Table of Contents

THE SUMMER OF 1986. The Changing of the Guard. The Court, Past and Present. THE 1986--1987 TERM. Sunset for the Brennan Court. THE SUMMER OF 1987. Robert Bork and the Intellectual Feast. THE 1987--1988 TERM. Waiting for the Fifth Vote. Mr. Clean. And Now There Were Five. THE 1988--1989 TERM. A New Majority Takes Control. THE 1989--1990 TERM. The Liberalsa Last Surprise. From Weare to the White House. THE 1990--1991 TERM. The Rush to the Right. The Thomas Hearings. THE 1991--1992 TERM. Crossing the Rubicon. Epilogue. Index.

Reviews

Savage delivers a chilling, precise account of the Supreme Court's rollback of constitutional rights. A Los Angeles Times reporter who has covered the Court since 1986, the author presents a detailed, anecdotal chronicle of cases, personalities and behind-the-scenes wrangling; charts the Court's rightward drift under Chief Justice William Rehnquist; documents the rearguard actions of staunch liberal justices Thurgood Marshall and William Brennan; and dispassionately reviews the Court's ruling on the death penalty, abortion, drug testing and other issues. He also recreates the battles over the nominations of Robert Bork, Anthony Kennedy, David Souter and Clarence Thomas. Generally restrained in his criticism, Savage faults the Rehnquist Court's ``uncanny ability for misinterpreting federal legislaton.'' Readers interested in predicting how a specific justice is likely to vote on a particular issue will find this casebook useful. Photos. Author tour. (May)

Savage, a Los Angeles Times reporter who covers the U.S. Supreme Court, provides an insightful analysis of the Court between 1986 and 1991. He emphasizes the transition from liberal to conservative civil rights decisions during Chief Justice William Rehnquist's first five terms. Savage examines the Justices' internal politics and their legal opinions to show how a conservative majority gained control of the Court , thereby changing the Court's direction in major cases such as criminal rights, the death penalty, affirmative action, and religious freedom. Savage argues the current Court reflects, to a large degree, Rehnquist's approach to legal issues. This excellent, understandable overview of the changes in the Supreme Court is highly recommended for legal collections.-- Steven Puro, St. Louis Univ.