BR TO W.W. NORTON & COMPANY, INC. / WARDER NORTON, 9 DEC. 1933
BRACERS 47076. ALS. Norton papers, Columbia U.
Proofread by K. Blackwell and A. Duncan

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Deudraeth Castle Hotel
Portmeirion Peninsula
Penrhyndeudraeth, North Wales1
9.12.33

Dear Warder

Thank you for your letter of Nov. 22, which is full of interest. Unwin’s have now disgorged the books you left with them, but I have not yet had time to read them. I find myself in agreement with all you say on politics and economics, and with the outlook of your new series. What is happening in America is the only hopeful thing in the world at present; if it fails, we are all done for.

Turner on The Frontier in American History is very good in his youth, but later becomes a mere professor, full of pompous moralizings, and careful to avoid the conclusions of his own premisses. The war ruined him, intellectually and morally. The man I really like is Beard.

I now think of calling my book “Freedom versus Organization in the 19th century”. I find that is really its theme. It runs through politics and economics equally. E.g.:

Politics  Jefferson, Freedom
                Constitution, Organization
     Lincoln, Freedom re slaves, organization re States Rights.

Economics Vanderbilt and Jay Gould, Freedom,
       Rockefeller, Organization.

And in Europe the same theme equally covers the ground.

I have done something over 100,000 words now; in America I have reached 1865, but in Europe I have not got quite so far. Stanley Unwin has seen what has been done and will no doubt tell you what he thinks of it. I myself am very pleased with it!

By the way, when it comes to making a contract, would you agree to 15% royalty without any advance, but paying a first instalment one week after publication, covering sales to date? I don’t want you to be out of pocket by the book, but I should think an arrangement of that sort would avoid risk to you.

All best wishes.

Yours sincerely
Bertrand Russell.

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