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Famous Trials: Cases that made history
To amend Clausewitz on war, one might say that the trial in a courtroom is the pursuit of battle by other means. And, short of the horror on the battlefield, to be on trial is perhaps the most traumatic of all life experiences. Yet in the great trials of history much more than individual destinies are at stake. Fundamental issues of morality, political expediency, justice and social change are being engaged. How does one balance freedom of conscience against the public good? How does one contest unarguable social evils when the sheer weight of political institutions is against one? Why have so many great men and women been sacrificed by a remorseless ‘system’? To what extent do legal systems deliver true justice?
An investigation of famous trials in history takes in such great historical figures as Socrates, Jesus, Galileo, Sir Thomas More and Mandela as well as the famous Dreyfus case, the Nazi war crimes tribunal at Nuremberg, the Stalinist purges and the revolutionary chaos that engulfed England and France in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The great American criminal lawyer Clarence Darrow duly makes an appearance, as do such varied and heterogeneous figures as Oscar Wilde, John Brown, Madeleine Smith and the Tolpuddle martyrs.
Frank McLynn presents evidence from thirty-four different trials drawn from military, ecclesiastical and civilian court cases, not to mention special courts and tribunals, taking in all eras and covering a dozen different countries. It is not too much to say that the world we live in has been shaped in part by the decisions and results of these trials.
An investigation of famous trials in history takes in such great historical figures as Socrates, Jesus, Galileo, Sir Thomas More and Mandela as well as the famous Dreyfus case, the Nazi war crimes tribunal at Nuremberg, the Stalinist purges and the revolutionary chaos that engulfed England and France in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The great American criminal lawyer Clarence Darrow duly makes an appearance, as do such varied and heterogeneous figures as Oscar Wilde, John Brown, Madeleine Smith and the Tolpuddle martyrs.
Frank McLynn presents evidence from thirty-four different trials drawn from military, ecclesiastical and civilian court cases, not to mention special courts and tribunals, taking in all eras and covering a dozen different countries. It is not too much to say that the world we live in has been shaped in part by the decisions and results of these trials.
255 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 1995
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About the author
Frank McLynn
39 books102 followersFrank McLynn is an English author, biographer, historian and journalist. He is noted for critically acclaimed biographies of Napoleon Bonaparte, Robert Louis Stevenson, Carl Jung, Richard Francis Burton and Henry Morton Stanley.
McLynn was educated at Wadham College, Oxford and the University of London. He was Alistair Horne Research Fellow at St Antony's College, Oxford (1987–88) and was visiting professor in the Department of Literature at the University of Strathclyde (1996–2001) and professorial fellow at Goldsmiths College London (2000 - 2002) before becoming a full-time writer.
McLynn was educated at Wadham College, Oxford and the University of London. He was Alistair Horne Research Fellow at St Antony's College, Oxford (1987–88) and was visiting professor in the Department of Literature at the University of Strathclyde (1996–2001) and professorial fellow at Goldsmiths College London (2000 - 2002) before becoming a full-time writer.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 2, 2018
This wasn't a bad book and it was very interesting to see the trends throughout history's trials. There were several trials, though, that I was completely unaware of, i.e. Whistler v Ruskin, and a few that I knew about, i.e. the Scopes Monkey Trial, State of Illinois v. Leopold and Loeb, the Rosenburgs' trial, Joan of Arc's (you get the picture).
It laid out a brief summary or history of each trial before going into further detail which I think was a good idea. If you weren't familiar with some of the trials, you get to find out the ending of the trial and then read how it got to that point - in most cases (there were some where you had to read through to get to the conclusion).
I was a little disappointed that I didn't see a few other famous trials, like Lizzie Borden's or the Lincoln Assassination trial, but the content was good, and adequately satisfying, for what it contained. I do recommend reading this book if only to get a teaser into some of the famous trials in history, like the Nuremberg trial.
It laid out a brief summary or history of each trial before going into further detail which I think was a good idea. If you weren't familiar with some of the trials, you get to find out the ending of the trial and then read how it got to that point - in most cases (there were some where you had to read through to get to the conclusion).
I was a little disappointed that I didn't see a few other famous trials, like Lizzie Borden's or the Lincoln Assassination trial, but the content was good, and adequately satisfying, for what it contained. I do recommend reading this book if only to get a teaser into some of the famous trials in history, like the Nuremberg trial.
November 22, 2017
Famous Trials compiles a list of the best known trials in legal history with a brief overview of the facts and situations, back stories and at times postscripts on the characters involved. As a paralegal, I found this book fascinating with just the right balance of information on the trials to provide basic background, but not too much detail to overwhelm. Each trial took up between 4-6 pages and many of the pages had photos and illustrations from the cases so this is not a strenuous read and the photos are a great touch. I don't think it would translate as well on a kindle because of all the photos and captions, but I could be wrong. I loved the wide range of trials represented from the Jesus of Nazareth to the the Salem Witch trial to Socrates and Brown vs the Board of Education. Most of the major ones I could think of were well represented. A fascinating compilation for history and legal buffs alike.
October 19, 2017
This really was FAMOUS trials. As such, it was interesting and enlightening. But I have two complaints:
1: It's not in order chronologically! This is more than a little unsettling!
2: Anything biblical based on the Bible and rumor from over 2000 years ago is NOT evidence! Sorry, the whole thing of the trial of Jesus was ridiculous and should not have been included!
For the most part, though, it was an interesting view of justice over the ages! The lack of chronology hindered with the "over the ages" part! The fact that it was multicultural and worldwide good at pointing out differences, but again, the lack of chronology deleted from any conclusions that could be drawn or inferred!
1: It's not in order chronologically! This is more than a little unsettling!
2: Anything biblical based on the Bible and rumor from over 2000 years ago is NOT evidence! Sorry, the whole thing of the trial of Jesus was ridiculous and should not have been included!
For the most part, though, it was an interesting view of justice over the ages! The lack of chronology hindered with the "over the ages" part! The fact that it was multicultural and worldwide good at pointing out differences, but again, the lack of chronology deleted from any conclusions that could be drawn or inferred!
October 8, 2017
Legal History
The is an interesting compilation of famous court cases that runs the gamet. A summary of each case is written and often the details of each case educates the reader about cases he had heard of but did not know the story. It encourages one to further his education about these important trials.
The is an interesting compilation of famous court cases that runs the gamet. A summary of each case is written and often the details of each case educates the reader about cases he had heard of but did not know the story. It encourages one to further his education about these important trials.
October 25, 2017
Disappointing
Too detailed and was prone to skim rather than get really involved. To be fair, I think I was expecting something different.
Too detailed and was prone to skim rather than get really involved. To be fair, I think I was expecting something different.
November 23, 2017
Editor wanted
The cases were interesting, if a bit short. The book would benefit from a thorough proof reading. Many spots where the conversion program chose the wrong character.
The cases were interesting, if a bit short. The book would benefit from a thorough proof reading. Many spots where the conversion program chose the wrong character.
January 25, 2020
Concise yet thorough descriptions of each of the trials included. I wish McLynn had been a little more specific about his reasons for including the trials he did.
May 28, 2022
This book covered a lot of important/controversial trials, often trials where justice went astray. It was interesting to see the progression of the world's legal systems over the years.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews