4 comments about Getting a Winning Verdict in My Personal Life: A Trial Lawyer Finds His Soul.

1. Gary Gwilliam's story is a compelling tale of self-disclosure and personal growth. The simple sincerity of his friendly voice keeps you turning pages. He's a role model for what's good and right about lawyers: how they can serve; and the compassion that drives them. This book is filled with lessons for everyone, but especially lawyers and their clients. If you need a champion you can find a template of what to look for in this book! Stewart L. Levine, Esq. , author, "Getting to Resolution;" "The Book of Agreement;" co-author "Collaborate 2.0."



2. In sharing his unique story, Gary provides an insightful, inspiring and motivating read. This book perfectly captures the thoughts and feelings that so many trial attorneys have on a daily basis, and it demonstrates just how a dedicated and caring attorney can overcome adversity and personal difficulties to pursue his clients' causes with zeal and passion. The book has left me more inspired and it has strengthened and reaffirmed my commitment to my family, to my clients and to a trial lawyer's work. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a must-read for every trial attorney and for anyone who genuinely wants to understand the heart, mind and soul of a trial attorney.



3. Most great trial lawyers bare their client's souls in their quest for
   Victory, but few bare their own in their personal struggle be real. Gary lays
   it all out in the dramatic story of his life - the good, the bad and the
   ugly. His pain throbs as he reaches the bottom, and his joy abounds as he
   learns to live with success and the love of his life. This journey, one
   that few of us have the courage to travel, much less admit, has made him a
   greater champion of the powerless and a better person.



4. I just got this book, and I've enjoyed reading it so far. I like being a voyeur into the life of an attorney, and reading about Gwilliam's experiences is really encouraging and optimistic. I'll post an updated review when I'm done reading the book.

5 comments about Lighting the Way: Nine Women Who Changed Modern America.

1. This detailed book provides little-known insight on nine women very important to the advancement of American rights. Very interesting.



2. This is a magnificent book, written by a brilliant and humanitarian author. It is well researched and documented, and it is very interesting and enlightening. Every person in our nation could benefit from reading this informative work. Thank you for this book!



3. Karenna Gore Schiff has done us a wonderful service with this book of women whose impact on American life has been profound. Her essays on the lives and contributions of these women are readable and enlightening. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them.



4. This is a beautifully written and captivating look at the lives of strong women who helped change the course of American history. I was extremely impressed by Karenna Gore Schiff's writing ability . All of the women profiled in this book are fascinating Americans and most of them are long overdue for this kind of a tribute. Schiff truly did her research and I was also interested in the information she shared about the strong women in her family--most notably her grandmothers. She dedicates the book to them.



5. Any college student can write a book as this-- I'd rather read an Encyclopedia!!!

5 comments about All American: Why I Believe in Football, God, and the War in Iraq.

1. Captain Robert P. McGovern had to work extraordinarily hard to survive roughly four seasons in the NFL. He was no more than a marginal player and had to constantly worry about being cut. It is safe to say, that McGovern was the last one picked and the first one released. He truly became the best that he could possibly be. His strong work ethic served him well as a both a prosecutor and U.S. Army officer.
   
   The leftist establishment slanders our soldiers as usually some sort of social reject or even psychotic. Capt. McGovern is living proof that this is utterly false. His story is well worth reading. You may wish to provide a copy to the younger people in your family. It should motivate them to also aspire to greatness. Those like myself who never served in the military have a particular obligation to thank McGovern for his self-sacrifice and dedication on behalf of our country. May God bless him.



2. This simpleton of a jerk-off & his ilk are EXACTLY what is wrong with my country. I cannot f+cking wait to leave this country & never return. Enjoy your fascism.



3. Several reviews I have read have come down hard on the author for his stand on the war in Iraq. But this is his autobiography, the story of his life, and his opinion of the war is just one part of it. It is a well-written account of his childhood, his family, his education and his aspirations, and continues into his adulthood to the present time. He lets us know how he was trained by his parents to be unselfish and give back to the community some form of service, and this was undoubtedly the motivation for joining the Army Reserve, and eventually finding himself on active duty in Iraq.
   
   A good part of his story comes before that. He was competing with his older brothers in athletics, trying to be as good as they had been in high school football, and then in college football. He received an athletic scholarship from Holy Cross, an enormous accomplishment in his eyes, and he was grateful for the opportunity. And then came pro football, four years of it on three different teams. He was pretty good at it, but not outstanding. He simply was not big enough (hefty, bulky) to be a great linebacker. He was thankful for this chance to make the big league, but took the advice of one of his coaches to give it up. From there he decided to study law and with his law degree took a job as an Assistant DA in New York City. Then came 9/11, to which he was an eyewitness. In his role as a US Army Reserve officer he volunteered to help. Immediately following, he applied for active duty, leaving his job as assistant DA, and became a prosecutor for the Judge Advocate General Corps, and then deployed to Afghanistan and later to Iraq. His experiences there were extraordinary because he was involved in the trial of Hasan Akbar, the US Army Sergeant who killed two Army officers and wounded a number of others when he threw hand grenades into the tents of the soldiers.
   
   This is a well-written account of the life of a man who became a soldier in the US Army. Why would anyone find it strange that he has strong opinions in favor of the war in Iraq ? It is his contention that we are there as part of the war on terrorism. The patriotic feeling that he had on 9/11 was something that almost all of us shared at that time. For him it continued; for many of us it disappeared.
   
   Should we still be in Iraq? That is a matter for debate, which has been ongoing for some time now. Captain McGovern feels that we are making a difference, and that is why we are still there.
   
   This book is certainly worth reading, if only to gain some insight from a different perspective.



4. The life story of Captain Robert McGovern, is almost "Forrest Gump" like. Rob is one of nine Irish Catholic children, born to Howard and Terry McGovern in New Jersey. Though born in New Jersey, if I were to describe his morals, character, and upbringing, I would describe it in the highest of terms, that most Americans would consider as "mid-western". One of the many, emotionally uplifting themes in this book, is the absolute, enduring, love, and respect, that Rob, constantly proclaims for his parents. He was raised from the beginning, to have high goals, and his older brothers got football scholarships to Holy Cross, as Rob also did later on, but with less fanfare. Just as importantly, he and his siblings were raised to "service" the community. To give something back, and Rob continued this process in college at Holy Cross and while in the National Football League, with outreach programs. When Rob graduated college, no one gave him a chance of making it in the NFL. But he was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs, as an undersized, underdog, linebacker, and special team's player. He lasted a few years with numerous teams, making the most of his non-star ability. The way he accomplished this, is with dogged, determination and dedication. To quote Rob: "Being the best at what you do has to be more important to you than partying or chasing girls or hanging out with your buddies. It has to be worth sacrificing the comforts and pleasures of an undirected life and replacing them with long hours of sweat and tears. In football, it also helps to be one tough character." At the end of Rob's short NFL career, he attended law school, and upon graduation, became an assistant D.A. in Manhattan. In keeping with his personal goal, of giving service to his community/country, he also joined the Army Reserves.
   
   Then, on the forever-fateful day, of September 11, 2001, Rob was on the way to work in Manhattan, when he saw the smoke, and the planes, at the World Trade Center. He couldn't get to work, so he went home and put on the TV, and heard an announcement, that military men were needed at "ground-zero" to help look for bodies. Even though he was in the reserves, he donned his uniform, and went to "ground-zero", and helped recover the remains of victims for days. Rob, happened to be there, when President Bush arrived, and shook the Commander In Chief's hand, and was so moved, he decided he wanted to go on active duty and help America fight back. Because Rob was 38 years old, they wouldn't let him go on active duty. He persisted in every way possible, and was finally accepted as a Judge Advocate General. (JAG) He proceeded to go to Afghanistan and Iraq and assisted in "Rules Of Engagement" (ROE) enforcement. From there, he went in to criminal prosecution. He wound up on the successful prosecution team, that convicted Sergeant Hasan Akbar, probably the worst, United States Military criminal, in the last 30-40 years. To refresh your memory, Akbar, was the traitor, who the night before, we were going to launch Operation Iraqi Freedom, attacked his comrades, with grenades and small-arms fire. He wounded more than a dozen troops. Two were dead.
   
   There is much more, to the life story, of a man who loves his country, loves his family, loves God, and has dedicated his life to enforcing freedom throughout the world, but let me conclude my review, by having Rob tell you why he named his book "All American". "You might wonder about the use of "All-American" in the title. First of all, let me say off the bat that I'm not talking about myself here. What is an "All-American" anyway? I've met some real "All-Americans- quiet, unassuming, heroic people who inspire students, protect us from crime, and defend our values. They are "All-American" in every sense of the phrase. I chose this title in part to pay tribute to these "All-American", I've been lucky enough to meet and work with through the years. I also chose it to pay special tribute to the men and women of our armed forces, especially those in the 82nd Airborne Division. That famous unit happens to be called the All-American Division."



5. An extraordinary account of one good man standing tall for the best of American values.

5 comments about Learned Hand: The Man and the Judge.

1. This long book, with 680 pp of text, which deterred me at the outset, but then its length became welcome.
   
   I read other Amazon reviewers with interest, and agree with some that(a)this is a valuable book, and with another that(b)the author at times demonstrates a political slant or bias. On the latter issue, however, I am less concerned than the critic. Many of the topics allow no easy answers and probably defie totally impartial reporting. No problem; I am capable of detecting bias, and willing to hear many sides of an issue.
   
   I appreciated the fascinating account of Hand's life (mostly his career, since the family soon disappears from the narrative). I also greatly appreciated looking behind the scences as lawyers, the courts, and Hand and his friends confronted major events in 20th century US history.
   
   This book deepened and refreshed my understandings. Is it the "true" or definitive story of Learned Hand and his times? Perhaps, but that is not my basic concern. Rather, the book helped me test and possibly deepen my own thinking. Ideological slant notwithstanding the author has given me valuable information. Doing my part - as an active, intelligent reader - I was able to exercise my brain: reconsidering past understandings, reassess my own prejudices, etc. In sum, the book is entertaining and a welcome tool that helped me stay mentally alive and, perhaps, even grow a bit wiser.
   
   Finally, though not a lawyer I am interested in the law and its links to economic, social, and political processes. Thus I am perhaps more patient with fine legal distinctions and reasoning than would be the average reader. Some folks will not want to work their way through this book.



2. As a lawyer, I knew of Learned Hand from his opinions.
   
   Thanks to Professor Gunther, I know about the real life human being who wrote them. Hand was a success at many things, but had more than his share of personal issues. The author does a fine job of blending Hand's personal life with his professional life.
   
   The highest praise that I can offer is that Professor Gunther doesn't write at all like a lawyer. His prose is witty, captivating and entertaining. Somehow, Professor Gunther managed to overcome his legal training long enough to write sparkling prose.
   
   Good job!GOOD WILL WIN IN THE END



3. Learned Hand was in many ways a great man. A dedicated judge, the gently forgiving husband of a straying wife, a kind and thoughtful person, brilliantly intelligent and clear-thinking - and yet, in the end, almost unknowable. Gunther's biography shines a light on every aspect of the judge's work and personality, including the mystery at his inner core. Hand really wasn't like other people, and Gunther, who knew him personally, captures that.
   
   Gunther's prose is remarkably clear and direct. Another reviewer's remarks about his political bias are just mystifying to me. I don't think Hand's jurisprudence can be classified as either liberal or conservative, and I didn't come away with any sense of Gunther's politics. Frankfurter, the New Dealer, is not depicted as a villain, but rather as one of Hand's closest friends, and an extremely interesting person in his own right.
   
   Judicial biographies are inherently difficult to write, because the subjects' lives tend to be externally uneventful. (Hand virtually never left his native New York state.) Also, old cases are dull unless you really get into them, but to do so requires long digressions from the biographical narrative. This is the only judicial biography I've read that overcomes both problems. I recommend it wholeheartedly.



4. This is an outstanding biography written by one who is a true legal scholar in his own right. Gunther's understanding and insight into the legal issues surrounding the life of Learned Hand made reading this book a fine experience.



5. notwithstanding Justice Powell's glowing introduction, reading this book is like wading through cold oatmeal. anyone who can endure this avalanche of turgid prose to mine those incredibly few nuggets of interesting information about this great judge is a dedicated person indeed. save your money.

5 comments about Truth at Any Cost: Ken Starr and the Unmaking of Bill Clinton.

1. Let's see. Ken Starr wastes the public money attacking Bill Clinton with false accusations while at the same time siding with KON-servative Mitch Mcconnel of KY to allow for more corrupt campaigns as if there aren't any already !!! This book is a perfect tool for neconservative NAZIS to enjoy and drool over but is otherwise useless trash for the rest of us who are already facing mass destruction by Bush/Cheney/Rove/Delay and GOP with of course a spineless opposition that barely got together to defend Clinton but easily caved into and defended Bush the liar-in-chief !



2. So Bill Clinton had his men muscle poor Ken Starr who did a fabulous job exposing this infidel. Clinton was disbarred and impeached but still allowed to finish his term, hand out pardons to criminals, steal furniture from the white house and take the economy right down the toilet.

   I gues that saying about the golden rule: "the man with gold makes the rules" is very true.

   Another reason why I am glad that I am no longer a democrat. Or is that democ(rat).




3. This smarmy little work of personal opinion, conjecture and gossip fits in neatly with its subject: independent counsel Kenneth Starr and the private lives of any human being that had any contact with President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary. Highly recommend wearing your gloves to keep the oil off your hands.



4. Truth At Any Cost does not pretend to be evenhanded. Instead, co-authors Susan Schmidt and Michael Weisskopf examine the Lewinsky affair from the standpoint of those inside the Office of Independent Counsel. The result is a new perspective on an exhaustively covered scandal.

   This book dwells little on Whitewater and the other investigations that led to the appointment of Independent Counsel Ken Starr. The authors instead concentrate on the sexual scandal that led to Clinton's impeachment and how Starr and his subordinates responded. It would have been nice to know more about the men and women who investigated the president, but the focus is on personality rather than biography. The authors depict Starr in a much different light than the oft-demonized caricature that was spoon-fed the public. Again, it would have been nice to know more about Starr's background, but the concentration is on his character. Starr is presented here as a conscientious but politically naive lawyer better suited to the bench than to the OIC.

   Although relatively brief, the book drags a bit but picks up steam in the latter chapters as the independent counsel gathers and compiles evidence against the president. A few new revelations emerge along the way. Among them is Hillary Clinton's central role in the defense of her husband and in the counteroffensive against his opponents.

   This book is worth reading just to see why, as well as how, the prosecutors pursued this case so vigorously. Their motivations often run counter to the stereotypes floated at the time, and this makes for a new spin on an old story.




5. I just finished reading the Hunting of the President by Conanson and Lyon, and Truth at Any Cost. These books provide an instructive contrast. Thus, while Hunting provides copious footnotes for factual assertions, Truth far too often presents the judgments, feelings, assessments and views of Starr and his staff in subtle substitution for attributed facts and as though those statements were the complete truth and not worthy of further examination. This fault becomes more clear when combined with the artful and disingenuous sorting and choice of facts to support its assertions.

   Some readers have expressed approval of the discussion of legal stategy presented by Truth and there certainly is plenty of discussion of these subjects which can serve to inform. But what a critical comparision of Hunting and Truth reveals is how an advocate's ordering of facts, use of conclusions in lieu of facts and reference to subjective views, judgments etc. as facts can present the distorted picture sought only by an advocate. Happily enough, in the context of appellate advocacy, such biased presentation of a factual or legal case is quickly dispelled by reply briefs of one's opponent before an appellate tribunal.

   As an example of the difficulty with the facts presented in support of the author's presentation is that involving David Hale. Mr. Hale's statement are presented at one point to debunk critics of the Staff investigation. Yet, as Hunting points out, Hale has a long history of lying about anything involving Clinton, to say nothing of stealing, all of which Truth ignores.

   Lastly, the book goes to on at length to justify Starr's expenditure of public funds to uncover Clinton's sexual behavior and lies about that. However, one striking thing to any civil litigator must be the number of times perjury is clear in an ordinary civil proceeding, and yet there is complete disinterest from prosecutorial authorities. I suggest that perjury is generally considered worthy of prosecution in the abstract by our society, but apparently not in the real world when compared against other crimes deemed more damaging to society. Yet when Starr as an independent prosecutor assigned to investigate only Clinton learns of possible future perjury in litigation he previously particpated in as an advocate for Clinton's opponent, that limitation on prosecutorial discretion goes out the window and requires the investment of millions of dollars and countless FBI agents. Clinton's behavior was unseemly. Despite Schmidt's and Weisskopf's efforts to portray Starr otherwise, his actions were also quite unseemly.

No comments about America's First Woman Lawyer: The Biography of Myra Bradwell.

5 comments about The Tyrannicide Brief: The Story of the Man Who Sent Charles I to the Scaffold.

1. I confess: I like the way Geoffrey Robertson thinks and the way he writes even if I don't always agree with his conclusions. This book is a great read.
   
   If you can suspend your knowledge of the history (and any associated bias) and look at the events through the perspective of the law, then this is a wonderful fresh look at the legal issues uncovered/exposed by these events.
   
   This book is not just about the events of 17th century England. The issues discussed reverberate today in the trials of modern war criminals and leaders.
   
   Highly recommended to all who have an interest in history, the law and contemporary international events.
   
   Jennifer Cameron-Smith
   
   Note: I first published this review in April 2006 for the hardcover version of the book.



2. Every once in a while I will pick up a book that is very far from my field, just because it looks interesting and because I want to try something that is well-written in unfamiliar territory. This book surely fits the bill. The prose is very good, and the story of how Charles went from the throne to the chopping block is told in a dramatic way. I totally recommend it.



3. Over the last few years I have become aware of the phrase "History Wars" which seems to be a serious attempt by the Politically Correct brigade to reinterpret, and in some cases completely rewrite, history.
   
   One of the most shameful rewritings of history I have ever seen (up there with the holocaust deniers)is Mr. Geoffrey Robertson's book "The Tyrannicide Brief" the basic argument of which is to say that the illegal trial and execution of King Charles I was the first time the people put on trial a tyrant and then set about establishing a utopian new society under Oliver Cromwell.
   
   When I first heard Mr. Robertson put forward his views in an interview on ABC Radio National I was shocked "could this educated man be serious, Cromwell was good man and did the right thing by the people and God?!" As any encyclopaedia will inform you, Cromwell could not get his way with Parliament to put the King on trial so he excluded the House of Lords from the vote and when he was no more successful with the House of Commons he arranged for Colonel Pride prevent around 150 members of the house from entering so that he then had the numbers to win the vote!
   
   Robertson's attempts to make John Cooke into a hero is as absurd as it is wicked. Not only was His Majesty the King denied the fundamental right of the presumption of innocence, he was told in the "trial" that he was to be convicted. The King was placed before a hand-picked biased tribunal. The law had never received Royal Assent.
   
   Add to this the fact that none of the existing high court judges agreed to preside over the court and you get the basic idea. I will not go in to too much detail as readers can seek out the finer details in any good book on the subject. Cromwell simply wanted the King dead at any cost.
   
   The other thing Cromwell is remembered for is his hatred of Roman Catholics and the killing of many thousands of innocent people in Ireland.
   
   So why does Mr. Robertson rewrite history? The answer might be one of the views he often puts forward in interviews and in his writings, that is that he believes the UK, Australia and other realms of the Queen should become republics. So instead of articulating a republic model he engages in twisting the truth to hoodwink the ignorant.
   
   His Majesty King Charles I was the last person to be made a Saint by the Anglican Church due to the fact that Cromwell offered him his life if he would abandon episcopacy but he refused, for this would have taken the Church of England away from being part of 'the one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church' and made Her into a sect.
   
   I would urge readers to look to properly researched books on this subject that can be bought through Amazon.



4. John Cooke of 17th Century England, now that is a name most unknown to massive majority of Americans today and few who do, probably known him as "John Cook" and he wasn't well regarded by previous authors like Antonia Fraser, Charles Charlton or C.V. Wedgwood. But Geoffrey Robertson does great justice to him and this book is a biographical work on John Cooke (with the "e") and his greatest legal work, conviction of King Charles I of high treason against the people of his kingdoms. Of course, that conviction later cost Cooke his life when royal restoration came.
   
   The author traces Cooke's life and interwoven it with the dramatic events of his lifetime, his services with Thomas Wentworth, the English Civil Wars, Cromwell's rule and finally at the end, restoration of Charles II. But the author took care stayed within the boundary of his subject. The author also made sure that Cooke wasn't just a "hack lawyer" as many of the previous historians made him out to be but someone who is ahead of his time in terms of legal reforms. Cooke appears to be a type of lawyer who took his profession very seriously. According to the author, he was the first to advocate the right to remain silence, to pro bono lawyers to help those who cannot afford one and to regard kingship in terms of office granted by the people instead of one anointed by God. Many of what Cooke initially advocated soon became part of our nation's Constitutional laws and legal system we enjoyed today.
   
   The book reads very well and it well written. Obviously the author have done his homework and it clears up many of the misconceptions and little disregards that previous historians have given toward John Cooke, including the proper spelling of his name. Core of the book is the trial of King Charles I and its an excellent narrative far above the only other book that I read on the subject, authored by C.V. Wedgwood. He was a die-hard Puritan but made his reputation as fair-minded and very knowledgeable. He wasn't very famous nor rich or well connected, ironically nobody really know what he even looked like after his death since no one thought Cooke was worthy enough to paint his likeness. This book provides a lot of useful and new information to anyone interested in British history.
   
   The book highly recommended for anyone interested along this subject area. However, I strongly recommended that you should have a good background on the time period before reading it since the subject of the book is rather specific in nature and having a good background knowledge of the reign of Charles I, the civil wars and all that really helped enhance your understanding of the book.



5. For a long time, I have been world weary of contemporary historians who time and again sell the truth of a period for a mess of pottage. The Tyrannicide Brief was written by lawyer and judge, Geoffrey Robertson, who has researched a brilliant history of the time of the Commonwealth in England, which has been horribly treated for the last 347 years.
   
   His main focus is on the lawyer, John Cooke, who accepted his Parliamentarian assignment to try King Charles I, who indeed started the English Civil War and conspired with foreign interests.
   
   Robertson gives a well researched history of the conflict that lead up to the king's trial (Robertson concurs that he was guilty) and the life of Cooke.
   
   He also treats the many histories that have mostly provoked against the Parliamentarians who stood up to the task. He also clears up some historical errors, like the fact that the Parliamentarian Army did not wholesale murder Irish citizens, but took Drogheda against English officers according to the rules of war; and that Irish subjects were treated with the best English judgement under the Commonwealth judge Cooke, who also did not imprison debtors, but instead ordered them to pay the debt by installments, a form of legal sentencing of the poor that would take centuries to recapture, following the malicious court of the conspiring villain king and son of Charles I, Charles II, who tried to subvert his country at the secret Treaty of Dover to Louis XIV of France.
   
   It is atrocious to see how conscientious men had and have suffered in history at the hands of antagonists. This is an important study concerning the Good Old Cause.
   
   While I like the thoughtfulness of Robertson's application of this study of jurisprudence against tyranny, I think it is difficult to apply the traditions and common law of a sovereign state in an international context (i.e. part of the problem of enforcing democracy in Muslim nations) as he does at the end of the book. Nevertheless, his legal thoughts on the state of modern tyranny need to be considered in an increasingly complex world of law and culture. From an American perspective, I think one should also consider the thoughts of John and John Quincy Adams on the difficulties of that subject.
   
   Robertson is rigorous in his historical analysis which is quite rare today. Perhaps historians should study law to write history.
   
   If you want to add an authoritative text to your library, choose this one.

5 comments about Ready for the People: My Most Chilling Cases as a Prosecutor.

1. ...of the L.A. justice system. I won't repeat the other reviews, but two or three things deserve note. First, Johnnie Cochran wrote the introduction...high praise indeed. Second, the appendix - "Twenty-five rules for giving effective testimony" - is interesting reading in itself. Overall, the book is not compelling reading, not forcing you to read it in one sitting, but it's interesting and varied. I consumed it in three sittings if memory serves. The pace is generally good, although I felt the Buddhism dragged a bit, but that was only a couple of instances. So - recommended - *especially* if you are a fan of mysteries set in Los Angeles! I await Marissa Batt's next work with more than a little interest.



2. What makes this book so compelling is that you get to hear the perspective of the actual prosecutor in the cases described. Through Marissa Batt's words, you get a virtual tour of the way the Los Angeles legal system works, or in some cases doesn't work. You are introduced to characters that actually inhabit Los Angeles, who actually went through the situations described - cases that are so intense and bizarre, they seem unbelievable. Through it all, you get a comprehensive version of the legal system mirroring human lives and decisions, as seen through the eyes of a person who does their job with integrity, intensity, and strength of character. READ THIS BOOK! It is a thorougly enjoyable read though shocking and extremely upsetting at times.



3. Marissa is erudite, quick, fun, funny, committed to social justice and truth, and and an acute observer of human behavior. Her friend Johnnie Cochran describes her (in the introduction!) as "a prosecutor's prosecutor. She is full of zeal for her profession and possesses an insider's knowledge of the criminal justice system." She's also devoted herself to Buddhism for over 30 years, as well as to the mastery of the culinary arts. All of these elements figure in her very unusual book.

   Besides telling three compelling and hair-raising tales, Marissa shares aloud the unspoken rules of the courtroom, and offers appreciative and insightful looks into the lives of law enforcement professionals, and denizens of South Central LA and the gay demimonde of Hollywood.

   As a skillful storyteller, she is compassionate without becoming maudlin, and righteous without losing her sense of humor.

   I am looking forward to her next book, which I understand is under way!




4. Marissa has the heart of a warrior. Her stories are classic story telling with spell binding revelations of what the truth is when it comes to crimes and the criminal mind. Her attention to detail, coupled with a sense of the world of the victim, allows the reader to be a prosecutor seeking justice for the people. The criminal procedural aspects of the criminal courts are cleanly explained with no chance of misunderstanding that lawyering is still an art when done with a heart. Marissa injects the calmness of her buddhist philosophy into the psyche of the reader to allow a deeper appreciation of the law and the victim equation.



5. As a criminal defense attorney, I usually avoid "true accounts" written by prosecutors as they tend to be one-sided, self-serving renditions of cases that could be won by a first year law student. The usual story involves a clear cut case where the District Attorney is representing the forces of right (the good people of the State) while the defense is usually some bad dude who deserves a long vacation in Prison. Of course the good guys prevail and the prosecutor is the hero. Good and Evil, Right and Wrong are clearly defined and everybody leaves happy. Not so with Ms. Batt's book. Besides her personal disappointment at the result of one of her cases, she manages to show that all is not black and white - urban life and particularly the criminal justice system present a myriad of situations where the lines become blurred. Her cases are interesting in that there are victims - individuals who by virtue of their own life choices are often viewed as not deserving of protection by the law and the system. Besides showing the underside of life, Batt also manages to forcefully demonstrate the maxim that "no man is above the law and no man is below it."
   A great read, colorful, fast paced and real...I loved it.

1 comments about The Great Chief Justice: John Marshall and the Rule of Law (American Political Thought).

1. John Marshall [1755-1835] was Chief Justice of the United States for the last 34 years of his life. During his long tenure, he turned the Supreme Court from an afterthought into a primary tool for the centralization of federal power; he defined America, though we can still debate whether he got the definition right. This book details how Marshall went about his task.....
   
   This is NOT a biography of John Marshall [see my other reviews]; it is a series of case studies which trace the expanding power of the Federal Judiciary...Marbury v. Madison established the principle of Judicial review of legislative decisions...Virginia v. Cohens asserted federal authority in state affairs...the National Bank...land titles...Indian treaties......there is still disagreement over some of Marshall's decisions, and there was hell to pay over some of them at the time. "John Marshall has made his decision; now let's see him enforce it"...the various ramifications of that statement {which Andrew Jackson MAY not have ever made} are mind boggling....
   
   Charles Hobson is editor of The John Marshall Papers, one of the 2 or 3 greatest living Marshall scholars, and a nice guy [as was Marshall]; he has written a five star book. Do I actually recommend it? Maybe. If you are an attorney or historian with an interest in the topic, it is an absolutely essential volume. Well written, well organized; for me, it was a page turner. For the casual reader, don't waste your money, or insult Mr. Hobson. You will need a good background in either Law [not me], or history [me] to understand it.

5 comments about Spoiling for a Fight: The Rise of Eliot Spitzer.

1. Like the Bright Girl Ms. Masters no doubt was, and is, she reports every phone call, every e-mail, everything said at every meeting according to every participant. It's thorough but oddly, disappointingly, lifeless. There will be a bounce in the sales of this book what with the recent fall of the Governor amid scandal and disgrace. Alas, those who seek an insight as to how it all could have happened will have to look elsewhere.



2. The book fails to reveal the bold hypocrisy and megalomania of Eliot Spitzer. As a spoiled rich kid, Spitzer never let the silver spoon fall from his mouth. As a rich juwe, he was given privileges nonjuwes don't enjoy, such as admission to Ivy League colleges. Juwes hypocritically bemoan the bias against them in Ivy League colleges in yesteryear that they now practice with a shameless hypocrisy. Spitzer's tough guy image from the Bronx is preposterous in light of the fact he grew up in a gated community of wealth. Indeed, Spitzer, with crazed jealousy bordering on madness, attacked the person of Joe Bruno who, unlike Spitzer, pulled himself up from his own bootstraps, and was a self made man that transcended poverty and danger. Spitzer bemoaned the exploitation of women in the prostitution business, but indulged himself shamelessly in exploiting women. I would like to know what darker secrets Spitzer is hiding from the public? He obviously wants to snuff out the public's attention by his resignation. Indeed, it appears the media coverage of his infidelities to his wife and to his oath of office operates as further misdirection from darker secrets. Spitzer clearly fears prying eyes from discovering something perhaps more sinister in his character. This book needs to be up to date and avoid the hero worship of this self serving low life. His homely countenance seems to reflect an even uglier soul.



3. This is a rip roaring account of Elliot Spitzer and his big cases. A very important work and one that sheds light on corporate skullduggery such as Merril's Henry Blodget and others. Spitzer was a hero of the stock market bubble and a household name in New York, sort of the Guliani of the first five years of the Millenium.
   
   Seth J. Frantzman



4. For a book that supposedly focuses on him, Eliot Spitzer for the most part remains a rather obscure character who operates in the background orchestrating a crackdown on various financial institutions engaged in all manner of highly unethical, if not criminal, behavior in the state of New York. It should be a disturbing book. The dishonesty and disrespect for the public evidenced in this book by major financial institutions is appalling.
   
   The reader is supplied with Spitzer basics: wealthy upbringing, the best schools, good grades, etc. Given his background, he should have joined the club - the club that winks at financial shenanigans. But as a true believer in correct behavior, prosecutor, and later attorney general of New York, Spitzer became aware of cheating, collusion, and other assorted misdeeds among financial institutions and set out to do something about it.
   
   The book is more or less a step-by-step account of several cases involving numerous companies, lawyers, analysts, brokers, CEOs, etc. The illegalities are often subtle and much debated, though the intent is always clear: make lots of money at the expense of the other guy. Conflicts are a big part of the author's story, not only with those that the AG's office was hounding, but with the SEC and other regulators. Not trusting the inaction of the SEC through the years, Spitzer's office constantly intruded on the SEC's turf and moved quickly to address the issues. The myriad players and details, some of which are presented better than others, get to be quite a chore to keep straight.
   
   The author seems to assume that the reader will get to know Spitzer through his, or his proxy's, legal actions. But it is difficult to separate out Spitzer from the endless day-to-day detail of the cases. The reader gets snippets of Spitzer: a press conference, a document release, a decision made, etc. Beyond limitations on revealing Spitzer, one may have expected more general commentary and perspective on the questionable corporate actions. How widespread is cheating and collusion? And how much of that is technically legal? And why has there been so little action in regulating this? After all agencies are in place. Is American business really this degenerate?
   
   The details tend to overwhelm the story, both the story of Eliot Spitzer and the greater story of corporate skullduggery. That is why the impact of the book is less than it could be. I'm certain that the only nomination for a Pulitzer prize will come from one of the earlier reviewers, who happens to hail from New York. New York insiders will probably enjoy the book simply to see who got caught, not to mention perhaps some minimal understanding of New York's next governor. It will be interesting to see if Spitzer has any lasting impact on corporate shenanigans and what the next chapter in his life will be.



5. This book will intrigue anyone interested in the political process and law.
   
   Masters offers a balanced view of Spitzer's war against wall street. The gist of the book is Spitzer's background and education (rich, ivy league, privilleged) and his ambitious rise to NY Attorney General where he has whipped into shape Wall Street. In doing so, Spitzer has caught the ire of many people who beleive that he is trespassing on sacred SEC and federal government grounds.
   
   Others feel Spitzer is doing the job the SEC SHOULD have been doing. Whether you like him or not, the book offers an interesting perspective into a rising politician and the reaons why he will probably never have a legitimate shot at the White House (hint, its for the same reasons he's been thus far succesful).