The Transformation of American Law 1870-1960

"A skillful mixture of narrative, apt quotation and case analysis."--The New York Times Book Review "Horwitz has produced a magisterial and consistently insightful survey--which is often controversial and never dull--of the modern development of American law. Through politics, economics, and social history as much as law he reveals clearly how we came to where we are."--Norman Dorsen, President, ACLU, 1976-1991 "A splendid analysis of the consequences of the American penchant for sharply separating law from politics. As Horwitz so wisely argues, our failure to learn the hard historical lesson that politics shapes law denies our own generation the opportunity to make effective moral choices through the law."--Kermit L. Hall,College of Law, University of Florida, Gainesville "This is the most insightful summary of legal theory in the period."--Professor Jay M. Feinman, Rutgers School of Law "A magisterial and consistently insightful survey--which is often controversial and never dull--of the modern development of American law. Through politics, economic, and social history as much as law he reveals clearly how we came to where we are."--Norman Dorsen, New York University School of Law "Morton Horwitz has one subject--the relationship of law to politics in American history. In his second major work, he has used the same title, but has written a surprisingly different and equally wonderful book....The Transformation of American Law, 1870-1960 is that most important form of history, a dramatic story and a tract for our times."--Stanley N. Katz, President, American Council of Learned Societies "An important and long-awaited sequel to Transformation of American Law, 1870-1960....An excellent and significant reexamination of the work and impact of the Progressive and Realist legal thinkers."--Kirkus Reviews

Morton J. Horwitz is Charles Warren Professor of American Legal History at the Harvard Law School.