# What is a good book about the Supreme Court? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 6, 2014, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-book-about-the-supreme-court/687767 "2014-05-06T01:23:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-book-about-the-supreme-court/687767/1 "2014-05-06T01:23:09Z")
That a non-lawyer could read. I like history and I’d like to learn about the history of the Court. I tried one book, don’t recall the title because I’m pretty sure that reading that book put me in a coma. Anyway, any suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-book-about-the-supreme-court/687767/2 "2014-05-06T01:30:18Z")
_The Brethren_ by Bob Woodward is probably the best insider’s view yet written, although it focuses almost exclusively on the Burger court of the 1970s. Woodward is not a court insider, but he interviewed dozens of clerks, interns, lawyers and justices to develop the book. His primary source turned out to be Justice Potter Stewart, revealed only after Stewart’s death. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-book-about-the-supreme-court/687767/3 "2014-05-06T01:31:51Z")
I have not read [The Nine](http://www.amazon.com/The-Nine-Inside-Secret-Supreme/dp/1400096790) or [The Brethren](http://www.amazon.com/The-Brethren-Inside-Supreme-Court/dp/0743274024/ref=pd_sim_b_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=108RD1QSR9BVXHG84AKQ), but I’ve heard good things. I’m not sure if they are solely current events or if they go into history. Hopefully, someone who has read one can speak to that. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-book-about-the-supreme-court/687767/4 "2014-05-06T01:35:44Z")
I may need to take in parts as 230 odd years may be too much for one book. ---
**Author:** ![Toxgoddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Toxgoddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxgoddess)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-book-about-the-supreme-court/687767/5 "2014-05-06T01:48:10Z")
The Nine and its successor The Oath by Jeffrey Toobin are both excellent. They focus on current events but give extensive histotorical context. I highly reccommend them. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-book-about-the-supreme-court/687767/6 "2014-05-06T01:55:40Z")
For a narrower look at a particular, very important case, try [Gideon’s Trumpet](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gideon%27s_Trumpet). It’s one of the books that inspired me to go to law school. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-book-about-the-supreme-court/687767/7 "2014-05-06T02:15:05Z")
Peter Irons is a legal historian who’s written several books on the Supreme Court. _A People’s History of the Supreme Court: The Men and Women Whose Cases and Decisions Have Shaped Our Constitution_ is a good one to start with. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-book-about-the-supreme-court/687767/8 "2014-05-06T05:27:10Z")
Do you ever listen to recorded courses (while you’re driving or whatever)? There’s a course from the company called The Great Courses that fits your requirements. The course is called _The History of the Supreme Court_, it consists of lectures by a professor named Peter Irons, and it’s eighteen hours long. A third of the lectures are about the period from 1790 to 1921, a third of them are about the time from 1921 to 1953, and the last third are about what’s gone on since 1953. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-book-about-the-supreme-court/687767/9 "2014-05-06T05:29:00Z")
Somehow I missed Little Nemo’s post. That’s the same person. He wrote a book and did a recorded course on this subject. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-book-about-the-supreme-court/687767/10 "2014-05-06T12:48:00Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > Somehow I missed Little Nemo’s post. That’s the same person. He wrote a book and did a recorded course on this subject. I wonder if that is on iTunes? I could listen on the subway. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-book-about-the-supreme-court/687767/11 "2014-05-06T13:25:57Z")
It’s offered on “audio download.” I don’t know what that means. You’ll have to check into this yourself: [http://www.thegreatcourses.com/tgc/courses/course\_detail.aspx?cid=8570](http://www.thegreatcourses.com/tgc/courses/course_detail.aspx?cid=8570) ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-book-about-the-supreme-court/687767/12 "2014-05-06T16:26:02Z")
It’s so old it’s available for a penny on Amazon, but I recommend [Brandeis and Frankfurter: A Dual Biography by Leonard Baker](http://www.amazon.com/Brandeis-Frankfurter-Biography-Leonard-Baker/dp/0060152451/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1399393107&sr=1-4&keywords=frankfurter). The Supreme Court of the 19th century was a conservative, moss-backed, hidebound conclave of privilege and bigotry and ruled that way. The story of the Court in the 20th century is how - slowly and painfully - virtually every important decision of the Court was reversed. Baker, a Pulitzer Prize winner, does an exceptional job of detailing this history, as well as the personalities of the men involved. One of the few books I’d give that “changes the way you see the world” accolade to. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-book-about-the-supreme-court/687767/13 "2014-05-06T16:30:35Z")
[Simple Justice](http://www.amazon.com/Simple-Justice-Education-Americas-Struggle/dp/1400030617) is a fascinating account of the _Brown v. Board of Education_ struggle, starting years before it got to the Supreme Court, but including the court decision as well. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-book-about-the-supreme-court/687767/14 "2014-05-07T03:17:09Z")
Thank you for this thread, **Zebra** ; it’s a terrific topic. Thanks to everyone else, too, especially **Little Nemo** and **Wendell Wagner** ; Mr. Irons’ books sound excellent. I can confirm that there are a number of courses available thru iTunes U about the history of the SCOTUS, but I have not yet watched any of them. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-book-about-the-supreme-court/687767/15 "2014-05-07T11:05:21Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Woodward is not a court insider, but he interviewed dozens of clerks, interns, lawyers and justices to develop the book. His primary source turned out to be Justice Potter Stewart, revealed only after Stewart’s death. So Stewart was Deep Robe, huh? ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-book-about-the-supreme-court/687767/16 "2014-05-07T14:09:08Z")
> [@Toxgoddess](#): > > The Nine and its successor The Oath by Jeffrey Toobin are both excellent. They focus on current events but give extensive histotorical context. I highly reccommend them. Toobin isn’t my favorite talking head to say the least. Are his books fair and balanced? ---
**Author:** ![lawbuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@lawbuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawbuff)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-book-about-the-supreme-court/687767/17 "2014-05-07T17:52:16Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > That a non-lawyer could read. > > I like history and I’d like to learn about the history of the Court. I tried one book, don’t recall the title because I’m pretty sure that reading that book put me in a coma. > > Anyway, any suggestions? Try this online, and then the SC Historical Society has a gift shop IN the SC building, I have been there several times. [http://www.supremecourthistory.org/history-of-the-court/history-of-the-court-2/](http://www.supremecourthistory.org/history-of-the-court/history-of-the-court-2/) The Documentary History books are expensive but very informative. > **[Search](https://supremecourtgifts.org/search.aspx?find=history)** > > Supreme Court Gifts ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-book-about-the-supreme-court/687767/18 "2014-05-07T18:14:11Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > I wonder if that is on iTunes? I could listen on the subway. > [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > It’s offered on “audio download.” I don’t know what that means. You’ll have to check into this yourself: > > [The Great Courses](http://www.thegreatcourses.com/tgc/courses/course_detail.aspx?cid=8570) I don’t know whether “the great courses” are available from iTunes or anywhere else, but they are from [Audible.com](http://www.audible.com/pd/History/The-History-of-the-Supreme-Court-Audiobook/B00DCCB8SQ/ref=a_search_c4_1_7_srTtl?qid=1399486255&sr=1-7). ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-book-about-the-supreme-court/687767/19 "2014-05-07T19:12:34Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Peter Irons is a legal historian who’s written several books on the Supreme Court. _A People’s History of the Supreme Court: The Men and Women Whose Cases and Decisions Have Shaped Our Constitution_ is a good one to start with. I agree. I also recommend the “companion book” to the TV miniseries (for lack of a better word for it) _The Constitution: That Delicate Balance_, which, despite the book’s title, deals with major Supreme Court cases.