The University of California Press has released
In the Clutches of the Law: Clarence Darrow's Letters, edited by
Randall Tietjen. Cribbing from the UC Press
website:
This volume presents a selection of 500 letters by Clarence Darrow, the
pre-eminent courtroom lawyer of the late nineteenth and early twentieth
century. Randall Tietjen selected these letters from over 2,200 letters
in archives around the country, as well as from one remarkable find—the
kind of thing historians dream about: a cache of about 330 letters by
Darrow hidden away in the basement of Darrow’s granddaughter’s house.
This collection provides the first scholarly edition of Darrow’s
letters, expertly annotated and including a large amount of previously
unknown material and hard-to-locate letters. Because Darrow was a gifted
writer and led a fascinating life, the letters are a delight to read.
This volume also presents a major introduction by the editor, along with
a chronology of Darrow’s life, and brief biographical sketches of the
important individuals who appear in the letters.
A few blurbs:
“Clarence Darrow was an American original: at once idealistic and
pragmatic, a hopeful reformer and a hopeless determinist; revered and
reviled. In this first-ever comprehensive compilation of Darrow’s
wide-ranging personal correspondence, we learn the private side of
America’s most celebrated lawyer. This remarkable collection will deepen
our understanding of a near-legendary figure.”—Edward J. Larson,
Pulitzer Prize winning author of Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America’s Continuing Debate Over Science and Religion
"This
is one of the three best books on Clarence Darrow ever published. It
stands with the Arthur Weinberg collection of Darrow’s courtroom
speeches and Darrow’s autobiography. Tietjen has not only collected
letters that provide insight into Darrow’s life and character; he has
provided commentary and narrative context that make this book a joy to
read.”—Michael E. Tigar, lawyer, Emeritus Professor of Law, Washington
College of Law and Duke University
More information is available
here.
