John Marshall: Definer of a Nation - Softcover

Smith, Jean Edward

Softcover

ISBN 10: 080505510X ISBN 13: 9780805055108

Publisher: Holt Paperbacks, 1998

Synopsis

A New York Times Notable Book of 1996

It was in tolling the death of Chief Justice John Marshall in 1835 that the Liberty Bell cracked, never to ring again. An apt symbol of the man who shaped both court and country, whose life "reads like an early history of the United States," as the Wall Street Journal noted, adding: Jean Edward Smith "does an excellent job of recounting the details of Marshall's life without missing the dramatic sweep of the history it encompassed."

Working from primary sources, Jean Edward Smith has drawn an elegant portrait of a remarkable man. Lawyer, jurist, scholars; soldier, comrade, friend; and, most especially, lover of fine Madeira, good food, and animated table talk: the Marshall who emerges from these pages is noteworthy for his very human qualities as for his piercing intellect, and, perhaps most extraordinary, for his talents as a leader of men and a molder of consensus. A man of many parts, a true son of the Enlightenment, John Marshall did much for his country, and John Marshall: Definer of a Nation demonstrates this on every page.

About this title

Review:

It's taken for granted today that the Supreme Court has final say on how the Constitution is interpreted, but this principle--hotly debated in the republic's early years -- was established by John Marshall (1755-1835), the fourth Chief Justice. Historian Smith's definitive biography, detailed and lucid, is a model of scholarly writing for the general public. The author claims our admiration for the justice and sparks affection for the man: warm, gregarious, fond of drink, a Federalist with the common touch, a seasoned political infighter who remained on good terms with his opponents.

About the Author:

Jean Edward Smith is professor of political science at the University of Toronto. Among his books are Lucius D. Clay: An American Life, and George Bush's War. He divides his time between Toronto, Mississippi, and New York.

About this edition

• Publisher: Holt Paperbacks
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 080505510X
• ISBN 13: 9780805055108
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 800