Publisher, Random House Audiobooks (June 2011)

“How unusual is it, really, in the history of all known human experience, to enjoy the blessing of living free?”

The answer may surprise you. In The Miracle of Freedom, Chris and Ted Stewart make a strong case that fewer than 5 percent of all people who have ever lived on the earth have lived under conditions that we could consider “free.” So where did freedom come from, and how are we fortunate enough to experience it in our day?

“A deeper look at the human record,” write the authors, “reveals a series of critical events, obvious forks in the road leading to very different outcomes, that resulted in this extraordinary period in which we live.” They identify and discuss seven decisive tipping points:

1. The defeat of the Assyrians in their quest to destroy the kingdom of Judah

2. The victory of the Greeks over the Persians at Thermopylae and Salamis

3. Roman Emperor Constantine’s conversion to Christianity

4. The defeat of the armies of Islam at Poitiers

5. The failure of the Mongols in their effort to conquer Europe

6. The discovery of the New World

7. The Battle of Britain in World War II

The journey to freedom has been thousands of years long. Now that it has found its place in the world, the question for those of us who experience its benefits is simply this: Will we work to preserve the miracle of freedom that we enjoy today?

About the Authors: Chris Stewart is a bestselling author who has published more than a dozen books. He has also been a guest editorialist for the Detroit News, among other publications, commenting on matters of military readiness and national security concerns. He is a world-record-setting Air Force pilot (fastest nonstop flight around the world) and president and CEO of The Shipley Group, a nationally recognized consulting and training company.

Ted Stewart was appointed as a United States District Court Judge in 1999 by President Bill Clinton. Prior to that, he served as chief of staff to Governor Michael O. Leavitt, as executive director of the State Department of Natural Resources, as a member and chairman of the Public Service Commission, and as chief of staff to Congressman Jim Hansen. He has been a visiting professor at two state universities, teaching courses in law and public policy.