Peter Charles Hoffer is Distinguished Research
Professor of History at the University of Georgia.
Williamjames Hull Hoffer is professor of history
at Seton Hall University.
N. E. H. Hull is Distinguished Professor of Law
(emerita) at Rutgers University Law School–Camden.
"A clear and comprehensive overview of the nation's most important
court and the justices who have served on it. . . . Essential
reading for anyone concerned with the history of this fascinating
institution."--Lawrence Friedman, author of A History of American
Law"The single most readable and reliable narrative history of the
U.S. Supreme Court yet written."--Stanley N. Katz, editor of the
Encyclopedia of Legal History"A refreshingly case-oriented survey
of the Court's work, with lively vignettes of the individual
justices."--William M. Wiecek, author of Liberty under Law: The
Supreme Court in American Life"Indispensable for the layperson and
a rich banquet for the scholar as well."--Laura Kalman, author of
The Strange Career of Legal Liberalism
Praise for the first edition: "This splendid interpretative summary
of the history of the U.S. Supreme Court is designed for students
and the general public. It is an effective textbook for American
constitutional history courses and contains many insights of
interest to professional historians. . . . Readers will find apt
analysis and enjoyable prose in this fine book."--Journal of
American History"[It] may well be the best single volume history of
the Court. . . . on the whole, balanced and brings together an
extraordinary amount of material."--Political Science Quarterly"The
authors, each an accomplished historian, give readers an historical
and political lens through which to view the development of Supreme
Court jurisprudence. At the same time, they illuminate the various
ways in which this jurisprudence has shaped both the law and the
larger history of the United States."--Law Library Journal"This
book is exactly what the title states it to be, placing the Court's
noteworthy opinions within their institutional, social, and
political contexts. Its treatment of a broad number of themes,
including race and gender, is laudable. This book deserves a large
audience, from novices seeking to acquaint themselves with the
Supreme Court's history to legal scholars who want a one-volume
reference book in their libraries. The helpful bibliographical
essay is as elegantly written as the main text of the
book."--Journal of Interdisciplinary History"It is an attractive
book for those who want a comprehensive overview of the cases that
shaped our constitutional development and the Court that produced
them."--Law and Politics Book Review"For those looking for a
concise one-volume history of the Supreme Court--its major rulings,
its political context, and its major justices--this is the book.
Organizing their text around the terms of office of the 15 chief
justices who presided over the court between 1789 and 2005, the
authors masterfully weave together accounts of doctrinal
developments, the political crises that engendered them, and the
often larger-than-life personalities of the Court's most
significant justices. One sees U.S. history in a new light, and
comes to appreciate the role of the Supreme Court in shaping that
history. This is a rigorous and fair-minded account of one of
America's most important governmental institutions by a trio of
distinguished historians. It is a stunning achievement, of great
value to a wide range of readers. Essential."--Choice
 |
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
