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isabela24's review against another edition
3.0
Very well written but also kind of boring bc I wasn't very interested in the subject. But the writing was engaging so it rescued this from being 2 stars
arielml's review against another edition
4.0
A really thoughtful, comprehensive history of the Supreme Court during and just after FDR's presidency. It was interesting, very readable, and well-researched.
cherircohen's review against another edition
5.0
Noah Feldman tells the story of four of FDR's 8 Supreme Court nominees (Frankfurter, Black, Jackson, and Douglas) - all nominated in an effort to push through FDR's ambitious legislation. Each came to be associated with a different school of constitutional interpretation and how they all changed the country and left an indelible mark on it through their opinions (whether majority, concurrence, or dissent). Brilliant.
attyintx's review against another edition
4.0
Good read for anyone interested in the Supreme Court; including the origins of judicial restraint and originalism. Did not learn this stuff in Con Law (or it went over my head, lol).
goodvibes22's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
gautamgopalk's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
4.0
A fantastically well written book by Noah Feldman, Scorpions: The Battles and Triumphs of FDR's Great Supreme Court Justices was published in 2010 and goes into detail about the lives of four supreme court justices - Felix Frankfurter, Hugo Black, Robert Jackson and William Douglas who were all appointed by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Each of these four great men came from impoverished backgrounds and developed unique perspectives on the American constitution that form four pillars of thought that is prevalent even today. They were self made men who touched great heights in their professional careers. It is incredibly inspiring to read their story through this book because of the beautifully gripping manner in which it is presented.
This book can be read by anyone and doesn't require any background knowledge of the law as the writing is simple, mesmerising and thrilling. A handful of key legal cases which formed landmark supreme court decisions of that era are discussed in layman's terms. The story feels like an amazing work of fiction because of the larger than life characters, their friendships, betrayals and character arcs fuelled by jaw-dropping ambitions, and yet it is merely a historical tale grounded in facts. It is possible that some biases of the author may have invariably crept in but it is hardly discernible and the author has taken painstaking efforts to provide a plethora of references to make up for it.
This book can be read by anyone and doesn't require any background knowledge of the law as the writing is simple, mesmerising and thrilling. A handful of key legal cases which formed landmark supreme court decisions of that era are discussed in layman's terms. The story feels like an amazing work of fiction because of the larger than life characters, their friendships, betrayals and character arcs fuelled by jaw-dropping ambitions, and yet it is merely a historical tale grounded in facts. It is possible that some biases of the author may have invariably crept in but it is hardly discernible and the author has taken painstaking efforts to provide a plethora of references to make up for it.
msjoanna's review against another edition
4.0
Part biography of Hugo Black, Felix Frankfurter, William Douglas, and Robert Jackson, part review of their theories of constitutional law, I don't know how much appeal this book would have to a non-lawyer, but I found it fascinating. The stories of how these four justices came to know Franklin D. Roosevelt such that they were appointed to the court was great and the details of the infighting between the justices made the book lovely to listen to.
The narrator for the unabridged audiobook version did a nice job with what could have been a fairly dry text. There's not much dialogue, so no opportunity for a narrator to showcase voices for different characters, but Cotter Smith kept the narration moving and handled the text well.
The narrator for the unabridged audiobook version did a nice job with what could have been a fairly dry text. There's not much dialogue, so no opportunity for a narrator to showcase voices for different characters, but Cotter Smith kept the narration moving and handled the text well.