THE SUPREME COURT The Personalities and Rivalries That Defined America

According to Rosen, "judicial temperament," not political philosophy, determines a justice's success or failure. Though not an exhaustive study, Rosen's work looks at the principal pairings on the Court, beginning with the epic battle between John Marshall and Thomas Jefferson and concluding with an analysis of the Rehnquist and Roberts Courts. Team players, like John Marshall Harlan and Hugo Black, win while William O. Douglas-style loners lose. Alan Sklar's voice is even and thoughtful. His pacing is deliberative, with good tonal range: Bill Rehnquist, thankfully, does not sound like the fiery Antonin Scalia. We never forget, however, that this is an academic examination, albeit a lively one, the purpose of which is to put into historical perspective the battles going on today. P.E.F. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 08]