Justice Stevens captures the inner workings of the Supreme Court via his personal experiences with the five Chief Justices--Fred Vinson, Earl Warren, Warren Burger, William Rehnquist, and John Roberts--that he interacted with. Packed with interesting anecdotes and stories about the Court, "Five Chiefs" is an unprecedented and historically significant look at the highest court in the United States. 208 pp.

About the Author

John Paul Stevens served as a Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit from 1970-1975. President Ford nominated him as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court and he took his seat December 19, 1975. Justice Stevens retired from the Supreme Court on June 29, 2010.

Prizes

A memoir about the inner workings of the Supreme Court during the tenure of Justice John Paul Stevens

Reviews

"A funny little memoir, as quirky and interesting as its author...The biggest value of "Five Chiefs" is its anecdotal color in filling in our understanding of the Court and its members."-- Washington Monthly "Michael O'Donnell "

Combining his experiences as a law clerk and prominent litigator with decades of service on the bench, retired Supreme Court Justice Stevens provides in-depth examinations of the five most recent chief justices and offers histories of the careers and legacies of the previous 12 men and women to hold that office. In this audio edition, Gregory Itzin captures Stevens's dignified, unassuming manner while matching the book's tonal shifts; earlier passages are rather academic and professorial while sections in which Stevens recounts the polarization of the court-particularly in regard to hot-button cases such as the disputed 2000 presidential election, gun control, and campaign-finance reform-are considerably more passionate and candid. Itzin's rendering of the author's memories of Thurgood Marshall and his civil rights legacy are particularly poignant. And while some listeners may be confused by the book's legal and technical language, those with a grounding in legal history will find this a compelling listen. A Little, Brown hardcover. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.