracy, breaking down systems of oppression, and challenging existing social hierarchies… Readers on both the right and the left seeking insights into modern day debates over free speech will welcome this evenhanded and wide ranging history.”—Publishers Weekly
“A well-structured and compelling examination of the costs and benefits of free speech.”—Kirkus, Starred Review
“A provocative exploration of a transformative political right.”—Booklist, Starred Review
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