Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Sep 2007
384 pages
Genre: History, Current Affairs and Religion
Publication Information
Based on exclusive interviews with the Supreme Court Justices themselves and other insiders, The Nine is a timely and provocative “state of the union” about America’s most elite legal institution. From Anthony Kennedy’s self-importance, to Antonin Scalia’s combativeness, to David Souter’s eccentricity, and even Sandra Day O’Connor’s fateful breach with President George W. Bush, this book offers a rare, personal look at how the individual style of each justice affects the way in which they wield their considerable power.
"His savvy account puts the supposedly cloistered Court right in the thick of American life." - PW.
"The Nine is engaging, erudite, candid and accessible, often hard to put down. Toobin is a natural storyteller, and the stories he tells—how a coalition of centrist justices saved Roe v. Wade; why Rehnquist, despite having loathed the rights granted to criminal suspects by Miranda v. Arizona, eventually declined to overturn the decision; how right-wing firebrands deep-sixed the Supreme Court candidacies of Alberto Gonzales and Harriet Miers—are gripping." - David Margolick, The New York Times Book Review.
"…the Supremes command more attention than ever, and Mr. Toobin's new book The Nine not only provides a vivid narrative history of the court's recent history but also gives the reader an intimate look at individual justices, showing how personality, judicial philosophy and personal alliances can inform decisions that have huge consequences for the entire country." - Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times.
"A smart brief about the high court that suffers from sometimes dubious and occasionally inadmissible historical evidence." - Kirkus Reviews.
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Jeffrey Toobin (b. May 21, 1960 in New York City) is a senior analyst for CNN Worldwide. Based in the network's New York bureau, Toobin joined CNN in April 2002. He is also a staff writer at The New Yorker and has been covering legal affairs for the magazine since 1993.
Toobin joined CNN from ABC News, where, during his six-year tenure as a legal analyst, he provided legal analysis on the nation's most provocative and high profile cases, including the O.J. Simpson civil trial and the Kenneth Starr investigation of the Clinton White House. Toobin received a 2001 Emmy Award for his coverage of the Elian Gonzales custody saga.
Previously, Toobin served as an assistant U.S. attorney in Brooklyn. He also served as an associate counsel in the Office of Independent Counsel Lawrence E...
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