Overview

Full Product Details

9780190914943

Table of Contents

Reviews

Mesmerizing and electrifying. Like all of Peter Irons' prodigious work, White Men's Law is anchored in scrupulous research and painstaking historical perspective. But this new work is achingly poignant. It is the story of our nation told through law and legal struggle Every sentence calls out for truth and justice. -Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-8), Member, House Judiciary Committee, Lead Impeachment Manager in the second impeachment of Donald Trump Over a lifetime of scholarship Peter Irons has repeatedly revealed disturbing realities lurking behind comforting mythologies about the American legal system. He does so again bracingly in White Men's Law, an impassioned intervention keenly attuned to the peril facing American democracy. -Randall Kennedy, Michael R. Klein Professor of Law, Harvard University In this work, Peter Irons offers an insightful, comprehensive, illuminating and accessible account of the history of race and racism in our nation from the origins of slavery to the present. White Men's Law brilliantly explores original sources in order to confront the reader with the deeply unsettling realities of racial discrimination and racial hatred throughout American history. This is a work that every person who wants to understand how we got to where we are today should read. -Geoffrey R. Stone, Edward H. Levi Distinguished Professor of Law, The University of Chicago Professor Peter Irons has written a stunning book on the history of race in the United States that simultaneously is sobering and inspiring. He shows how deeply embedded white supremacy is in American society and its laws. But he also describes how people have fought back and made a difference. At a time when society is trying to confront racial injustices, this beautifully written book is a must read. -Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean and Jesse H. Choper Distinguished Professor of Law, University of California, Berkeley School of Law White Men's Law convincingly documents the origins and persistence of systemic racism and the role of law and lawyers in creating and maintaining that system. It validates the premises of Critical Race Theory and shows the need for teaching, writing, and organizing against white racism. -Richard Delgado, John J. Sparkman Chair of Law, University of Alabama Written by a pathbreaking and prolific legal scholar, Peter Irons' White Men's Law is a majestic account of the nexus between race and law in America from the first settlement in 1607 to George Floyd and beyond. White Men's Law is not merely a must read for anyone interested in American history, but perfect for the general reader as well. -Michael Stephen Hindus, Lecturer in History and American Studies, Columbia University Among the author's strengths are his skillful use of primary sources, which ground his own commentary in each chapter, and his lucid explanations of the complex dynamics of landmark court cases. The author's expansive view of American legal history makes it possible for Irons to make striking connections between the discriminatory practices of different eras . . . A well-organized, revealing outline of the 'reign of White Men's Law' in America and a forceful call for ongoing reform. -Kirkus Reviews

Author Information

Peter Irons is a noted scholar on constitutional law and the acclaimed author of a dozen books on the Supreme Court and famous (and infamous) cases, including Justice at War (Oxford), that the justices have decided since the Constitution's adoption in 1788. He is Professor of Political Science Emeritus at the University of California-San Diego. As an attorney, he has represented clients in state and federal courts, and is a member of the US Supreme Court Bar. Peter Irons is also a long-time civil rights and antiwar activist.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available