The Supreme Court - William H. Rehnquist

The sixteenth Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist's classic book offers a lively
and accessible history of the Supreme Court.

Chief Justice Rehnquist's engaging writing illuminates both
the high and low points in the Court's history, from Chief Justice Marshall's dominance
of the Court during the early nineteenth century through the landmark decisions of
the Warren Court. Citing cases such as the Dred Scott decision and Roosevelt's Court-packing
plan, Rehnquist makes clear that the Court does not operate in a vacuum, that the
justices are unavoidably influenced by their surroundings, and that their decisions
have real and lasting impacts on our society. The public often hears little about
the Supreme Court until decisions are handed down. Here, Rehnquist reveals its inner
workings--the process by which cases are chosen, the nature of the conferences where
decisions are made, and the type of debates that take place. With grace and wit,
this incisive history gives a dynamic and informative account of the most powerful
court in the nation and how it has shaped the direction America has taken.