302
people found this helpful, as of 2023
ranked #84,310 most helpful
out of 571,544,897 reviews
★★★★★
Outstanding!
Judge Napolitano never ceases to impress me with his knowledge of history and his ability to give you the straight facts. There's no dancing around issues here; Napolitano starts out the book with criticism of one of the move beloved Founding Fathers, George Washington, for his acceptance of slavery (there is praise, too). I mention this because no punches are pulled for the sake of being agreeable; deceit and favoritism are not part of Napolitano's repertoire. This book serves up plenty of criticism for anyone who violates Natural Law or its protection under the Constitution, but that criticism is never generalized as an attack on a political party or group.
Judge Napolitano even attacks a few Constitutional amendments themselves, and particularly calls the 17th amendment the most "unconstitutional amendment" (if there were such a thing) for violating the separation of powers constructed by the Founding Fathers. Numerous historic court cases and power grabs are cited, and even the more famous examples are presented with rare respect for personal liberty. I appreciated the perspective and found myself learning a lot even about cases I was already familiar with. (Throughout the book, I was saying to my wife, "Did you know this?") The book is thoroughly documented with a long list of references at the end for those wanting to read original cited sources for themselves.
I've read a few books on the Constitution (Politically Incorrect Guide To, Who Killed The Constitution, Revolution: A Manifesto to name a few). While usually informative, nobody writes as well nor drills a point home as well as Napolitano. The book keeps a fast pace and focus on the subject of each chapter, with the details of cases presented as necessary without bogging down the central theme or pace. I found this book a pleasure to read. Napolitano has his opinions and doesn't hide them, and for those unfamiliar with "The Judge" he defends the Constitution as envisioned by (most of) the Founding Fathers. He is a great defender of liberty.
It's every bit as good and informative as his show "Freedom Watch" on Fox, which is high praise.
February 2010 · Books · verified purchase