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Title: Origins of the Bill of Rights by Leonard W. Levy ISBN: 0-300-08901-5 Publisher: Yale Nota Bene Pub. Date: 01 March, 2001 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.75 (8 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Strong Historical Analysis
Comment: Where did our constitutional rights come from? Why are they written the way they are? Were they original, or did our Founding Fathers get the ideas elsewhere? These questions and more will be answered in Levy's Origins of the Bill of Rights.
I'll begin with the weaknesses and get them out of the way. I'm not a constitutional historian, nor am I a lawyer. Although I think I'm somewhat knowledgeable, Levy could have introduced his terms better, particularly when he devotes a chapter to them. Habeas Corpus, for instance. The lawyers out there are now laughing at my ignorance, but I had to think and carefully recall exactly what that means. Law is precise, so history of law might consider being equally precise. Also, when citing cases, Levy sometimes left it unclear what the case was about.
References. Somehow, despite almost forty pages of documents in the appendix, Levy manages to not quite every actually list the amendments in their final form, despite reproducing the English Bill of Rights, the Virginia Bill of Rights, and the various House and Senate versions. All right, this is easy information to find, but would it have hurt for the book to be self-contained?
For those who care, the third and tenth amendments are barely mentioned.
Style. I'm transitioning into the good points, since one person's good style is another's bad. The middle of the book heavily emphasizes case histories, both in America and in England. Sometimes this is to the detriment of readability. If you're just reading this book out of curiosity, some philosophical discussion might be nice. If you're looking for names and dates of trials, then this is useful of course. It doesn't completely dry the book out, but it does make it drag a bit, at least for my tastes.
So what's good about it?
What's good is that Levy points out, thoroughly and conscientiously that we have rights. We, the people. Me. You. The neighbor down the street. These rights come from somewhere, and they go back a long way. To those who want to know what the original intents were of the authors of the constitution, this is a place to look. Do you think that the second amendment only arms the National Guard? Wrong! Do you think that the government can give religions all sorts of special treatment as long as it doesn't pick a favorite? Wrong! Do you think that a right doesn't exist unless it is specified exactly, spelled out in intricate detail? Wrong! To liberals who cover their ears when the second amendment is discussed, and conservatives who are in open revolt against many of the others, read this book. Or read another one, but this one is the subject of the review. Frankly, you may be surprised at what they thought back in the olden days.
Rating: 5
Summary: Wonderful historical reference for the Bill of Rights
Comment: Well written and interesting. This book gives a wonderful historical perspective of the laws, practices, and history that led up to the framing of the Bill of Rights. With careful study, Levy has built a window into the politics, thoughts, and fears that led to the inclusion of the BOR and includes many examples of the reasons that they were included. Well written and entertaining, this lesson in American history reads like series of short stories.
Rating: 5
Summary: Origins of the Bill of Rights
Comment: The upset with politicians today is nothing new. "Origins.." puts a human history face on the Bill of Rights. Amazing that our country has retained the original hopes of our founders. Levy is excellent in his description and inspiration.
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Title: The Bill of Rights: Creation and Reconstruction by Akhil Reed Amar ISBN: 0300082770 Publisher: Yale University Press Pub. Date: 01 April, 2000 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
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Title: Original Intent and the Framers' Constitution by Leonard W. Levy, Leonard Levy ISBN: 1566633125 Publisher: Ivan R. Dee Publisher Pub. Date: 01 September, 2000 List Price(USD): $24.90 |
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Title: The Words We Live By: Your Annotated Guide to the Constitution by Linda R. Monk ISBN: 0786867205 Publisher: Hyperion Pub. Date: February, 2003 List Price(USD): $23.95 |
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Title: Marbury v. Madison : The Origins and Legacy of Judicial Review by William E. Nelson ISBN: 0700610626 Publisher: University Press of Kansas Pub. Date: 20 November, 2000 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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Title: Original Meanings: Politics and Ideas in the Making of the Constitution by Jack N. Rakove ISBN: 0679781218 Publisher: Vintage Books USA Pub. Date: 01 July, 1997 List Price(USD): $17.00 |
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