A People's History of the Supreme Court

Rating:
Summary: Very Good
Review: This book is not nearly as poignant as its inspiration, Zinn's A People's History of the United States. While Zinn's title will anger friends of the corporate world, millionaires, and the hopelessly-stuck-in-the-middle-class individuals who amazingly follow them, Iron's book is more objective.

The major strengths of the book are: the short biographies and stories of the people involved in the cases and the justices (how many people actually know who Plessy was?); a professional and informative, but not academic, writing style that will not alienate 99% of the public (hint: if you see a history book written by a professor, put it down and look for another - they write for other professors and themselves, not to add anything significant to the field of history); and the introduction detailing how the Constitution was created -- quite possibly the best telling of the story I have ever read.

Overall, a very good book and an ideal introduction to a history of the Supreme Court.

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Introduction to the Supreme Court
Review: This book provides and excellent introduction to the Supreme Court. This particular book approaches the Supreme Court's history through the lives of the individuals at the center of many landmark decisions. This includes the Justices, the individuals who brought the cases, and even the politicians of the time.

The outcome of this approach is a history that doesn't simply provide a dry reading of the facts of a number of legal cases; instead, Irons' approach addresses the relevance of the cases to the above mentioned individuals which also helps develop a sense of the Court's importance in the development of the Nation.

Lastly, while I find Irons' book to be a good read and a good introduction, I must concur with an earlier reviewer who accuses Irons of allowing his personal politics too much sway. While I do not have the legal knowledge to discuss the factual issues, it is clear from the outset that Irons elevates those justices whose opinions are aligned with his own viewpoint and disparages others who aren't.

However, in spite of Irons' biases, the book provides an excellent view of the Supreme Court, and I would recommend it to anyone trying get a grasp of what the Court is all about.

Rating:
Summary: A must-read, if you're a political/law geek like me!
Review: Wow! Author Peter Irons hit a grand slam with his transcribed "May It Please the Court" books and tapes, and he follows up with a great companion book here (although it certainly stands well on its own, too).

From a comprehensive (yet not overwhelming) look at the beginnings of the American federal judicial branch, Irons presents case after case, and, even better, personality after personality, to give us insight as to how our laws have been interpreted and changed over the last two centuries.

Even though the content is very dense at times, I just couldn't put it down, and tore through it twice in just a few days. This would make a great introduction to (or family reference of) Constitutional law, and is also a nice addition to the collection of someone who wants a more human point of view on the subject.

I highly recommend!