The Last Trials of Clarence Darrow

Donald McRae

BookHigh SchoolMiddle SchoolLawyer

About

“Wonderfully evocative… Donald McRae captures the Great Defender in all his complexity.... A joy to read.” — Kevin Boyle, National Book Award-winning author of Arc of Justice

"Astonishingly vivid." —James Tobin, Award-winning author of Ernie Pyle’s War

The story of the three dramatic trials that resurrected the life and career of America’s most colorful—and controversial—defense attorney: Clarence Darrow. Many books, plays, and movies have covered Darrow and the trials of Leopold and Loeb, John T. Scopes, and Ossian Sweet before: Geoffrey Cowan’s The People v. Clarence Darrow; Simon Baatz’s For the Thrill of It; Kevin Boyle’s Arc of Justice; Meyer Levin’s Compulsion and the film adaptation of the same name; Inherit the Wind; but few, if any, have achieved the intimacy and immediacy of Donald McRae’s The Great Trials of Clarence Darrow.

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Why it’s great

Donald McRae brings Clarence Darrow’s courtroom brilliance to life in this gripping account of his most dramatic and morally complex cases. The book captures Darrow’s unmatched eloquence and deep humanity as he defends clients in the face of public outrage and legal peril. It’s a powerful reminder that true justice often depends on those willing to stand alone against the tide.

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Resource Details

Resource Type: Book
Age Ranges: High School, Middle School
Careers: Lawyer
Subjects:

Book Details

Author: Donald McRae