The Theft of America’s Soul: Blowing the Lid off the Lies That Are Destroying Our Country

Duck Dynasty star Robertson (Happy, Happy, Happy) argues in this spirited but limited polemic that America is embroiled in a state of incivility, chaos, and hate because it has turned its back on God. Robertson, who grew up in the church but veered into a wild life of drugs, drinking, and womanizing, returned to Christianity after his wife left him (they eventually reconciled). Each chapter sets forth a statement that Robertson claims is a lie (“God is dead”; “Sex is for self-gratification”), which he counters with passages from the Bible, as when he argues against the hypersexualization of society and holds up much of rural America as Christian and moral (as opposed to the media-controlled urban centers). He includes the occasional anecdote of him sharing his spiritual beliefs with others, including President Trump (who Robertson reports is a devout Christian), but most of the book is prescriptive, and reading it feels like being upbraided by a passionate preacher. The exhortations get tiresome, with Robertson’s excessive use of religious rhetoric coming off as stale. His arguments also suffer from a simplistic dismissal of those who disagree with him as “left-wingers.” This lack of nuance will turn off many readers, but Robertson’s tone will undoubtedly appeal to those fans eager for his thoughts on the current state of America. (Feb.)