Henry J. Abraham - Justices, Presidents, and Senators: A History of the U.S. Supreme Court Appointments from Washington to Bush II

Professor Abraham is a writer of superior talent. His narrative is well paced, cleanly written, and always accessible. Professor Abraham offers a lively history of our national politics, with a focus on the presidency and the Court. The story is colorful and fast moving in his hands. The author is never reluctant to offer his opinion while serving up his narrative. His comments surely add to the distinctive flavor of the story. The author is remarkably even-handed in his analysis. There is no partisan bias in his wry comments and choice of wording. Professor Abraham has long been the most respected scholar on this topic. This superlative book in its several editions has helped establish and maintain his reputation. It is highly rewarding and enjoyable reading.

Appellate Practice Journal

Everyone agrees that the selection of Supreme Court justices is important, but there is far less agreement about how the selection process is run and whether it actually yields good justices. Henry Abrahams magisterial Justices, Presidents, and Senators has long supplied a stable point of reference in this stormy debate over how the high bench is staffed and how well its members do their jobs. His updated and revised survey of presidential motivations, senatorial maneuvering, and judicial performance is sweeping in its scope, surefooted in its analysis, and will shape scholarly debate and informed public discussion for years to come.

Keith J. Bybee, Syracuse University

I consult Justices, Presidents, and Senators on a weekly, if not daily, basis. Without question, it is the most balanced, the most accurate, and the most authoritative treatment of appointments to the Court. With this new edition, the inimitable Henry Abraham has pulled off what only he could do: improve on perfection.

Lee Epstein, Northwestern University School of Law

Written by one of Americas greatest Court watchers, this book is a convenient reference and is chock full of useful information about the Court, the justices, and the behind-the-scenes considerations of selecting justices.

M. M. Feeley, University of California, Berkeley

Justices, Presidents, and Senators is the rare classic that has remained a classic for almost a half century. Every student of constitutional law, politics, history, and development has read this book and looks forward to each new edition.

Mark Graber, University of Maryland

Henry Abraham illuminates the Supreme Court in a way that is accessible to legal academics, political scientists, and more general court watchers alike. His insights into the choices presidents made for their appointments to the bench are first rate, as is his analysis of the impact and success of those chosen to sit on the nations highest Court. For anyone seeking a comprehensive history of the Supreme Court, as well as of its nomination and confirmation process, Justices, Presidents, and Senators is a must-read.

Timothy R. Johnson, University of Minnesota

Justices, Presidents, and Senators is the standard reference book for anyone interested in understanding how the selection of Supreme Court justices has evolved over the course of American history. The new edition of Professor Abrahams book does not disappoint. Whether one agrees or disagrees with his analytic framework, the core information Professor Abraham provides is essential for anyone interested in the politics of judicial selection including scholars, policy actors, and informed citizens.

Herbert Kritzer, William Mitchell College of Law

His style is easily accessible for students, the reading public, and scholars alike. My strongest regret regarding this work is that Im not the author, for it promises to enhance interest and understanding in the appointment process and in the Court itself. There is nothing else out there like it, and there doesnt need to be. Abrahams design was solidly conceived from the beginning, was well executed with his easy prose and solid scholarship, and deserves to be read by a new generation.

The Law and Politics Book Review

Based on a meticulously constructed and engagingly written historical narrative, Professor Abraham offers keen observations on the justices of the Supreme Court, the presidents who nominated them, and the senators who confirmed them. Justices, Presidents, and Senators provides readers with unique insights into the politics of judicial selection as well as the success (or failure) of individual justices in putting their imprimatur on the Courts jurisprudence. The result is a book that students will love and scholars will wish they had written.

Wendy L. Martinek, Binghamton University

The updated edition of Abrahams Justices, Presidents, and Senators affirms its status as a classic in the field of judicial politics. Providing historical context for the timely question of new appointments to the Supreme Court, Abraham offers a sophisticated and richly detailed analysis of the process of federal judicial selection and the political and legal factors that influence nomination and confirmation of judicial candidates.

Nancy Maveety, Tulane University

No book has done more to illuminate the history and the politics of appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court than Henry J. Abrahams Justices, Presidents, and Senators. Every page reveals Abrahams in-depth knowledge of how the major players and their goals have combined with the institutional constraints of an evolving selection system to determine the composition of the Court. It is replete with the kind of detail that one rarely finds in a single volume, all presented in Abrahams brilliant prose. The book is an indispensible referenceand a pleasure to read!

Kevin T. McGuire, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Henry Abrahams seminal work on U.S. Supreme Court appointments is essential reading for anyone interested in the appointment of Supreme Court justices over the course of U.S. history. Abrahams identification of criteria important in the appointment process has laid the groundwork for much of the continuing scholarship on judicial appointments. His historically rich discussion of the appointment of justices by presidents from Washington to Bush will fascinate scholars and generally interested readers alike.

Christine L. Nemacheck, The College of William & Mary

A definitive and fascinating study of the political history of presidents appointing and the Senate confirming (or not) Supreme Court justices.

David M. OBrien, University of Virginia

Dr. Abrahams up-to-date classic is the definitive book on Supreme Court appointments. No wonder it graces the shelves of the justices libraries! All Court observers will relish its eloquent, insightful, vivid descriptions of judicial politics and history.

Barbara A. Perry, Sweet Briar College

This book has long been the essential starting point for any informed citizen or student hoping to learn about Supreme Court appointments. It is full of lively details and thick with insights about the long history of the sometimes uneasy relationships among presidents, justices, and senators.

Keith E. Whittington, Princeton University

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