Average customer rating:
- A must read!
- Excellent Legal Thriller
- Not his best, but still pretty good
- Brand new model Perry Mason, factory equipped with a/c, ex-wives and angst
- First Connelly book - excellent!
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The Lincoln Lawyer: A Novel
Michael Connelly
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
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ASIN: 0316734934
Release Date: 2005-10-03 |
Amazon.com
Best-selling author Michael Connelly, whose character-driven literary mysteries have earned him a wide following, breaks from the gate in the over-crowded field of legal thrillers and leaves every other contender from Grisham to Turow in the dust with this tightly plotted, brilliantly paced, impossible-to-put-down novel.
Criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller's father was a legendary lawyer whose clients included gangster Mickey Cohen (in a nice twist, Cohen's gun, given to Dad then bequeathed to his son, plays a key role in the plot). But Dad also passed on an important piece of advice that's especially relevant when Mickey takes the case of a wealthy Los Angeles realtor accused of attempted murder: "The scariest client a lawyer will ever have is an innocent client. Because if you [screw] up and he goes to prison, it'll scar you for life."
Louis Roulet, Mickey's "franchise client" (so-called becaue he's able and willing to pay whatever his defense costs) seems to be the one his father warned him against, as well as being a few rungs higher on the socio-economic ladder than the drug dealers, homeboys, and motorcycle thugs who comprise Mickey's regular case load. But as the holes in Roulet's story tear Mickey's theory of the case to shreds, his thoughts turn more to Jesus Menendez, a former client convicted of a similar crime who's now languishing in San Quentin. Connelly tellingly delineates the code of legal ethics Mickey lives by: "It didn't matter...whether the defendant 'did it' or not. What mattered was the evidence against him--the proof--and if and how it could be neutralized. My job was to bury the proof, to color the proof a shade of gray. Gray was the color of reasonable doubt." But by the time his client goes to trial, Mickey's feeling a few very reasonable doubts of his own.
While Mickey's courtroom pyrotechnics dazzle, his behind-the-scenes machinations and manipulations are even more incendiary in this taut, gripping novel, which showcases all of Connelly's literary gifts. There's not an excess sentence or padded paragraph in it--what there is, happily, is a character who, like Harry Bosch, deserves a franchise series of his own. --Jane Adams
Book Description
Best-selling author Michael Connelly, whose character-driven literary mysteries have earned him a wide following, breaks from the gate in the over-crowded field of legal thrillers and leaves every other contender from Grisham to Turow in the dust with this tightly plotted, brilliantly paced, impossible-to-put-down novel.Criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller's father was a legendary lawyer whose clients included gangster Mickey Cohen (in a nice twist, Cohen's gun, given to Dad then bequeathed to his son, plays a key role in the plot). But Dad also passed on an important piece of advice that's especially relevant when Mickey takes the case of a wealthy Los Angeles realtor accused of attempted murder:"The scariest client a lawyer will ever have is an innocent client. Because if you [screw] up and he goes to prison, it'll scar you for life."Louis Roulet, Mickey's "franchise client" (so-called becaue he's able and willing to pay whatever his defense costs) seems to be the one his father warned him against, as well as being a few rungs higher on the socio-economic ladder than the drug dealers, homeboys, and motorcycle thugs who comprise Mickey's regular case load. But as the holes in Roulet's story tear Mickey's theory of the case to shreds, his thoughts turn more to Jesus Menendez, a former client convicted of a similar crime who's now languishing in San Quentin. Connelly tellingly delineates the code of legal ethics Mickey lives by: "It didn't matter...whether the defendant 'did it' or not. What mattered was the evidence against him--the proof--and if and how it could be neutralized. My job was to bury the proof, to color the proof a shade of gray. Gray was the color of reasonable doubt." But by the time his client goes to trial, Mickey's feeling a few very reasonable doubts of his own. While Mickey's courtroom pyrotechnics dazzle, his behind-the-scenes machinations and manipulations are even more incendiary in this taut, gripping novel, which showcases all of Connelly's literary gifts. There's not an excess sentence or padded paragraph in it--what there is, happily, is a character who, like Harry Bosch, deserves a franchise series of his own. --Jane Adams
Customer Reviews:
A must read!.......2007-09-18
This book was EXCELLENT. It kept me interested from beginning to end; you will not want to put it down. All the characters played excellent roles in the book; you know exactly what their purpose is for without any confusion. This is my 1st Michael Connelly book, and I am so impressed that I will continue to read more of his books. The twist, suspense, everything keeps you wanting to read more.
Excellent Legal Thriller.......2007-08-22
This was my first Michael Connelly book to read and I was very impressed. The first half of the book starts out a little slow building the facts of the case, but the second half of the book is where all the twists are. The book definitely gives you insight into criminal defense strategy and how the "system" works.
Definitely an entertaining read. I would highly recommend this book. I reserve 5 stars for only the most outstanding books.
Not his best, but still pretty good.......2007-08-03
I've enjoyed Michael Connelly since he wrote the early Harry Bosch stuff, Black Echo and Black Ice and so forth. I especially like some of the later Bosch books, and The Poet and Blood Work are among my favorite detective novels of the last 20 years or so. Sometimes I think his off-Bosch stuff only sort of works (Void Moon was only OK, Chasing the dime more mediocre) but generally I'm happy with one of his books. The Lincoln Lawyer falls into this category, not as bad as Chasing the Dime, probably about on the level of Void Moon and maybe a bit above it.
So the main character here is a bit different, and so is the plot. In this case we have Mickey Haller, a somewhat sleazy lawyer (what they used to call an ambulance chaser). He bought four Lincoln town cars so he could get the fleet rate, and uses them until they have 60,000 miles on them, then sells them to a friend. He has a driver, a former client who's working off his fee by driving for Haller, and his "case manager" is an ex-wife. The other ex is a prosecutor.
So we start the book and he's called to defend a Beverly Hills real estate salesman who's something of a playboy, and who's been accused of attempted rape. Haller is desperate for the case, thinking that it will be a "franchise", a case that goes on for a long time and will result in large fees for him. When things go wrong and someone close to Haller is killed in the course of the investigation, he has to figure a lawyer's way out of the predicament he's gotten himself into. The result is amusing, to say the least.
As I said, I enjoy Michael Connelly a lot, and while this isn't a Bosch book, it's pretty good, and fun. I recommend it.
Brand new model Perry Mason, factory equipped with a/c, ex-wives and angst.......2007-06-21
I have just skimmed through the previous 250(!) Amazon reviews. The great majority of them are extremely well-disposed toward this book--as am I--and most more than adequately set out both the main characters and the mainspring of the plot. I see no reason to repeat any of that in this 251st kick at the can.
It did, however, strike me as worth observing that as this is a book about a lawyer and as many of its scenes take place in a courtroom, the reviewers have made references to and comparisons with the works of contemporary literary legal eagles, such as John Grisham. No reviewer, so far as I noticed, seems to have hit on what appears to me to be a far more obvious model.
Throughout the book, author Michael Connelly follows normal current practice by allowing us to know the thoughts, plans, schemes, frustrations and short-comings of his lawyer hero, Mickey Haller. If, however, a reader subtracts Connelly's internalized dialogue and commentary from the book--thus cutting its length by half and increasing its narrative speed exponentially, "The Lincoln Lawyer" is transformed into a latter day Perry Mason novel. The very same core characters are there, albeit under different names: a dazzling, if sometimes taciturn master of courtroom wizardry; an adoring secretary/assistant, Mason's Della Street; an adversarial police investigator, Mason's Lieutenant Tragg; an on-call private detective, whose name in the Mason books eludes me for the moment; and most especially, a foredoomed but ever-game DA, Mason's Hamilton Burger. The relationships of the characters in Connelly's tale are virtually identical with those of Perry Mason's merry band.
Erle Stanley Gardner was utterly indifferent to such narrative go-slow zones as back-stories or internalized agonizing. He told us nothing about Mason's personal life, save that there was SOMETHING going on between him and Della Street and that for some reason he could not or would not formalize the relationship. We never heard of Mason's doubts or of his insecurities, nor were we shown his lapses from probity or other failings. Gardner quite intentionally showed us no more than Perry Mason's game face.
Here, in Michael Connelly's book, his lawyer's game face is so similar to Mason's that he might have bought it at the sale of the old-time mouthpiece's estate.
Now, before someone rises up to pounce, I admit that there are certainly differences between the books about the two lawyers. Connelly's characters, for example, pointedly lack the near-immunity from physical harm possessed by the continuing denizens of the Mason stories. Nevertheless, I maintain that the overall similarities are far greater than the differences.
I look forward to future battles between Connelly's updated, Mason-like defense attorney, Haller, and that ADA whose nose he figuratively bloodied in this book. (And maybe next time, Haller will even be able to convince a villain to confess on the witness stand!)
Four stars.
First Connelly book - excellent!.......2007-06-20
I always love a good thriller, mystery, lawyer "story" where the end really does surprise me. I thought this was a great read and I would also pick up more Haller stories.
Book Description
What the law did to and for Abraham Lincoln, and its important impact on his future presidency
Despite historians' focus on the man as president and politician, Abraham Lincoln lived most of his adult life as a practicing lawyer. It was as a lawyer that he fed his family, made his reputation, bonded with Illinois, and began his political career. Lawyering was also how Lincoln learned to become an expert mediator between angry antagonists, as he applied his knowledge of the law and of human nature to settle one dispute after another. Frontier lawyers worked hard to establish respect for the law and encourage people to resolve their differences without intimidation or violence. These were the very skills Lincoln used so deftly to hold a crumbling nation together during his presidency.
The growth of Lincoln's practice attests to the trust he was able to inspire, and his travels from court to court taught him much about the people and land of Illinois. Lincoln the Lawyer explores the origins of Lincoln's desire to practice law, his legal education, his partnerships with John Stuart, Stephen Logan, and William Herndon, and the maturation of his far-flung practice in the 1840s and 1850s. Brian Dirck provides a context for law as it was practiced in mid-century Illinois and evaluates Lincoln's merits as an attorney by comparison with his peers. He examines Lincoln's clientele, his circuit practice, his views on legal ethics, and the supposition that he never defended a client he knew to be guilty. This approach allows readers not only to consider Lincoln as he lived his life--it also shows them how the law was used and developed in Lincoln's lifetime, how Lincoln charged his clients, how he was paid, and how he addressed judge and jury.
Customer Reviews:
Good Survey of Law in 19th Century America.......2007-09-20
All to often, books about great historical figures tend to overemphasize the personality of the figure and forget the essence of the person to history. Also, many authors and historians research a historical figure and find that he is not who the legend claims he is. There is tendency to find this information out and then to immediately start disparaging the figure almost as if the person is taking a personal affront to the real person not being half of the myth.
Thomas Jefferson probably father children with Sally Hemmings beyond a reasonable doubt. John F. Kennedy was a reckless womanizer. These facts do not however change what these people did and achieved. It makes for interesting fodder, but it does not change the fact that the Declaration of Independence was written and the Cuban Missile Crisis was averted. So, there is a trap anytime writers take up great figures. Dirck could have fallen into this trap when writing about Lincoln the lawyer. That the author did not do this is a testament to what an outstanding book this is. This is indeed the no frills Lincoln. Dirck's Lincoln is not a great lawyer nor is a terrible lawyer who represented slaveholders. For the most part, Lincoln the lawyer is closer in truth to the advice Lincoln gave to young lawyers which is cited several times in the book. Lincoln made a comfortable life as a lawyer but as the author points out, he never was unscrupulous in representing a client and was diligent and honest in his dealings through the bar in Springfield and elsewhere.
As Dirck points out, the everyday of lawyering in mid-19th century America was just as exciting as lawyering is today. Wills, Estates, Trusts, debt collection, surety, personal injuries and maybe a smattering of criminal representation was Lincoln's lot in the world of the bar. Overall, Lincoln The Lawyer is a great appraisal of the world that Lincoln knew before anyone could say that he belonged to the ages.
Lincoln's "day job".......2007-09-11
Although Lincoln's contribution to history is his handling of public policy, governance, and war, probably most of his time prior to the White House was devoted to his law practice. This book will reward anyone seeking to know how one of America's greatest minds was occupied in the troubled affairs of one ordinary person after another. The solid account is highly knowledgeable but not at all technical, written for inquiring readers rather than legal professionals. Using assorted cases as examples, the author examines the role of attorneys in what was then the American West, giving the book broader scope than just Lincoln's law practice. This is one of the first studies to exploit a recently collected mass of documents relating to Lincoln's law career.
Customer Reviews:
A must for legal libraries.......2005-08-09
Skadden is an excellent history of both the rise of the modern law firms as well as one of those firms which epitomized that movement. Lincoln Caplan uses an indepth analysis of the practice, politics and people of Skadden Arps to analyze how and why law firms, which had traditionally been small parterships have since grown into businesses as large and competitive as many of the corporations they represent. The story is very well written and insightful and it is obvious that Caplan did extensive research both inside the firm and in legal libraries. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in legal history and it is a good insider's guide to people who do not have experience in a law firm, but are considering working in one or are simply curious what goes in them.
Doodle Joe.......2002-05-15
There's usually something important to be learned by the absent minded habits of the great and powerful. This book includes one about Joe Flom: He likes to fill the margins of his notes with tightly wound, intricate geometric patters that are uniquely his own design. The author doesn't read much more into it, but there's no reason we readers can't. According the author, Mr. Flom can also be a little brusque in private.
For law students in particular, this book is a good dose of reality if they are wondering what it's really like to work in a big firm. Interesting critique of the usefulness of this book: I recently asked a Skadden associate (not in their NY office) how he liked this book, and he had not read it. He had to look it up on the firm's website to determine what I was talking about. So this book can help the non-Skadden population understand the Skadden firm perhaps better than the firm understands itself. That would be the ultimate tribute to the author, and a Delphic oracle to Skadden's leadership.
Since reading this, I cannot help thinking of Joe Flom whenever I'm trapped in some boring meeting, or sidelined in court, waiting for my case to be called. "Can I doodle as well as him?" I ask myself. Then the case is called, or the meeting accelerates, and--poof!--the evanescent reminder of old Joe Flom disappears along with it.
Lincoln Caplan is a phenomenal legal historian........1998-12-29
Mr. Caplan has gracefully provided readers with an exquisite portrait of the life and times of a twentieth century law firm. Compelling and balanced, the book joyfully tracks the highs and lows of a group of "young turks" who have defined what it means to be a lawyer in corporate America. I am grateful to Mr. Caplan for the time he put into this project, as it gives tremendous insight to law students as to how a law firm operates and what the culture of a law firm embodies. This book is worth reading, worth printing and well worth recommending. Caplan's Tenth Justice, his recording of the Office of Solicitor General is brilliant as well. Joe Flom and Sheila Birnbaum and the rest of the Skadden crew can rest easy as the bard who records their triumphs and tribulations does so with zest and intelligence.
Book Description
Abraham Lincoln practiced law for nearly 25 years, five times longer than he served as president. Nonetheless, this aspect of his life was known only in the broadest outlines until the Lincoln Legal Papers project set to work gathering the surviving documentation of more than 5,600 of his cases. One of the first scholars to work in this vast collection, Mark E. Steiner goes beyond the hasty sketches of previous biographers to paint a detailed portrait of Lincoln the lawyer.
This portrait not only depicts Lincoln's work for the railroads and the infamous case in which he defended the claims of a slaveholder; it also illustrates his more typical cases involving debt and neighborly disputes. Steiner describes Lincoln's legal education, the economics of the law office, and the changes in legal practice that Lincoln himself experienced as the nation became an industrial, capitalist society. Most important, Steiner highlights Lincoln's guiding principles as a lawyer.
In contrast to the popular caricature of the lawyer as a scoundrel, Lincoln followed his personal resolve to be "honest at all events," thus earning the nickname "Honest Abe." For him, honesty meant representing clients to the best of his ability, regardless of his own beliefs about the justice of their cause. Lincoln also embraced a professional ideal that cast the lawyer as a guardian of order. He was as willing to mediate a dispute outside the courtroom in the interest of maintaining peace as he was eager to win cases before a jury.
Over the course of his legal career, however, Lincoln's dedication to the community and his clients' personal interests became outmoded. As a result of the rise of powerful, faceless corporate clients and the national debate over slavery, Lincoln the lawyer found himself in an increasingly impersonal, morally ambiguous world.
Customer Reviews:
Lincoln's "day job".......2007-08-06
In An Honest Calling attorney Mark E. Steiner makes good use of his professional training and years spent in helping to compile Lincoln's legal papers.
Study of Lincoln's law career has long been hampered by the scattered nature of Lincoln's court documents throughout Illinois and the Midwest. Now they are gathered together, and Steiner has made a fine presentation of what they reveal about Lincoln's "day job," which may have consumed as much of his time as politics did. Steiner deals with Lincoln's law practice in general and with some individual cases revealing Lincoln's handling of particular issues (including slavery and railroad corporations). Civil and criminal practices are covered.
This is an excellent introduction to Lincoln's law practice, and will also interest persons seeking information about the influence of attorneys on the Western frontier.
Impressive.......2006-11-13
This is an impressive work of legal and historical scholarship, the result of prodigious research into Lincoln's almost twenty-five years of legal practice. Instead of focusing on the handful of celebrated cases that have been featured in countless Lincoln biographies, Steiner surveys the more typical aspects of Lincoln's practice, including personal injury cases, land litigation, debt collection, railroad cases, and appellate advocacy.
Lincoln was a self-educated lawyer whose interest in the law was primarily case-directed-he read law books to prepare for cases, not to satisfy his curiosity. Unlike many other lawyers of his time, he had never been to college or law school; in fact, he had not even had instruction from a "preceptor" (usually a lawyer or judge who guides the education of a young would-be lawyer). He had gained his legal understanding primarily from avid reading of Blackstone's Commentaries, a celebrated legal text from18th century England that did not provide an adequate foundation for understanding American law in the middle of the 19th century. But Lincoln had a fine mind and an ability for quick study, and these enabled him to prepare (usually quite thoroughly) for the cases he undertook. Steiner provides informative discussions about legal education in Lincoln's time, standards for admission to the bar, the historiography of Lincoln's legal career (including five previous books about Lincoln the lawyer), the effect of Lincoln's political views on his practice, Lincoln's research methods, the economics of the Lincoln law office (his fee for a typical case ranged from $10 to $20, although he received $5,000 for his work in one case for the Illinois Central Railroad), and moral and ethical problems encountered in his practice.
One fascinating chapter is devoted to In the Matter of Jane, a Woman of Color, an 1847 case in which Lincoln and another lawyer represented a slaveholder who sought a court declaration that a black woman and her children were still his slaves, despite their claim that they had been emancipated under Illinois law. Mercifully, Lincoln and his co-counsel lost the case. This case raises questions about the sincerity of Lincoln's anti-slavery views and the ethical standards that guided his decisions about accepting cases. Steiner's explanation that Lincoln was willing to take cases without respect to his personal feelings about his clients is persuasive, as is his comment that Lincoln's "involvement in the case shows the corrupting influence of a legal ethic that minimized moral responsibility." Lincoln did in fact oppose slavery (and he represented slaves in a few cases), but his opposition was not so strong that he could not help a slaveholder assert his legal rights in court.
Product Description
Criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller's father was a legendary lawyer whose clients included gangster Mickey Cohen (in a nice twist, Cohen's gun, given to Dad then bequeathed to his son, plays a key role in the plot). But Dad also passed on an important piece of advice that's especially relevant when Mickey takes the case of a wealthy Los Angeles realtor accused of attempted murder: "The scariest client a lawyer will ever have is an innocent client. Because if you [screw] up and he goes to prison, it'll scar you for life."
Louis Roulet, Mickey's "franchise client" (so-called becaue he's able and willing to pay whatever his defense costs) seems to be the one his father warned him against, as well as being a few rungs higher on the socio-economic ladder than the drug dealers, homeboys, and motorcycle thugs who comprise Mickey's regular case load. But as the holes in Roulet's story tear Mickey's theory of the case to shreds, his thoughts turn more to Jesus Menendez, a former client convicted of a similar crime who's now languishing in San Quentin. Connelly tellingly delineates the code of legal ethics Mickey lives by: "It didn't matter...whether the defendant 'did it' or not. What mattered was the evidence against him--the proof--and if and how it could be neutralized. My job was to bury the proof, to color the proof a shade of gray. Gray was the color of reasonable doubt." But by the time his client goes to trial, Mickey's feeling a few very reasonable doubts of his own.
Customer Reviews:
On The Whole, We Liked It, and Some REALLY liked it........2007-09-29
I just returned from my non-virtual book club discussion of The Lincoln Lawyer (by Michael Connelly).
Among the six of us, the reaction was largely positive. 4.5 stars would work best.
Some ranked the book quite high- a 98/100 was one score! Now this is the guy who has said that "only Sherlock Holmes merits a 100."
He and all of the members enjoyed the book's description of legal strategies and the courtroom repartee. Personally, I love books that provide an extensive dialog of lawyers examining witnesses. For me, it all began with the Perry Mason when I was in the 8th grade! At least 9 of the authors on my favorites list write books about lawyers. BTW, I prefer legal drama (Perry Mason) to legal thriller (The Firm), but I like them both. Id say that The Lincoln Lawyer falls about midway on the continuum between drama and thriller.
None of us work in the "justice" system and can claim the ability to judge the realism in the book, but most of us had the feeling it was accurate. Unlike Perry Mason, Connelley's criminal defense attorney almost never has an innocent client. Indeed, that became the crux of the problem for the lead character who must face the mistake of contributing to the incarceration of an innocent man.
Some interesting plot twists: the attorney's investigator gets killed. Gosh! The author killed his Paul Drake!
In the final twist: we find out how the "bad guy" is able to move undetected across town to commit murder while wearing an anklet alarm system. OK, the author had me fooled, but my peers in the discussion group had figured it out in advance. You'll have to read it to find out yourself.
Most of the difference of opinion about the book revolved around the central character. Some of us did not feel sufficient attraction to the character. It was suggested that defense attorneys created by J. F. Freedman were more likable/attractive. Other participants liked the development of the character through the book; as the book opens, the attorney is thoroughly jaded and seems resigned to perform a service, no matter how low he must stoop. By the end, he seems just a bit (thus, realistically) reformed by the crisis he underwent with the two principle clients featured in the plot. At the very least, the crisis brought out his more noble side.
The group also exchanged views on the credibility of the client and his mother. This led to a reflection on the different mental states of murderers, including Jeffrey Dommer and Charles Stuart.
I felt the book was a solid "B" and others in the group had no trouble giving the book a solid "A." Our next book is listed on the TheMysteryBookClub blog.
Neat Lawyer tricks.......2007-06-29
The main character: Inventive, cynical but decent.
Plot: Nicely twisted.
Ending: A bit melodramatic, but well prepared for.
Style: Readable, funny, clever.
Could Be Connelly's Best.......2007-06-18
This stand alone featuring Mickey Haller as L.A. criminial defense attorney is nothing short of terrific from first page to last.
The novel moves at a refreshingly fast pace with every page seemingly containing action or important information pivotal to the overall story.
It is a riveting thriller, a great police procedural and courtroom drama nothing short of what could be real.
In the end, once you close the book, you want to pick up another novel at least as good as this one, and hope it delviers. This one's a benchmark. (BTW, I chose another of Connelly's, The Concrete Blonde, which I am thus far enjoying).
Connelly does it right and on The Lincoln Lawyer, he knocks this hit out of the park. If you like thrillers with a great story and sharp characters, don't hesitate getting The Lincoln Lawyer.
A heart pounding, edge of your seat thriller.......2007-06-12
I bought this book because I read all of Connelly's other books and was impressed. This book is no different. It introduces Mickey Haller, a lawyer who operates from the backseat of a Lincoln. Haller is portrayed as unscrupulous and just cares about winning cases, however, later in the book, he is seen as a devoted father and likable ex-husband.
The story is centered around Mickey and his client Roulet who is charged with assaulting a working girl. Upon investigating the case however, many truths about Roulet come to light and a past case haunts him as well. The plot development of this story is excellent and Connelly takes us through many twists and turns and ends the story with a bang.
Excellent but only so deep.......2007-05-07
I bought this book after the reviewer for another book I liked spoke well of it in passing. And I liked it. The book was very well plotted and the dialog and details seemed to be true to life (as far as I could tell anyway). It was easy reading.
There were only a few problems. There were a couple very small bits of political correctness A silly judge into his irish heritage who makes something of it on St. Patrick's day is reflexively labeled a racist. And the main character believes he's gaining understanding of his black clients' lives by listening to rap music, which would be a bit like me thinking I understand Irish life because I listen to Van Morrison.
But, the only reason I didn't give 5 stars was the lack of any greater philosophical or aphoristic content. It's still worth buying.
Average customer rating:
- Just someone showing off about how much he read about jazz History
- The definitive Satchmo biography
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Louis Armstrong: An American Genius
James Lincoln Collier
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
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ASIN: 0195037278 |
Book Description
Louis Armstrong. "Satchmo." To millions of fans, he was just a great entertainer. But to jazz aficionados, he was one of the most important musicians of our times--not only a key figure in the history of jazz but a formative influence on all of 20th-century popular music. Set against the backdrop of New Orleans, Chicago, and New York during the "jazz age", Collier re-creates the saga of an old-fashioned black man making it in a white world. He chronicles Armstrong's rise as a musician, his scrapes with the law, his relationships with four wives, and his frequent feuds with fellow musicians Earl Hines and Zutty Singleton. He also sheds new light on Armstrong's endless need for approval, his streak of jealousy, and perhaps most important, what some consider his betrayal of his gift as he opted for commercial success and stardom. A unique biography, knowledgeable, insightful, and packed with information, it ends with Armstrong's death in 1971 as one of the best-known figures in American entertainment.
Customer Reviews:
Just someone showing off about how much he read about jazz History.......2006-11-02
I was completely disapointed by this book. SInce the begining the author is only taking advantage of the trapped reader to show him how much he knows about the origins of technical jazz. There is really little about Louis and his lif per se. The author rather gives a rough background stating that little is known (he shouldn't have written a book about such a personality if little was known about him)and the few facts that he states he refutes arguing they are not true or completely true. Even refering to Louis autobiography trying to demonstrate that the artist himself was wrong in his own words.
Just a well written account of Jazz origins dressed up as a Louis Armstrong Biography, maybe the only way James Lincoln Collier could sell a copy. Disguising the buyer and cheating on the reader.
Strongly not recomended !!!
The definitive Satchmo biography.......2004-12-11
Collier did a great job! His historiography is as brilliant as ever. It seems to me that the mainstream of Jazz so-called "scholars" don't like Collier because he's got no race bias and because of his impartiality. Actually, Mr. Collier is the best American writer on the subject, as he knows musical theory and is also a fine researcher.
Book Description
This classic biography rescues Abe Lincoln, a shrewd practitioner of frontier jurisprudence, from schoolbook myths of Honest Abe. Anecdotal and penetrating, it portrays Lincoln the trial lawyer, the brief lawyer, the appellate lawyer, the railroad and big business lawyer, and for a time the judge. It follows him, too, into his Civil War presidency to attest to status as one of the world’s truly great legal minds.
Customer Reviews:
Lincoln Was The Prime Example of Good Lawyering........2005-10-14
Abraham Lincoln was a self-taught lawyer. He did "read" and learn the trade from another and did very well for that time. Now, there is someone calling himself a Lincoln lawyer, which fooled me big time, as I expected it to be about one A. Lincoln. The new one is about an unscrupulous, on the down side of life lawyer who has to do his business out of his car. I remember when Debbie Reynolds said that she had to live out of hers out there in L.A.
It shows what an unethical person does in the gutter as opposed to the very ethical A. Lincoln of the 1850s. He was known as honest Abe. You can't say the same for the lawyers represented in the new Lincoln book. I have worked for lawyers, and had a couple as personal friends, and I have some knowledge of how that part of the law works.
To tear one down for no good reason, is to be on a par with such a seedy, lowdown attorney-at-law who is so low he can't afford a respectable office from which to do legitimate business. Of course, Mickey and his father who gained the gangster's gun as a reward for getting a guilty person off, are not respectable. He was told not to ever let an innocent person go to prison, but that is exactly what he did and it is time to face the music of his own un-doing. Only lowlifes would go to someone who does his business out of a car. It amazes me that even a character in a novel such as this could belong to the Legal Profession.
Lincoln, First-Rate Lawyer.......2004-08-26
Woldman, Albert A., Lawyer Lincoln. 1936. New York: Carroll & Graf, 2001.
Lincoln's career as a lawyer was a strange mixture. For 23 years he handled cases both large and small, for fees ranging from nothing to $5,000. The author takes inconsistent positions, now claiming that Lincoln had no use for law books and that he practiced at a place and time when precedents were few, and gave little preparation to his cases. But then he complete reverses himself and says that Lincoln studied precedents closely, that he argued 178 cases before the Illinois Supreme Court, ranging from a $3 hog case to one involving a third of a million dollars in taxes, and that his cases included conditional sales, fraudulent conveyance, surety, conflicting liens, false imprisonment, jurisdiction, equity of redemption, set-offs, seduction, wagering, slander, recording, land improvement, licenses, trusts, slavery, patent, mandamus, usury, ejectment, out-of-state depositions, trespass on the case, foreclosure, rescission, assumpsit, writ practice, liquor licenses, reapportionment, admiralty, land accretion, minor's contracts, homicide, and important railroad cases involving eminent domain issues, as well as cases involving constitutional questions such as interstate commerce. In addition to railroad corporations, Lincoln represented municipalities, banks, gas companies, insurance companies and large manufacturing and commercial concerns. He litigated stockholders rights and corporate charter provisions. He never refused to represent "soulless corporations" and often tried merely to hold down the amount of damages, as any defense lawyer would. Naturally, he could not do this complex work operating solely by the seat of his pants.
Obviously, the man was unique for his day and definitely was not a hayseed lawyer, though he gave the appearance of one by wearing trousers that ended two inches above his shoes. Contrary to what the author tells us, quoting Lincoln's long-term partner, William Herndon, (p. 242) that "Practically he knew nothing about the rules of evidence, of pleading, or practice, as laid down in the textbooks, and seemed to care nothing about them," Lincoln knew his pleas in abatement and in bar, his demurrers, claims of laches, joinder issues, and his appellate bond rules. The parts I like best about him are the events that I can relate to myself: his standing in the Bar for integrity and honesty, the fact that he related to jurors on a personal basis and was unassuming, his refusal to befog, and that he never stood on technicalities but was concise and kept the case simple and direct. There is a "Vic and Sade" quality to Lincoln's downstate Illinois experience (one of his associates was named U. L. Loop), which took me right back to early childhood and my radio days. I learned that Lincoln opposed the Mexican War as preemptive, unconstitutional, and a sneaky way for slavery to be extended west of the Mississippi. I felt his agony at seeing a losing case slip away, and his loss of enthusiasm for it. As a trial lawyer he was a ham (making a plug serve as a button when one fell off his coat; allowing a broken suspender to hang from his shoulder during closing argument), and was accused of switching almanacs in the famous "moonlight" murder case, which he did not do. The author quotes the famous "bleeding feet" closing argument in the case of the Revolutionary war veteran's widow seeking her pension. "He possessed the necessary attributes of a good jury lawyer: a strong personality, a readiness of wit and invention, and a strong dramatic sense."
I also liked the fact that he both trained young lawyers and acted as judge pro tem and arbitrator by request, two activities that I engaged in heavily. In this he was blessed with the rarest of all qualities of a great judge: he had an open mind. I also liked it that when he had finished saying what he had to say, he stopped, and sometimes said nothing at all. I did that once as a young lawyer, submitting a case without oral argument, and my client, who was present in court, almost fainted. We won.
Lincoln fought the Dred Scott decision which declared the Missouri Compromise of 1820 to be unconstitutional, and which was followed by the Kansas-Nebraska Act, but he did not advocate ignoring it. I suppose his great weakness viewed from today's perspective was his grudging respect for the Constitutional approval of slavery and his belief that it remained the law of the land until amended. In this he was a lawyer's lawyer, looking past what was just to what was technically the law.
The book discusses his debates with Stephen A. Douglas, and some of his legal actions as president (such as international law questions during the war).
The book appears to me to be a collection of articles pasted together, with some inconsistencies and contradictions, but with plenty of interesting information and insights thrown in. I'm glad to see it back in print.
A good account of the 23 years of the lawyer years.......1999-09-22
This book shows how the practice of law on the Illinois frontier shaped Lincoln into the leader he became during his presidency.
Book Description
This biography of one of the most famous and recognizable American presidents mark DK's commitment to bringing US history-based biographies to the DK Readers series. In Abraham Lincoln, readers will find out about our sixteenth president's humble beginnings, his career as a lawyer, his marriage and family life, and his presidency during the Civil War. The 48-page Level 3 books, designed for children who can read on their own, contain more complex sentence structure and more detail. Young readers will devour these kid-friendly titles, which cover high-interest topics such as sharks, and the Bermuda Triangle, as well as classics like Aladdin. Information boxes highlight historical references, trivia, pronunciation, and other facts about words and names mentioned. Averaging 2,400 to 2,800 words, these books offer a 50/50 picture-to-text ratio. The Dorling Kindersley Readers combine an enticing visual layout with high-interest, easy-to-read stories to captivate and delight young bookworms who are just getting started. Written by leading children's authors and compiled in consultation with literacy experts, these engaging books build reader confidence along with a lifelong appreciation for nonfiction, classic stories, and biographies. There is a DK Reader to interest every child at every level, from preschool to grade 4.
Average customer rating:
- Poorly organized, written and edited
- lincoln the lawyer
- Abraham Lincoln WAS a Shrewd Lawyer
- A truly astounding portrait of a great legal mind
- Excellent view of Lincoln's unknown law cases!
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A. Lincoln, Esquire: A Shrewd, Sophisticated Lawyer in His Time
Allen D. Spiegel
Manufacturer: Mercer University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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An Honest Calling: The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln
ASIN: 0865547394 |
Customer Reviews:
Poorly organized, written and edited.......2004-04-12
As a physician I looked forward to reading this, but it is poorly organized, written and edited. The author bounces back and forth within a chapter. I expected a straight discourse on each case instead there was a mishmash. For example in one chapter I thought he was going to discuss two malpractice cases that Lincoln defended. Instead there is an eassay on Medical Malpractice from 1830s through the 1850s. In another chapter about a malpractice on a broken leg that was not set as the patient wanted, there is a three page discourse on all the medical literature that Lincoln COULD have used. IN the end the case was setteld, but then we never find out the particulars of the settlement, why it was settled or such.Overall a major disappointment for me.
lincoln the lawyer.......2004-01-16
Like everything else concerning Lincoln's life, his law practice has acquired the patina of legend over the years. Mr. Spiegel's book does an excellent job of dispelling myths and presenting Lincoln as a well respected attorney with a thriving practice. The strongest part of the book are the introductory materials and the first two chapters. Lincoln is shown to be willing to argue any side of a case based on his clients' needs. In a case where two men had a monetary dispute Lincoln was hired by one man for the trial and by the other man during the appeal. Reamrks about the difficulty assessing an attorney's effectiveness based on the won-loss record are well considered.
However, later chapters seem somewhat unfocused. The author adds interesting tidbits unrelated to the topic and outside the time of Lincoln's practice. I had hoped that a ten year research project would focus more extensively on his actual practice. Still, this is a good reference for scholars and Lincoln "buffs."
Abraham Lincoln WAS a Shrewd Lawyer.......2002-05-24
Many people believe that Abraham Lincoln was just a hick lawyer. This book cites more than 60 cases and shows that Lincoln was a top notch shrewd, sophisticated lawyer. In addition, Lincoln took on all types of cases and earned a good iving. He represemterd a slave owner even though he opposed the idea of slavery. He defended people accussed of murder and he prosecuted murderers. He represented corporations and he handled many individual bad debt cases. It was particularly interesting to read about Lincoln's daily mixture of law, politics and activities in the society of his time. For the first time, this book uses newly discovered legal documents about Lincoln's practice and the author describes cases that were previously unknown. There is a large mass of references and a substantial bibliography - about 40 pages of material. If lincoln had not been elected president, there is no doubt that he would have become one of the leading lawyers in the nation. Obviously, lawyers will enjoy this book along with historians and the general public. I heartedly recommend this book.
A truly astounding portrait of a great legal mind.......2002-05-06
A. Lincoln Esquire: A Shrewd, Sophisticated Lawyer In His Time by Allen D. Spiegel (Professor of Medicine and Community Health, State University of New York Health science Center, Brooklyn, New York) is a unique study of an often overlooked aspect of the President who saw America through the Civil War. Studying Abraham Lincoln as a lawyer, A. Lincoln Esquire focuses upon his tireless work as a dedicated litigator facing down a tremendous caseload. Exhaustively researched for ten years, filled with legal papers as primary sources and presenting more than sixty of Lincoln's cases, A. Lincoln Esquire is a truly astounding portrait of a great legal mind - whose far-reaching career in the court of law was curtailed only by the higher calling of the nation at large. A. Lincoln Esquire is a seminal, ground breaking Lincoln biography, and a highly recommended addition to academic and community library collections.
Excellent view of Lincoln's unknown law cases!.......2002-04-27
I liked the mixture of Abraham Lincoln's law cases with his politics and activities within the society of his time. He handled all types of cases and was not a hick lawyer. I was surprised to learn that he defended slave owners despite his opposition to slavery itself. Furthermore, I learned that Lincoln handled medical malpractice and sexually-related slander cases. I highly recommend this book to historians, medical professionals and the general public. Read it and enjoy it!
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Lincoln the Lawyer
Frederick Trevor Hill
Manufacturer: Fred B Rothman & Co
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0837707110 |
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