Supreme Power, Jeff Shesol
Supreme Power, Jeff Shesol
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Supreme Power
Franklin Roosevelt vs. the Supreme Court

Author: Jeff Shesol

Narrator: Mel Foster

Unabridged: 23 hr 53 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 03/29/2010


Synopsis

Beginning in 1935, in a series of devastating decisions, the Supreme Court's conservative majority left much of Franklin Roosevelt's agenda in ruins. The pillars of the New Deal fell in short succession. It was not just the New Deal but democracy itself that stood on trial. In February 1937, Roosevelt struck back with an audacious plan to expand the Court to fifteen justices—and to "pack" the new seats with liberals who shared his belief in a "living" Constitution.

The ensuing fight was a firestorm that engulfed the White House, the Court, Congress, and the nation. The final verdict was a shock. It dealt FDR the biggest setback of his political life, split the Democratic party, and set the stage for a future era of Republican dominance. Yet the battle also transformed America's political and constitutional landscape, hastening the nation's march into the modern world.

This brilliant work of history unfolds like a thriller, with vivid characters and unexpected twists. Providing new evidence and fresh insight, Jeff Shesol shows why understanding the Court fight is essential to understanding the presidency, personality, and legacy of FDR—and to understanding America at a crossroads in its history.

About Jeff Shesol

Jeff Shesol is a founding partner of West Wing Writers, a speechwriting and communications strategy firm, and a former speechwriter for President Bill Clinton. Before he became a speechwriter, Jeff wrote and drew the syndicated comic strip Thatch, which appeared daily in more than 150 newspapers. His book Mutual Contempt was a New York Times Notable Book and a Washington Post Critic's Choice. Jeff continues to publish widely under his own byline and appears frequently on television and radio. A Rhodes Scholar, Jeff got his masters in history from Oxford University in 1993 and graduated from Brown University in 1991. He was the 2002 Anschutz Distinguished Fellow in American Studies at Princeton University, where he taught a course on the history of the presidential speech. Jeff lives in Washington with his wife, Rebecca, and their two children.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Steve

[URL not allowed] “Supreme Power: Franklin Roosevelt vs. the Supreme Court” is Jeff Shesol’s 2010 book focused on FDR’s “court-packing” attempt during his second presidential term. Shesol is a partner at West Wing Writers and formerly served as deputy chief speechwriter for Pre......more

Superlative account of Franklin Roosevelt’s most notorious folly: his second-term effort to pack the Supreme Court. Shesol (previously author of Mutual Contempt, an excellent chronicle of the rivalry between Lyndon Johnson and Bobby Kennedy) does much to demystify this event, often chalked up to FDR......more

Goodreads review by Mara

So, as it turns out, Franklin Roosevelt hated old people. Ok, maybe that's a lie, but age did play a factor in the bout between FDR and the 'nine old men' (as the justices came to be known during this supreme court debacle). My super simple history summary goes something like this: FDR wins in lands......more

Goodreads review by Joe

This is an absorbing and thorough account of FDR’s court packing plan, what led up to it, and it’s aftermath. The book’s title does not reveal the whole story. While FDR and the conservative Justices had different views on how the Constitution should be interpreted, the plan to pack the Supreme Cour......more