ANNOTATION
A seasoned reporter lifts the veil on the politics and personalities of
today's Supreme Court with penetrating portraits of the Justices and a close
look at the Court in transition. The first book since The Brethren to
chronicle the Court's inner workings, this account is filled with anecdotes
as current as the Thomas confirmation hearings.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Based on the author's extensive coverage of the Supreme Court (including
personal interviews), it lifts the veil of secrecy surrounding the Court by
showing who the justices are and how they make their decisions. Explores the
gradual shift of the Court to conservative ideology. Highlights the
antagonisms between liberals and the new conservative majority showing how
Scalia, Kennedy, Souter and now Thomas have fundamentally altered the
Court's philosophy. Major reversals and decisions are covered ranging from
abortion and civil rights to the right to die and criminal rights. The
future direction of the Court is also discussed.
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
Savage delivers a chilling, precise account of the Supreme Court's rollback
of constitutional rights. A Los Angeles Times reporter who has covered the
Court since 1986, the author presents a detailed, anecdotal chronicle of
cases, personalities and behind-the-scenes wrangling; charts the Court's
rightward drift under Chief Justice William Rehnquist; documents the
rearguard actions of staunch liberal justices Thurgood Marshall and William
Brennan; and dispassionately reviews the Court's ruling on the death
penalty, abortion, drug testing and other issues. He also recreates the
battles over the nominations of Robert Bork, Anthony Kennedy, David Souter
and Clarence Thomas. Generally restrained in his criticism, Savage faults
the Rehnquist Court's ``uncanny ability for misinterpreting federal
legislaton.'' Readers interested in predicting how a specific justice is
likely to vote on a particular issue will find this casebook useful. Photos.