Regnery Publishing
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[[Image:Unfit for Command.jpg|right|thumb|181px|''Unfit for Command'', published by Regnery Publishing.]]
'''Regnery Publishing''' in [[Washington, D.C.]] is a [[publisher]] which specializes in [[American conservatism|conservative]] books characterized on their website as "contrary to those of 'mainstream' publishers in New York."<ref>[http://www.regnery.com/regnery/regnery.html Regnery Publishing - Inside Regnery<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Since 1993, Regnery Publishing has been a division of [[Eagle Publishing]], which also owns the weekly magazine [[Human Events]]. Regnery is currently led by President [[Marjory Ross]], who had previously served as Vice President under President Al Regnery, son of the company's founder, until [[1997]].
Regnery has published books by authors such as [[Newt Gingrich]], former [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] Chairman [[Haley Barbour]], [[Barbara Olson]], and [[Ann Coulter]].
== History ==
Regnery Publishing is the second publishing company founded by [[Henry Regnery]]. The first Henry Regnery Company was founded in Chicago in [[1947]] and sold in [[1977]]. Henry Regnery then founded Regnery Publishing Inc. as a separate company.<ref name=nytobit>Thomas Jr., Robert McG., [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9401E7D91539F930A15755C0A960958260 "Henry Regnery, 84, Ground-Breaking Conservative Publisher"], obituary, ''[[The New York Times]]'', [[June 23]], [[2007]]</ref>
===Henry Regnery Company, 1947-1977===
After helping to found [[Human Events]] as a weekly newsletter, Henry Regnery began publishing monthly pamphlets and books. A [[German-American]], Regnery had studied in [[Germany]] for two years and, while not sympathetic to Nazism, was always very sympathetic to Germans. Some of the first pamphlets he published, including a reprint of a speech by [[University of Chicago]] President [[Robert M. Hutchins]], criticized the harsh treatment of Germans and Japanese both in popular attitudes and in postwar administration of the former [[Axis powers|Axis countries]].<ref name=hr>[http://www.conservativeclassics.com/books/Dissidentbk/book3.pdf]Regnery, Henry S., ''Memoirs of a Dissident Publisher'', Publisher: Regnery Gateway Inc., Lake Bluff, Ill., 1985, online edition accessed [[September 8]], [[2007]]</ref>
Regnery published the pamphlets and some books under the name of Human Events. He began publishing under his own name in September 1947. The first book published by Henry Regnery Publishers was by [[Socialism|socialist]] [[Victor Gollancz]] who ran the [[Left Book Club]] in Britain. A man of [[Jewish]] heritage, Gollancz was appalled at the bombing of German civilians late in the war and by the treatment of the country afterward. Gollancz published ''In Darkest Germany'' in Britain but was unable to find an American publisher for his unpopular ideas. He approached Regnery, who agreed to publish it. Regnery subsequently published the U.S. edition of ''Our Threatened Values'' by Gollancz.<ref name=hr/>
Regnery's third book was '' The Hitler in Our Selves,'' by [[Max Picard]]. Other early books included ''The German Opposition to Hitler'' by [[Hans Rothfels]] and ''The High Cost of Vengeance'' ([[1949]]) by [[Freda Utley]] which was critical of the Allies' air campaign and post-war occupation. Utley's book was the first Regnery book to be reviewed in ''[[The New York Times]]'', where it was excoriated. [[Reinhold Niebuhr]] gave it a positive review in ''[[The Nation]]'' magazine.<ref name=hr/>
The company was founded as a nonprofit corporation. Regnery later wrote that it was initially organized that way, "not because I had any ideological objection to profits, but because, as it seemed to me then, and does still, in matters of excellence the market is a poor judge. The books that are most needed are often precisely those that will have only a modest sale." The [[Internal Revenue Service]] forced the company to be reorganized as a for-profit concern on [[March 1]], [[1948]]. Regnery hired his first few employees that year.<ref name=hr/>
====Conservative and anti-Communist books====
Regnery published some of the first and most important books of the postwar American conservative movement. "[I]t was a measure of the grip that liberal-minded editors had on American publishing at the time that Regnery, which was founded in 1947, was one of only two houses known to be sympathetic to conservative authors", according to Henry Regnery's [[1996]] obituary in ''[[The New York Times]]''.
In [[1951]], Regnery published ''[[God and Man at Yale]]'', the first book written by [[William F. Buckley, Jr.]]. At that time, Regnery had a close affiliation with the [[University of Chicago]] and published classics for the [[Great Books]] series at the University, but he lost the contract as a result of publishing Buckley's book.<ref name=nytobit/>
In [[1953]], Regnery published ''[[The Conservative Mind]]'', a seminal book for Post [[World War II]] American conservatism, as well as books by [[Albert J. Nock]], [[James J. Kilpatrick]], [[James Burnham]] and [[Whittaker Chambers]]. He also published paperback editions of literary works by authors such as novelist [[Wyndham Lewis]] and the poets [[T. S. Eliot]] and [[Ezra Pound]].<ref name=nytobit/>
In [[1954]], Regnery published ''McCarthy and His Enemies'' by William F. Buckley and [[L. Brent Bozell Jr.]] "Although Mr. Buckley [...] had criticized the senator for 'gross exaggerations', Mr. McCarthy said he would not dispute the merits of the book with the authors", according to a news article in ''[[The New York Times]]''. While criticizing McCarthy, the book was sympathetic to him (and in fact was harsher on McCarthy's critics than it was on the senator for making false allegations<ref>White, William S., "What the McCarthy Method Seeks to Establish", book review of ''McCarthy and His Enemies'', ''[[The New York Times]]'', [[April 4]], [[1954]]</ref>), and McCarthy attended a reception for the authors.<ref>Conklin, William R., "M'Carthy Seeking To Push Inquiries: Would Turn to Other Cases if Army Dispute Is Delayed by Hunt for Counsel" [apostrophe in title is correct], news article, ''[[The New York Times]]'', [[March 31]], [[1954]]</ref>
In the early 1950s, Regnery published two books by [[Robert W. Welch Jr.|Robert Welch]], who went on to found the [[John Birch Society]] in [[1958]]. In ''May God Forgive Us'', Welch criticized influential foreign-policy analysts and policymakers and accused many of working to further Communism as part of a conspiracy.<ref>/Smith, Robert Aura, "One Man's Opinions", book review in ''[[The New York Times]], [[November 16]], [[1952]]</ref> In 1954, Regnery published Welch's biography of John Birch, an American Baptist missionary in China who was killed by Chinese Communists after he became a U.S. intelligence officer in World War II.
===Regnery Publishing Inc.===
In the 1980s, [[Alfred S. Regnery]], son of Henry Regnery, took control of the company. In the 1990s, the Regnery family sold the publishing company to [[Phillips Publishing]], which put the book publishing company into its Eagle Publishing subsidiary, which also publishes the weekly [[Human Events]]. Alfred Regnery has subsequently left his post as President of Regnery Publishing to become the publisher of [[The American Spectator]] magazine. He still holds a seat on the Board of Directors. [[Pat Sajak]] also is a member of the board. Alex Novak, son of political columnist [[Robert Novak]], is director of marketing.
==Controversy and criticism==
=== Book subjects ===
Regnery has become noteworthy, apart from authors of its books, because of its penchant for political controversy with a high profile on the national stage. It recently launched a series of books titled "[[The Politically Incorrect Guide]] to" ''(multiple subjects)'', confronting what it conceives to be the assumptions of the nation's elites, sometimes negatively described as [[political correctness]]. The Politically Incorrect Guides have often been referred to by their [[backronym]] PIGS by supporters and opponents alike (Regnery's logo for the series features a pig's head). Former Regnery officials have described its marketing strategy as getting its conservative books condemned by the [[New York Times]], generating very large sales to conservatives as a result. {{Fact|date=August 2007}}
Regnery books have often been the subject of controversy: ''The Secret Life of Bill Clinton'' ([[1997]]) was criticized by British journalist Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, who said it "manages to connect the president to everything from [[1995]]'s [[Oklahoma City bombing]] to Arkansas's drug underworld to the mysterious death of White House aide and longtime Clinton friend [[Vince Foster]], and, of course, to [[Paula Jones]]."<ref>Ambrose Evans-Pritchard''The Secret Life of Bill Clinton: The Unreported Stories.'' ISBN 0895264080</ref> Regnery also published ''Unlimited Access: An FBI Agent Inside The Clinton White House'' ([[1996]]) by [[Gary Aldrich]], which [[Max Blumenthal]], writing in [[The American Prospect]], claimed "... painted images of Hillary Clinton hanging crack pipes on the White House Christmas tree".[http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?articleId=8442] Aldrich had written about an incident where Ms. Clinton ordered a batch of student artwork hung on the tree without examining it for suitability.[http://books.google.com/books?id=TB7LLC_YwZIC&pg=PA105&lpg=PA105&dq=%22Three+French+hens+were+French+kissing+in+a+menage+a+trois%22&source=web&ots=dKgQsPejfy&sig=ZoMAQR6fJnCSKJPs_OPaM5RnUqI&hl=en]
In June [[2004]], Regnery agreed to publish ''Unfit for Command'' by former Swift Boat Veteran [[John O'Neill]] and veteran author Dr. [[Jerome Corsi]]. Television advertisements about Presidential candidate [[John Kerry]]'s criticisms of U.S. soldiers and recounting of his own military record in Vietnam were unveiled nationwide at about the same time as ''Unfit for Command'' was released, creating shortages of the book in bookstores nationwide. {{Fact|date=August 2007}} The book exceeded 1 million copies in print.
The Kerry campaign demanded that Regnery cease publication and distribution of ''Unfit for Command,'' saying there were inaccuracies in the book about Kerry's war record and anti-war activities at home. Regnery responded by offering to print and distribute a reply book by Kerry, suggesting "Winter Soldier" on the same subject matter that Kerry authored in the 1970s.{{Fact|date=August 2007}}
In describing Regnery's position in the publishing world, [[Nicholas Confessore]], then writer for the liberal ''[[American Prospect]]'', said the following:
:''Welcome to the world of Regnery Publishing—lifestyle press for conservatives, preferred printer of presidential hopefuls, and venerable publisher of books for the culture wars. Call it—gracelessly but more accurately—a medium-sized, loosely linked network of conservative types, with few degrees of separation and similar political aims. Just don't call it a conspiracy.''<ref>[http://www.prospect.org/web/view-print.ww?id=4351 Hillary Was Right] from The American Prospect</ref>
[[Carl Ernst]], an academic scholar of Islamic studies, said Regnery Publishing is 'promoted and supported by right-wing organizations, who are perpetuating a type of bigotry similar to anti-Semitism and racial prejudice.' As an example, Ernst notes that [[Robert Spencer]], whom Ernst views as an Islamophobe, publishes some of his books through Regnery.<ref name="Ernst"> [http://www.unc.edu/~cernst/courses/2004/026/001/spencer.htm Link from a course website of Prof. Carl Ernst] </ref>
===Author royalties===
In November [[2007]], five authors whose works have been published by Regnery filed a [[lawsuit]] against the company. It claimed that Regnery "orchestrates and participates in a fraudulent, deceptively concealed and [[self-dealing]] scheme to divert book sales away from retail outlets and to wholly owned subsidiary organizations" of Eagle Publishing, Regnery's parent corporation. The authors who filed suit are Jerome Corsi, [[Bill Gertz]], [[Dereliction of Duty (2003 book)|Robert (Buzz) Patterson]], [[Joel Mowbray]] and [[Richard Miniter]]. Miniter said that meant that although he received about $4.25 a copy when his books sold in a bookstore or through an online retailer, he only earned about 10 cents a copy when his books sold through the Conservative Book Club or other Eagle-owned channels.<ref>Motoko Rich, "[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/07/books/07cons.html Conservative Authors Sue Publisher]", ''New York Times'', October 7, 2007</ref>
On January 30, [[2008]], a federal judge dismissed all eight counts of the lawsuit. The authors are now prohibited from filing another federal suit against either Eagle Publishing or Regnery.{{Fact|date=May 2008}}
==Notes==
{{reflist|2}}
==External links==
*[http://www.regnery.com/ Official website]
*[http://www.humanevents.com/ Human Events' website]
*[http://www.eaglepub.com/ Eagle Publishing's website]
==Sites Critical of Regnery Publishing==
*[http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?section=root&name=ViewPrint&articleId=4351 Hillary Was Right] An article detailing Regnery Publishing's background by Nicholas Confessore at [[The American Prospect]], [[January 17]], [[2000]]
*[http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2004/10/01/novak/index.html The operative] An article about [[Robert Novak]]'s ties Regnery Publishing by Mary Jacoby at Salon.com, [[October 1]], [[2004]]
[[Category:Regnery Publishing| ]]
[[Category:Book publishing companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Conservatism in the United States]]