In Our Defense: The Bill of Rights in Action [Hardcover]

Ellen Alderman (Author), Caroline Kennedy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1991

In Our Defense celebrates freedom and our basic rights from religious choice to trail by jury. Article by article, intention by intention, the first ten amendments are examined through cases that have challenged and been interpreted through them. Alderman and Kennedy, the daughter of the late President, both graduated, both graduated from Columbia University Law School. 15 photos.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

YA-- Alderman and Kennedy have taken the Bill of Rights and made it breathe. Their book considers 20 or so Supreme Court cases, the verdicts of which pivot on one of the first Ten Amendments to the U. S. Constitution. The cases chosen are not the landmark, precedent-setting ones with which most people are familiar. Instead, readers will find normal people who, because of circumstance, victimization, or character flaws, end up having their stories studied by the highest court in the land. As the authors acknowledge, "It is a fair summary of history to say that the safeguards of liberty have frequently been forged in controversies involving not very nice people." Several life histories read more like soap operas and B-movies than a law text. The writing is clear, direct, and often poignant. There are photographs of some of the protagonists that add to the down-to-earth character of this study. Finally, it is entertaining.
- Vicki Fox, R. E. Lee High School, Springfield, VA
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The authors use fascinating accounts of real-life controversies to introduce the general reader to the Bill of Rights. Nineteen vignettes illuminate virtually all rights guarantees and demonstrate their contemporary relevance. Of particular interest are the stories about the development of public land held sacred by Native Americans (First Amendment) and the attempt to protect minors testifying in molestation cases (Sixth Amendment). Although the authors emphasize the human side of the Bill of Rights rather than its judicial interpretation, their legal analysis is sound, and the extensive notes and bibliography provide direction for further research. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 9/15/90.
- G. Alan Tarr, Rutgers Univ., Camden, N.J.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 430 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow & Co; 1st edition (February 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 068807801X
• ISBN-13: 978-0688078010
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.6 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,114,452 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and Informative, October 4, 2003

By 

CK (Virginia, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In Our Defense: The Bill of Rights in Action (Paperback)

I was assigned this book as supplementary reading for my AP government class, and while some of my friends didn't like it, I loved and am now re-reading it.

The authors admit that their intent was 1) to make people see the Bill of Rights as more than a legal document, but a guideline created by framers who had no idea how different the nation would be centuries later, and 2) to make people think.

For each of the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution, the authors pick a case, usually criminal, and discuss it in relation to the amendment. They choose their cases carefully, and all are thought-provoking.

The Bill of Rights was created to protect the people from the government, and includes several rights delegated to those accused of crimes. However, in one poignant case, the right to confront the witness is used to declare an accused child molester's trial invalid. However, the book also lists many instances in which the Bill of Rights served as the final defense in a couple accused of Communism during the McCarthy era.

While some may find the book boring, because they're not interested in hearing about politics, many would find this book enjoyable to read, especially if they are interested in law.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Basic Explanations, August 6, 2002

By 

richard_t "richard_t" (Overseas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In Our Defense: The Bill of Rights in Action (Paperback)

Alderman and Kennedy have put together useful explanations of the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution. They have purposely simplified the concepts and eliminated elements that might provide richer historical detail but would also serve to confuse a reader without a legal background. "In Our Defense" succeeds as an introduction to the Bill of Rights. It does not go into great detail about the framers' intent, although there is some background in several of the cases. It does not explain how appelate courts or the Supreme Court operate, how precedents accumulate, or define legal concepts (concurring, dissenting, etc.). It does, however, detail each of the ten amendments, and provide a case study for each, demonstrating how the rights are interpreted, how they are limited, and how the law evolves over time.

A good book, particularly with issues such as abortion, handgun control, and flag burning on the front pages of the newspapers. Readers can obtain a basic grounding in constitutional principles.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Review of In Our Defense, March 18, 2003

By 

Jason Sugarman (Bellevue, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In Our Defense: The Bill of Rights in Action (Paperback)

This book gave a good illustration of the Bill of Rights in Action. It gave a court case to outline each of the principles in each amendment. For example the first amendment has a case for freedom of speech, press, religion, and assembly. These cases demonstrate how our laws are interpreted, how they have changed since the framers wrote the constitution, and exactly how our rights are limited. Each case also helps to define parts of each amendment that are in question. In other words, the cases are good examples of judicial decisions that help to defne our laws. I think that this book is amazing if you are in school, because it gives a very nice alternative to a textbook approach. Rather than just another boring textbook, this can be a helpful tool to teach the Bill of Rights with examples of the judicial process. Though this is a good book, I think that the Authors left out an important part of the book. It is lacking a historical background of the Bill of Rights. This book never illustrates what the framers intent was, nor does it try and communicate legal concepts. Though it may have been a good decision to leave out the legal concepts so the book would appeal to those without any legal experience, it would have been nice to at least get some information.