Regnery Publishing
American politically conservative book publisher.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Regnery Publishing is an American book publisher headquartered in Washington, D.C., and known especially for politically conservative nonfiction. Henry Regnery established the company in 1947 after earlier publishing activity connected with Human Events, a conservative political newsletter. From its beginnings, the house positioned itself as an outlet for political, philosophical, religious, and cultural works that its founder believed established commercial publishers were unwilling to issue. The company’s early list reflected Henry Regnery’s interest in postwar political debate and in arguments concerning Germany, Japan, communism, liberalism, and the treatment of defeated Axis countries. Its first books included works by Victor Gollancz, Max Picard, Hans Rothfels, and Freda Utley. Regnery subsequently became an important publisher of the postwar American conservative movement. Its list included William F. Buckley Jr.’s God and Man at Yale, Russell Kirk’s The Conservative Mind, and works by Albert Jay Nock, James Burnham, Whittaker Chambers, James J. Kilpatrick, and others. The company also issued literary titles and classics, including works associated with T. S. Eliot, Ezra Pound, and Wyndham Lewis. The business changed form several times. In 1977, the original Henry Regnery Company split into Regnery Gateway in Washington and Contemporary Books in Chicago. Henry Regnery moved with the political, philosophical, psychological, and religious publishing rights that became the core of Regnery Gateway. His son Alfred S. Regnery later led the Washington company during the 1980s. In 1993, the Regnery family sold the publisher to Phillips Publishing International, which placed it within the Eagle Publishing group. Eagle also published Human Events, reinforcing the company’s position within conservative political media. In the twenty-first century, Regnery expanded its profile through books by conservative politicians, commentators, activists, and movement writers. Its Politically Incorrect Guide series, launched in 2004, presented intentionally contrarian treatments of subjects including American history, the Civil War, Islam, immigration, climate change, and the British Empire. The list has also included authors such as Ann Coulter, Ted Cruz, Newt Gingrich, Josh Hawley, David Horowitz, Michelle Malkin, Sarah Palin, Mike Pence, and Robert Spencer. Regnery has attracted criticism over the factual standards and ideological framing of some titles, particularly books in the Politically Incorrect Guide series. It has also faced a royalties lawsuit brought by several authors, although the litigation was sent to arbitration and the arbitration decision favored Regnery. In 2014, Salem Communications acquired Regnery and other Eagle Publishing assets. Simon & Schuster entered an international distribution arrangement with the company in 2018. Regnery published Irreversible Damage in 2020, a controversial book about gender identity that endorses rapid-onset gender dysphoria despite the lack of evidence supporting it as a diagnosis. Following Simon & Schuster’s cancellation of Josh Hawley’s publishing contract after the January 2021 Capitol attack, Regnery announced that it would publish his book. Regnery acquired ISI Books, the publishing division of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, in early 2023. In December of that year, Skyhorse Publishing announced its acquisition of Regnery from Salem Media Group. Tony Lyons, Skyhorse’s president, became Regnery’s publisher. Skyhorse later announced that Regnery’s Salem Books religious imprint would be phased out in favor of Skyhorse’s Good Books imprint. Regnery remains an active conservative publishing house, with U.S. sales and editorial activity supplemented by international distribution arrangements.
History
Henry Regnery founded the Henry Regnery Company in Chicago in 1947. The venture grew out of his involvement with Human Events and his decision to publish political pamphlets and books that challenged prevailing postwar opinion. The company’s early publications addressed the treatment of Germany and Japan after World War II and included American editions of works by Victor Gollancz, as well as books by Max Picard, Hans Rothfels, and Freda Utley. Regnery initially organized the business as a nonprofit because he believed important books might not achieve commercially attractive sales; the Internal Revenue Service required its conversion to a for-profit corporation in 1948. During the 1950s, Regnery became one of the principal publishing houses associated with the emerging American conservative movement. It published Robert Welch before he founded the John Birch Society, William F. Buckley Jr.’s God and Man at Yale in 1951, Russell Kirk’s The Conservative Mind in 1953, and McCarthy and His Enemies by Buckley and L. Brent Bozell Jr. in 1954. It also published or reprinted works by Albert Jay Nock, James Burnham, Whittaker Chambers, James J. Kilpatrick, and other conservative or anti-communist writers. At the same time, the company maintained a broader literary and intellectual list, including classics and works by T. S. Eliot, Ezra Pound, and Wyndham Lewis. Its publication of Buckley’s book contributed to the loss of a University of Chicago Great Books publishing contract. The company split in 1977. Henry Regnery moved to Washington, D.C., establishing Regnery Gateway and taking important rights in political, philosophical, psychological, and religious books, along with the Gateway Editions trademark. The Chicago company continued as Contemporary Books. Alfred S. Regnery, Henry’s son, took control of Regnery Gateway during the 1980s. In 1993, the Regnery family sold the business to Phillips Publishing International, which placed it in Eagle Publishing alongside Human Events. The Gateway name was eventually replaced by Regnery Publishing. Regnery’s modern identity developed around conservative political nonfiction and books aimed at debates over national identity, history, religion, science, education, immigration, and social policy. The Politically Incorrect Guide series, introduced in 2004, became a recognizable publishing line. Critics argued that several volumes used selective evidence or made historically and scientifically unreliable claims. The company also became a frequent publisher of conservative public figures, including elected officials, presidential candidates, commentators, and activists. In 2007, five Regnery authors sued over alleged royalty-related self-dealing involving sales through channels linked to Eagle Publishing. The court dismissed the claims in 2008 because the contracts required arbitration; an American Arbitration Association decision in 2011 ruled for Regnery on all counts. Salem Communications acquired Regnery in 2014. In 2018, Simon & Schuster announced a distribution agreement covering U.S. distribution and international sales and distribution while leaving Regnery responsible for U.S. title sales. Regnery’s publication of Irreversible Damage in 2020 generated controversy, and its decision to publish Josh Hawley after Simon & Schuster canceled his contract made the publisher a visible participant in a political publishing dispute. Regnery acquired ISI Books in 2023. Later that year Skyhorse Publishing purchased Regnery from Salem Media Group, and Tony Lyons became publisher. Skyhorse subsequently announced the retirement of the Salem Books religious imprint in favor of Good Books. Regnery therefore continues as a conservative imprint and publishing operation within the Skyhorse group, combining a historically established political list with newer books addressing current American ideological conflicts.
- 2023
ISI Books acquired
[1]Regnery acquired the publishing division of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute.
- 2023
Acquired by Skyhorse Publishing
[1]Skyhorse announced its purchase of Regnery from Salem Media Group and appointed Tony Lyons as publisher.
- 2018
Simon & Schuster distribution agreement
[1]The companies established an arrangement for U.S. distribution and international sales and distribution.
- 2014
Acquired by Salem Communications
[1]Salem Communications acquired Regnery with other Eagle Publishing properties.
- 2004
Politically Incorrect Guide series introduced
[1]Regnery launched a series presenting conservative interpretations of historical, scientific, religious, and political topics.
- 1993
Regnery sold to Phillips Publishing International
[1]The Regnery family sold the company, which entered the Eagle Publishing group.
- 1977
Henry Regnery Company split
[1]The business divided into Regnery Gateway in Washington and Contemporary Books in Chicago.
- 1953
The Conservative Mind published
[1]Regnery issued Russell Kirk’s major work on the intellectual history of modern conservatism.
- 1951
God and Man at Yale published
[1]Regnery published William F. Buckley Jr.’s first book, an influential conservative critique of Yale University.
- 1948
Company reorganized as a for-profit business
[1]The Internal Revenue Service required the company to reorganize from its initial nonprofit form.
Products and positioning
A conservative nonfiction publisher serving political, historical, religious, and culture-war audiences, with a list that emphasizes arguments often positioned against liberal or mainstream institutional perspectives.
Political nonfiction series · 2004
Politically Incorrect Guide series
A line of books introduced in 2004 that presents deliberately contrarian conservative arguments about subjects including American history, the Civil War, the British Empire, the Roman Catholic Church, Islam, immigration, climate change, Darwinism, and science. The series is marketed around challenging mainstream interpretations and has also drawn criticism from reviewers who dispute its evidence, methodology, and accuracy.
Political commentary · 1951
God and Man at Yale
William F. Buckley Jr.’s first book, published by Regnery in 1951. It criticized aspects of Yale’s approach to religion, economics, and education and became a prominent early text of postwar American conservatism.
Political philosophy · 1953
The Conservative Mind
Russell Kirk’s 1953 study of conservative intellectual traditions. Regnery’s publication of the book helped establish the company’s role in shaping and disseminating the intellectual canon of postwar American conservatism.
Political history · 1954
McCarthy and His Enemies
A 1954 book by William F. Buckley Jr. and L. Brent Bozell Jr. that criticized Senator Joseph McCarthy’s opponents while addressing, in a qualified way, McCarthy’s exaggerations and conduct. Regnery published the work during the height of the U.S. anti-communist debate.
Religious publishing imprint
Salem Books
A religious imprint associated with Regnery during its ownership by Salem Media Group. After Skyhorse acquired Regnery, Skyhorse announced that the imprint would be phased out in favor of its Good Books imprint.
Controversies
2020
Controversy over Irreversible Damage
Regnery published a book endorsing rapid-onset gender dysphoria. The reference material describes the concept as controversial and notes that evidence does not support it as a diagnosis.
2007
Royalties and affiliated-sales lawsuit
Five authors alleged that Regnery diverted sales from ordinary retail channels to book clubs and other outlets connected with its parent group, affecting royalty calculations. The court sent the dispute toward arbitration because of contractual arbitration clauses, and the later arbitration decision favored Regnery.
Criticism of Politically Incorrect Guide books
Reviewers criticized several volumes in the series for selective evidence and disputed historical, scientific, logical, or academic claims. The criticism was directed at the content and framing of the books rather than identified as a legal finding against the company.
Brand decisions
2024
Religious-imprint consolidationStrategyBackground
Skyhorse reviewed the imprint structure after acquiring Regnery.
Action taken
Skyhorse announced the phasing out of Salem Books in favor of its Good Books imprint.
Aftermath
Regnery’s religious publishing was intended to continue under a different Skyhorse imprint.
2023
Acquisition of ISI BooksM&ABackground
ISI Books was the publishing division of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute.
Action taken
Regnery acquired the division and its publishing operations.
Aftermath
The acquisition broadened Regnery’s connection to conservative and classical-liberal intellectual publishing.
2023
Sale to Skyhorse PublishingM&ABackground
Regnery was owned by Salem Media Group when Skyhorse announced the transaction.
Action taken
Skyhorse Publishing acquired Regnery, and Tony Lyons became its publisher.
Aftermath
Regnery continued as an active publishing operation within the Skyhorse group.
2021
Josh Hawley publishing commitmentProduct launchBackground
Simon & Schuster canceled Josh Hawley’s publishing contract after the January 2021 Capitol attack and his role in objecting to certification of the 2020 presidential election results.
Action taken
Regnery announced that it would publish Hawley’s book.
Aftermath
The decision reinforced Regnery’s role as an outlet for conservative political figures whose work faced resistance from larger mainstream publishers.
2018
International distribution partnership with Simon & SchusterStrategyBackground
Regnery retained responsibility for U.S. title sales while seeking broader distribution capabilities in North America and overseas markets.
Action taken
Simon & Schuster began handling U.S. distribution and both sales and distribution in Canada and international export markets.
Aftermath
The arrangement expanded the international reach of Regnery titles without transferring the publisher’s U.S. sales responsibility.
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