Transformation of American Law, 1780-1860

Rating:
Summary: Tough nut to crack, yes. But a brilliant work no less.
Review: As one reviewer and the publisher had pointed out, the basic premise of the book is how the common law sought to accommodate the economic changes (and actually sought to allocate wealth) during the formative years of this republic. Some commentators have criticized this book as a Marxian dialectic attack of the American law--in particular from the Chicago School quarters. (Chicago Law Review published a very scathing review in the 70s with the aim, I suspect, to discredit Horwitz's argument) But I thought Professor Horwitz did a wonderful job in supporting his argument with citation and documentation. Is he a revisionst? Maybe. But he's more of an E.P. Thompson than a Howard Zinn. In any event, this book presents a very convincing argument despite its tendentiousness.
P.s. For those of you who want to avoid "legal arcana" or those who want a more eclectic treatment of the development of the American law, I would recommend Lawrence Friedman's History of the American Law.

Rating:
Summary: Tough but interesting.
Review: I have both a J.D. and a Ph.D. in American history, and this book is tough sledding for me. In short, the subject matter -- the way judges adapted American law to accommodate economic change in the first half of the nineteenth century -- is interesting, but the reader is dragged through lots of legal arcana _en route_. I don't recommend this title for the faint of heart.

Rating:
Summary: reviews shouldn't say how hard a book is on the intellect
Review: it should say how valuable the knowledge is. The lawyer who said the book is tough-going should be ignored as he addressed no content in the book. He only manipulated several people into not reading the book. What a way to manipulate people into remaining ignorant! Get it from ANY library, read one chapter, and pursue YOUR interest in our wretched government's tyranical tendency! If the 1st chapter hits, buy the book anywhere you want and study it! Be free!