Synopses & Reviews
From the prizewinning author of
The Nine, a gripping insider's account of the momentous ideological war between the John Roberts Supreme Court and the Obama administration.
From the moment John Roberts, the chief justice of the United States, blundered through the Oath of Office at Barack Obama's inauguration, the relationship between the Supreme Court and the White House has been confrontational. Both men are young, brilliant, charismatic, charming, determined to change the course of the nation — and completely at odds on almost every major constitutional issue. One is radical; one essentially conservative. The surprise is that Obama is the conservative — a believer in incremental change, compromise, and pragmatism over ideology. Roberts — and his allies on the Court — seek to overturn decades of precedent: in short, to undo the ultimate victory FDR achieved in the New Deal.
This ideological war will crescendo during the 2011-2012 term, in which several landmark cases are on the Court's docket—most crucially, a challenge to Obama's controversial health-care legislation. With four new justices joining the Court in just five years, including Obama's appointees Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, this is a dramatically — and historically — different Supreme Court, playing for the highest of stakes.
No one is better positioned to chronicle this dramatic tale than Jeffrey Toobin, whose prize-winning bestseller The Nine laid bare the inner workings and conflicts of the Court in meticulous and entertaining detail. As the nation prepares to vote for President in 2012, the future of the Supreme Court will also be on the ballot.
Review
“More than three decades after Bob Woodward wrote The Brethren, Toobin is Woodward’s successor as the chronicler of behind-the-scenes details from the Supreme Court, and the book is a page-turner.” The Washington Post
Review
"From the awkward swearing-in of President Obama by Chief Justice Roberts to Obama’s caustic reaction to the Citizens United ruling to Roberts’ support of Obama’s health-care law, the tumultuous relationship between the administration and the Supreme Court has been increasingly evident….Legal analyst Toobin offers a vivid inside look at the personalities and politics behind the fractious relationship….Among the highlights: Ginsburg’s scathing dissent on a ruling against a claim of pay disparity, in which she urged congressional action; Souter’s caustic dissent in Citizens United that questioned Roberts’ integrity; and Scalia’s bitter disappointment in Roberts’ decision on the health-care law. A revealing look at the ideological battle between the White House and the Supreme Court." Booklist, starred review
Review
"A skillful probing of the often-discordant relationship between the president and the Supreme Court....Shrewd and elucidating." Kirkus Reviews
Review
“In The Oath, Toobin — a legal correspondent for the New Yorker and CNN — gives a full account of the current struggle over constitutional interpretation. It’s an artfully constructed chronicle, and Toobin vigorously argues its conclusions. He skillfully interweaves three topics: the leading cases that illustrate the ambition of the Roberts Court; the four appointments since 2006 (Roberts, Samuel Alito, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan) that have turned the court into an institution blatantly divided between five committed Republicans and four committed Democrats; and illuminating sketches of all the justices, including the three recent retirees (Sandra Day O’Connor, David Souter, and John Paul Stevens). For civilian readers, Toobin blends the equivalent of Con Law 101 with terrific political reportage.” Bookforum
Review
ldquo;Not until scholars a generation hence gain access to the justices’ papers are we likely to have a more useful, or more readable, picture of this oddly assorted group of judges at this moment in history.” The New York Times Book Review
Review
“Deeply versed in Supreme Court lore and legal subtlety, [Toobin] draws upon first-hand interviews with the justices and their clerks in crafting an anxious tale of the Roberts court, casting its major rulings as looming symbols of judicial philosophy....A polished and thoughtful dissection.” USA Today
Review
“A compelling narrative of the early years of the Roberts court....The many pleasures of The Oath come...from human details about the justices and their interactions with the White House.” The Washington Post
Review
“Anyone fascinated by the inner workings of the highest court in the land will be delighted.” The Huffington Post
Review
“A worthy successor to The Nine, The Oath is a work of probity, intelligence and exceptional reporting.” Richmond Times-Dispatch
Synopsis
A
Washington Post Notable Work of Nonfiction.
From the moment Chief Justice Roberts botched Barack Obama's oath of office, the relationship between the Court and the White House has been a fraught one. Grappling with issues as diverse as campaign finance, abortion, and the right to bear arms, the Roberts court has put itself squarely at the center of American political life. Jeffrey Toobin brilliantly portrays key personalities and cases and shows how the President was fatally slow to realize the importance of the judicial branch to his agenda. Combining incisive legal analysis with riveting insider details, The Oath is an essential guide to understanding the Supreme Court of our interesting times.
About the Author
Jeffrey Toobin is the bestselling author of The Nine, Too Close to Call, A Vast Conspiracy, and The Run of His Life. He is a staff writer at The New Yorker and the senior legal analyst at CNN. He lives with his family in New York.