Synopses & Reviews
'Beginning in 1935, in a series of devastating decisions, the Supreme Court\"s conservative majority left much of FDR\"s agenda in ruins. The pillars of the New Deal fell in short succession. It was not just the New Deal, but democracy itself, that stood on trial. In February 1937, Roosevelt struck back with an audacious plan to expand the Court to fifteen justices\'\"and to \'pack\' the new seats with liberals who shared his belief in a \'living\' Constitution.
The ensuing fight was a firestorm that engulfed the White House, the Court, Congress, and the nation. The final verdict was a shock. It dealt FDR the biggest setback of his political life, split the Democratic party, and set the stage for a future era of Republican dominance. Yet the battle also transformed America\"s political and constitutional landscape, hastening the nation\"s march into the modern world.
This brilliant work of history unfolds like a thriller, with vivid characters and unexpected twists. Providing new evidence and fresh insight, Jeff Shesol shows why understanding the Court fight is essential to understanding the presidency, personality, and legacy of FDR\'\"and to understanding America at a crossroads in its history.'
Review
" is by far the most detailed--and most riveting--account of this extraordinary event.... an impressive and engaging book--an excellent work of narrative history. It is deeply researched and beautifully written." The New York Times Book Review
Review
" is an extraordinary book that rings with relevance for our time. One of the most eloquent historians of his generation, Jeff Shesol has a deep understanding of the presidency, and the interplay of politics, personalities, and principles, all of which he brings to life in this rich, remarkable book. Full of surprises and new insights--each rendered in clear and confident prose - this book is about more than FDR's plan to pack the Court. It's about America's enduring struggle to reconcile our founders' ideals with conflicting challenges in our constant pursuit to build a more perfect union." President Bill Clinton
Review
"Once in a generation a groundbreaking book comes along to provide a major reinterpretation of a familiar historical event. Shesol tells the story of FDR's court packing plan as it has never been told before. This is a stunning work of history." Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of No Ordinary Time and Team of Rivals
Review
"Written with a novelist's eye, a historian's care, and a blogger's energy, Jeff Shesol's is a fascinating reconstruction of one of the great political and legal battles of the twentieth century. The story of FDR's court-packing plan is a citizen's education in the twenty-first." Jeffrey Toobin, author of The Nine
Review
"Starred Review. With insight and more than occasional humor, Shesol covers all aspects of the controversy, deftly explaining the issues at stake in a variety of legal opinions and shrewdly analyzing the intra-Court dynamics." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"[T]imely, for the light it casts on the politics of our current economic situation and on the situation itself. The book is also splendid to read. It will fascinate anyone who is interested in Roosevelt, the New Deal, the 1930s, Congress, the presidency, the Great Depression, judges, the Supreme Court, or constitutional law." The New Republic
Synopsis
During Franklin Roosevelt"s first term, a narrow conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court struck down several key elements of the New Deal legislation. In February 1937, Roosevelt retaliated with an audacious plan to expand the Court'"to subdue the conservative justices by outnumbering them with liberals. The ensuing fight was a firestorm that engulfed the White House, the Court, Congress, and the country. Although the Court would remain at nine justices, the confrontation transformed the political and constitutional landscape, saving the New Deal and bringing the nation into the modern world. But it also dealt FDR the biggest setback of his political life and split the Democratic party, thus laying the foundation for a future era of Republican dominance.
This brilliant work of political and judicial history unfolds like a thriller, with wonderful characters and unexpected twists. It uses new evidence to make clear that understanding the fight is essential to understanding the personality and presidency of FDR'"and America at a crossroads in its history.
Synopsis
Full of surprises and new insights . . . this book is about more than [Franklin Roosevelt's] plan to pack the [Supreme] Court. It's about America's enduring struggle to reconcile our founders' ideals with conflicting challenges . . . to build a more perfect union.--President Bill Clinton.
Synopsis
Beginning in 1935, in a series of devastating decisions, the Supreme Court's conservative majority left much of FDR's agenda in ruins. The pillars of the New Deal fell in short succession. It was not just the New Deal, but democracy itself, that stood on trial. In February 1937, Roosevelt struck back with an audacious plan to expand the Court to fifteen justices--and to "pack" the new seats with liberals who shared his belief in a "living" Constitution.
The ensuing fight was a firestorm that engulfed the White House, the Court, Congress, and the nation. The final verdict was a shock. It dealt FDR the biggest setback of his political life, split the Democratic party, and set the stage for a future era of Republican dominance. Yet the battle also transformed America's political and constitutional landscape, hastening the nation's march into the modern world.
This brilliant work of history unfolds like a thriller, with vivid characters and unexpected twists. Providing new evidence and fresh insight, Jeff Shesol shows why understanding the Court fight is essential to understanding the presidency, personality, and legacy of FDR--and to understanding America at a crossroads in its history.
Synopsis
In the years before World War II, Franklin Roosevelt's fiercest, most unyielding opponent was neither a foreign power nor "fear itself." It was the U.S. Supreme Court.
About the Author
Jeff Shesol is the author of Supreme Power: