The Supreme Court and the Constitution: Readings in American Constitutional History

This informative book examines the most influential Supreme Court cases in U.S. History (up to the 1980's). The book presents the actual Court opinions (and dissents) penned by great justices like John Marshall, John Harlan, Charles Evans Hughes, Hugo Black, Earl Warren, etc. You'll see important decisions, both good and bad, including Charles River Bridge, Dred Scott, Plessy vs. Ferguson, Lochner Vs. New York, Gideon Vs. Wainright, Roe Vs. Wade, Griswold vs. Connecticut, etc. Many cases were highly controversial and engendered bitter disagreements among the justices (and ordinary citizens). In these written decisions you'll see a mix of common sense, tortured reasoning, plus true legal eloquence, particularly in ringing dissents by John Harlan, Louis Brandeis, Oliver Wendell Holmes, etc. Readers should remember that like most of us justices have political views, and they sometimes bend logic or the Constitution to fit their prejudices. Yes ladies and gentlemen, law is politics. We used this text in pre-law Constitutional History class with an excellent professor. It can be a bit stiff at the outset, but with time it flows and proves remarkably informative.

After reading the previous review I felt that prospective readers should know more of what this book contains. It is a volume that presents the actual majority and minority opinions of those Supreme Court decisions most significant in the field of constitutional law. Other books might, for instance, give you an analysis of the Dredd Scott decision, but this book presents the actual wording of Chief Justice Taney's opinion. About 100 cases are included, with the opinions edited to make them more manageable. It's an invaluable reference for those interested in some of the country's most important legal decisions. Its only deficiency is that it doesn't cover any cases after 1984.If this book interests you, then you might also consider "The Constitution and Religion", edited by Robert S. Alley. It also consists of the actual opinions in cases involving the first amendment and religion. For analysis of cases and biographies of Supreme Court justices consider buying "The Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court."

I had to read excerpts from this book for a CTY course I took this summer. At the beginning it was really hard to read and I was getting fustrated with it, but after a little bit I got the hanf of it and I really enjoyed it. By the end of the course my whole class was having "Fun with Kutler"