The Supreme Court: An Essential History Text is Free of Markings Edition

by Peter Charles Hoffer (Author), Williamjames Hull Hoffer (Author), N. E. H. Hull (Author)

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ISBN-13: 978-0700615384

ISBN-10: 9780700615384

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For more than two centuries, the U.S. Supreme Court has provided a battleground for nearly every controversial issue in our nation's history. Now a veteran team of talented historians-including the editors of the acclaimed Landmark Law Cases and American Society series-have produced the most readable, astute, and up-to-date single-volume history of this venerated institution, as engaging for general readers as it is rigorous for scholars. The Supreme Court chronicles an institution that dramatically evolved from six men meeting in borrowed quarters to the most closely watched tribunal in the world. Underscoring the close connection between law and politics, the authors highlight essential issues, cases, and decisions within the context of the times in which the decisions were handed down. Deftly combining doctrine and judicial biography with case law, they demonstrate how the justices have shaped the law and how the law that the Court makes has shaped our nation, with an emphasis on how the Court responded-or failed to respond-to the plight of the underdog. Each chapter covers the Court's years under a specific Chief Justice, focusing on cases that are the most reflective of the way the Court saw the law and the world and that had the most impact on the lives of ordinary Americans. Throughout the authors reveal how-in times of war, class strife, or moral revolution-the Court sometimes voiced the conscience of the nation and sometimes seemed to lose its moral compass. Their extensive quotes from the Court's opinions and dissents illuminate its inner workings, as well as the personalities and beliefs of the justices and the often-contentious relationships among them. Fair-minded and sharply insightful, The Supreme Court portrays an institution defined by eloquent and pedestrian decisions and by justices ranging from brilliant and wise to slow-witted and expedient. An epic and essential story, it illuminates the Court's role in our lives and its place in our history.

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

How did the Supreme Court handle Indian rights in the early 19th century? What factors influenced the Court's decision in Roe v. Wade? This timely survey looks at the intellectual, social, cultural, economic and political events that have influenced the legal history of the Court. The authors (two professors of history and one professor of law) consider whether the court is a political institution and whether in the course of two centuries the justices have... remade the Constitution. The 15 concise chapters, each devoted to one chief justice's tenure, look at major cases and offer thumbnail sketches of each justice as individuals with unique personalities, special interests and independent judicial perspectives who never backed away from their role as final arbiters of the meaning of the Constitution. The authors make evident the framers' original intent to create a Constitution founded on immutable ideals yet responsive to evolving standards through the amendment process. This illuminating re-examination is essential for those who want a historical context for current debates about America's politics and fundamental principles. 25 photos. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Concise, rigorous, and fair-minded, this is a stunning achievement, of great value to a wide range of readers. Essential." -- Choice

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0700615385
Publisher ‏ : ‎ University Press of Kansas; Text is Free of Markings edition (September 6, 2007)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 504 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780700615384
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0700615384
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.02 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1.75 x 9.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #567,867 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #208 in Constitutional Law (Books)
- #233 in Courts & Law
- #580 in Legal History (Books)

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Peter Charles Hoffer
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N. E. H. Hull
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Williamjames Hull Hoffer
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Williamjames Hull Hoffer is a professor of history at Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey, USA. He is a graduate of Rutgers - The State University of New Jersey, Harvard Law School, and Johns Hopkins University. He has also authored and co-authored several books on U.S. legal history with university presses. Most recently, he has self-published a book with Amazon's KDP service on how recent U.S. history has influenced George R. R. Martin, his writings, in particular his "A Song of Ice and Fire" book series, and the show it inspired, "Game of Thrones", entitled "Passing Beneath the Shadow: An Unauthorized Journey into George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones America".
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Donald Autrey

The First Third of the Book is Very Good

Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2017

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The book covers three phases of the Supreme Court. Let's call them early, middle and recent. Three authors split the task among themselves, with each writer handling one phase. The best writing was for the early phase. The foundations of the court's philosophy were discussed along with the personalities involved. The judges worked steadily to create a role for the court and to guard the court's place in the US system of government. In that sense, the court is no different from any other government agency or body. However, the court is really a collection of men (and a few women recently) and the interesting part is how little attention the court really gives to precedence. I recommend the first third of the book.
The second part was not as well-written but did a good job of discussing the political nature of the appointments.
The third part was not nearly as well conceived as the first two. In this part the author made references to court cases without spelling out what the case was about. The author of the third section is unabashed in hero worship of Warren. I wound up just skimming the last half of the third portion.
The index is incomplete. A case may be cited many times in the text but is only listed in the index in one place. This makes it difficult to follow how case is treated beyond its initial location in the book.

3 people found this helpful

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J. Woody

the best book out there on the history of the court

Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2018

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This book is neither a thriller nor page turner. It is not an executive summary and, as such, not for those looking for a quick read. As an academic historical work, it can be a bit of a slog at times. However, those who want to learn more about the history of the court and how we got to where we are today, will be well rewarded for their perseverance.

3 people found this helpful

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buck

The Supreme Court: An essential history

Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2009

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When researching legal history,"the Supreme Court" stands our for easy of use and references. The authors have listed the Courts' by name (i.e The Marshall Court, etc.), making quick and easy use of the book for specific reference. A must read!!

3 people found this helpful

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P. Nieves

Excellent Reading for everyone, (American or not)

Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2009

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This was great eye opener to our judicial branch of government. Well written and very interesting content.

One person found this helpful

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Thamanjimmy

Decent book for which there are a whole lot of

Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2009

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This is a decent introduction to the Court. I just didn't like the way it was presented.

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Daniel Sprankle

An OK, Basic Overview of the Court's History

Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2008

This book is a survey of the history of the Supreme Court of the United States. It is divided by the court of each chief justice. So we get the John Marshall court, the William Rehnquist court, the Earl Warren court, etc. And, for each court, the major cases decided by that court are discussed. The last court to be discussed is the Rehnquist court and the current John Roberts court is given some space but is limited to a few observations.

Overall, this is not a bad overview of the court's history. It is a good place to get a feel about what the court has gone through and how some of its cases and philosophy have changed with the times. Unfortunately, there is not much detail. There are some cases that are hugely influential and historically important (Marbury v. Madison, Roe v. Wade, etc.) and even though they get more space than other cases, there is still not that much detail. Also, law cases, especially by the time they get to the Supreme Court, can be immensely complicated. Books can be written about each case. So I think it is by the very nature of the subject matter that it is hard to write a detailed overview. There is too much to be written about.

One thing that is clearly shown is the variable nature of the court. There is no consistent philosophy guiding the court throughout its history. Many biases and prejudices enter into each justices' decisions. One wonders if it is just luck that we haven't gotten too many tyrants on the court trying to wield power over the other branches. Maybe it is lack of legitimacy that stops them. But that also means they can't do too many things that are unpopular--which is what we need a court for, isn't it?

What kind of check do the other branches of government really have on the Supreme Court? When they are confirmed, they're there for life. Politics always plays a role. We should confirm them based on their resume more than their politics. Intelligent, deliberate judges might make decisions that are controversial, but they will be well thought-out decisions.

This book is a good place to provoke those questions. But I think it mainly serves to whet a reader's appetite for deeper tomes that delve into the cases in detail or the judges and their philosophy. All in all, a good place to start.

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