I'm not sure whether to be embarrassed or pleased

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Despite having read extensively in the secondary literature on Oakeshott in the course of writing Oakeshott on Rome and America, I somehow missed what I now think is the best book about Oakeshott out there: Paul Franco's The Political Philosophy of Michael Oakshott.

In one sense this is embarrassing: I really ought to have read the book some years ago. But on the other hand, I am somewhat glad I didn't: Franco's thoughts on Oakshott are very close to mine, especially concerning the importance of idealist philosophy to Oakeshott's critique of rationalism. But I had to struggle my way to these conclusions over the course of several years of contemplation. If I had merely read them in Franco's book, I'm not sure that they would be nearly as much "mine" as they are. O felix culpa!

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