Four Trials [Paperback]

John Edwards (Author), John Auchard (Contributor)

Book Description

Release date: August 17, 2004

Raised in a small town by parents employed in the local mills, John Edwards worked in those mills himself -- and then went on to become one of America's most successful and respected attorneys. He built a national reputation representing people whose lives had been shattered by corporate recklessness and grievous medical negligence. In landmark cases, Edwards helped people from all walks of life stand up for themselves against tremendous odds. Four Trials provides an electrifying account of four of his cases as it tells the story of the courageous and unmistakably decent people Edwards was privileged to represent in times of tragedy, great loss, and often great joy. And in a deeply moving account, Four Trials also speaks of the tragedies and joys that Senator Edwards has known in his own life -- and how today life and justice are more precious to him than ever.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In his campaigns for the U.S. Senate (successful) and the Democratic presidential nomination (struggling), Edwards has defiantly celebrated his earlier career as a trial lawyer. Following that instinct, Edwards has chosen to cast his campaign memoir as an account of four of his courtroom experiences. Four Trials is brimming with Clintonian empathy for regular folks, and Edwards is at his best in his endearing portraits of the victims he represented in medical malpractice and personal injury lawsuits. He also displays a keen understanding of the psychology of a jury, which he calls "a microcosm of democracy." Edwards weaves in recollections of his youth as the son of a mill worker, his rise to prominence as a lawyer, his dedicated family life and the death of his son in a car accident. But he mostly sticks to the details of the cases; he omits almost entirely his years in the Senate and his plans for the presidency. Edwards can tell a good yarn, and at times this book works as a courtroom drama. But it suffers from shoddy, platitudinous prose. The book is chiefly of interest for the way it manifests Edwards's strategy to present himself as an advocate for the downtrodden to his new jury, the American electorate.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Presidential hopeful Senator John Edwards has cast himself as a crusading legal eagle in this unabashedly self-serving recollection of four of his most memorable trials. Rather than outline his own political agenda or strategy, Edwards delves into his past, positioning himself as a people's advocate. Setting aside initial reservations about being manipulated by yet another egocentric politician cynically attempting to sell himself to the American public, readers may find the details of these cases--two medical malpractice suits, a wrongful death suit, and a corporate negligence suit--compelling in and of themselves. Interwoven with fragments of Edwards' personal life, these courtroom dramas seek to humanize a marginal presidential candidate. Recommended if interest in Edwards' campaign merits purchase--but beware of an early exit from the race. Margaret Flanagan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster (August 17, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743272048
• ISBN-13: 978-0743272049
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (64 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,241,060 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

70 of 74 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars This Guy Is Running For President? November 13, 2003

By a vet

Format:Hardcover

I have to admit that I expected the regular political junk from this book, but this guy really can write. It's not a "morning in america " kind of thing -- there's no boring politics. It's just a plain old good roaring read. More like Baldacci or other legal thrillers than "man from hope" self-serving junk. I'm not so sure about this guy's politics (I'm a republican myself) but it doesn't matter.

If you expect an overview of the Clean Air act or something, you can forget it. The stories in this book really hooked me. I'm still amazed that they are real.

32 of 37 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Four Trials March 21, 2004

By Dan Whipkey

Format:Hardcover

If you are looking for a candidate's standard election year political manifesto you won't find it here. What you will find is a can't put down page-turner. Sen. Edwards makes no political pronouncements or promises in this book. He has simply written deeply moving accounts of four notable cases he litigated before he became a national political figure. This book rivals anything John Grisham has to offer and what makes these stories so compelling is that they are about real events and real people. Interwoven throughout the book, Edwards gives us glimpses of his own personal story; his blue-collar upbringing, his rise from a young unpolished attorney to a highly successful trial lawyer, and sadly, the tragic death of his own teenage son. The reader will also discover much about the ins-and-outs of our legal system. If you think of personal injury lawsuits as frivolous pursuits by ambulance chasing lawyers this book may just change your mind. Each of the four cases is about deceit and truth, tragedy and triumph, and each is heartbreaking as well as heartwarming. It is encouraging to find that in the end, at least in these cases, righteousness and justice prevails.

28 of 32 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read December 30, 2003

By James F. Lacher

Format:Hardcover

As other reviews have noted, this is not your typical political type book. This book barely even mentions politics. If you're looking for John Edwards views on various policy, you'll have to do some homework elsewhere.

I would put this book up there with any great legal novel. The only difference is that the stories are real. I just love this book. Edwards neatly divides up the book into the four trials, each covering 40 to 50 pages. Intertwined with the storytelling of these trials is a brief biography of him and his family. The four trials he discusses are fascinating. They deal with various individuals who have been wronged and how he helped use the legal system to assist them. The book was a real "page-turner" for me. You can easily read a chapter a day and be done within a week.

After reading this book, I've come to greatly admire John Edwards the man. I'm a Democrat and had not decided who to vote for in the primary. I am sure I will be voting for Edwards now. (Assuming he is still in the race.) I only hope others will do the same. I think he will make a fine President.