Robert H. JacksonAges: 10 and up Grades: 5 and up Pages: 104 List Price: 18.95 Cover: Hardcover Published: 6/1/2008 ISBN: 1-59078-511-8 ISBN-13: 978-1-59078-511-9 |
Meet Robert H. Jackson in an engaging biography, the first in fifty years. For four hours on November 21, 1945, the world watched and listened as Justice Robert H. Jackson, on leave from the U.S. Supreme Court, introduced the Allies’ case against the high-ranking Nazi leadership at the Nuremberg Trial. For the first time, a country’s leaders were being tried for war crimes, in large part owing to Jackson’s efforts. Gail Jarrow’s biography of Robert H. Jackson (1892–1954) details the personal journey of this extraordinary man from his childhood in rural New York; to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal inner circle during the Great Depression; to the position of attorney general while the nation prepared for World War II; to the Supreme Court bench when it ruled on such significant cases as Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka; and to chief U.S. prosecutor at the Nuremberg Trial. Despite his remarkable accomplishments, Jackson never attended college or earned a law degree. Using primary sources—including Jackson’s papers in the Library of Congress and materials from the Robert H. Jackson Center in Jamestown, New York—Jarrow tells the fascinating story of a lawyer and judge dedicated to the rule of law. A timeline, bibliography, source notes, additional resources, and index are included. Awards
Reviews
"Jarrow focuses mainly on the courtroom and the law, including a long insert on Supreme Court history, structure, and procedure. The Nuremberg history and Jackson’s stand against Japanese American internment during World War II will fascinate readers, many of whom will see parallels to contemporary questions about the balance between citizens’ rights and national security. Small black-and-white photos illustrate the text; extensive back matter includes a time line, a bibliography, and source notes." |
"Jarrow's engrossing biography should bring Robert H. Jackson some well-deserved attention. ... Excellent as a biography, this work also provides inside information about the Supreme Court and an interesting look at the Nuremberg Trial, an area that receives little coverage in juvenile literature. ... An outstanding addition to most collections."