To schedule an interview with Richard Gamble, or to request a review copy, contact Caitlin Justiniano at media@isi.org or
(800) 526-7022 x168.

The book in one sentence:
An anthology of key works by the greatest minds in Western civilization, defending the classical and Christian ideal of education in wisdom, virtue, and eloquence.

Sample interview questions:

1. What do you mean by the “Great Tradition”?
2. There are fiftysix authors and close to a hundred selected readings in this book.  Which names will readers recognize?
3. Some of the most famous names in the history of educational theory and practice are missing from this anthology.  You include nothing by John Locke, or Rousseau, or John Dewey.  Why not?
4. You include selections from St. Augustine, Martin Luther, and C. S. Lewis, but also pagan Greeks and Romans and even modern agnostics.  What do Christian parents and teachers have to learn from these authors?
5. Does this ancient tradition offer any real help for parents and teachers facing the serious problems in our schools today?
6. In your introduction, you call this collection an “arsenal of the liberal arts.”  What exactly do you mean by this description?
7. You seem to criticize “useful” education and even suggest that students ought to be made “unfit for the modern world.”  Can any parent, teacher, or student be blamed for wanting a useful education?
8. You are a historian.  What qualifies you to speak about education?
9. Why do you call the Great Tradition a “conversation”?

What they're saying about
The Great Tradition :

"Today we are witnessing a revolution in education manifested by growing legions of homeschooling families and new classical schools. Richard M. Gamble has done an invaluable service in assembling this rich anthology of the educational wisdom that was foolishly left behind and forgotten—wisdom that we can no longer do without. This is a book for every home library and for teachers and students alike."
— Vigen Guroian, author of Tending the Heart of Virtue and Rallying the Really Human Things

"The Great Tradition provides a treasury of insights into Western education that no school leadership can afford to ignore. Something will speak to everybody with a mildly curious mind: headmasters who want help with the curriculum (Quintilian), parents who want to raise wise and virtuous children (Chrysostom), lovers of the classics (Philip Melanchthon), students setting life goals (Basil The Great), teachers who want help focusing their efforts (Aristotle), the historically curious (from Plato to C. S. Lewis), and board members setting priorities (Paul Elmer More). Every now and then someone does the world the invaluable favor of reminding us how we got here and what we’ve left behind. Richard M. Gamble has done so for a new generation."
— Andrew Kern, President, CiRCE Institute, and coauthor of Classical Education, The Movement Sweeping America

"An impressive new volume of selected readings which trace the thread of education as it is woven into our cultural fabric, spanning more than 2,000 years, from the ancient Greeks to contemporary writers....Gamble has delivered a rich resource for families, teachers and schools —yes, even public schools, if they would use it. Home educators are certain to find it an invaluable addition to their library."
— Randall Murphree, American Family Association