Customer Reviews

In the Ring: The Trials of a Washington Lawyer

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book provides insight into the real workings of Washington and into the complexities of operating within the rule of law. Bob Bennett is the measure of doing the right thing. His story is pointed and full of insight for the young and old lawyer. He demonstrates that preparation is the key to success. He willingly praises those with whom he works. We would all benefit if there were more lawyers like Bob Bennett. Integrity personified. The book is well worth the read and anyone affiliated with the law or pollitics should read it.

If you want to know how Washington works and does not work then this is the book. My only regret is that the author did not keep the original title and moved to the editor's choice. The original title was Mean Town. It is nice to see the town through the eyes of someone who after all these years is still an idealist. In D.C. you can actually find more Kangaroos than genuine idealists.

A disjointed and uneven presentation of the highlights of the career of a high-profile Washington, D.C. litigator. It is written in the style of that town, with many words devoted (in a modest way, of course) to what a grand job the author did in representing some totally innocent and famous client. Praise is lavished on most public figures, with scores settled on a few notable back hats; here, e.g., Judge Walsh, Senator DeConcini, and NY Times publisher Sulzberger.

Of course a child of the author goes to Sidwell Friends and the manager of The Palm is mentioned. And, growing up in Brooklyn he loved the Dodgers.

Mr. Bennett's advice to young lawyers boils down to be honest and have balance in your lives. Which is good advice, but you probably do not need to buy this book to obtain it.

Mr. Bennett has been a central figure in a number of the most important legal situations of the past few decades. Unfortunately, in this book, he writes in a style that indicates to me that this book was a toss off effort, done while he was still active and distracted in his day job. Rare are the hard, keen and full descriptions of any of the interesting public figures with whom he came into contact. Mr. Bennett, the one-time amateur boxer, pulls his punches.

This is a fantastic "inside look" of Bob Bennett. He is very detailed in his descriptions of happenings in his life, both as a youngster in Brooklyn, NY and later as a professional in Washington, D. C. My husband and I were glued to the pages, not wanting to put down the book, at least not until we completed the chapter we were reading. In the center of the book are various family photographs, making the text even more enjoyable. It's a great read.

This is an absolutely great book. If you like Washingtion DC political insiders history that is a great read to boot, this book is for you.

This is one of those books I read hating myself every minute for wasting my time. My recurring thought was that Bennett promised everyone who ever did him a favor that they'd be mentioned in his memoir. Bennett never lost a case even when he didn't win, and teaches young lawyers the value of honesty, preparation, early connections with powerful people, and most importantly the value of having big bucks and political clout behind you. Everyone is "wonderful" save those who disagreed with him. There are no insights which cannot be gained through far less narcissistic and biased sources. What the book in lacked substance, it did not compensate in the writing.

In response to the review posted by C. Lawlor - It's called an "autobiography" which means that it's going to contain information from the perspective of the author, in this case Bob Bennett. I read the book and found it well written, informative and quite interesting. My guess is that C.Lawlor would not have been so critical if the book contained biases but was written by Bill Bennett, Bob's right-wing, conservative brother.