description: The Barnes &amp; Noble ReviewDecember 1998The New York Times Book Review declared Jonathan Harr's revealing true story, A Civil Action, "a page-turner. So rich and vivid that it becomes a good deal more than a simple, interesting case study." The critically acclaimed bestseller tells the true story of an obsessed young lawyer who gives up just about everything to fight two prestigious law firms and two of the nation's largest corporations on behalf of the families and citizens of Woburn, Massachusetts, whose loved ones died because they drank the water. Harr has crafted a tale that demonstrates how truth can be more interesting than fiction. Describing a lawsuit that lasted nine years, A Civil Action reveals that even with the best lawyers and evidence on the victims' side, justice can be elusive, especially when it involves malfeasance by powerful corporations. Read how the unlikeliest of heroes emerges when a young, hotshot, Porsche-driving lawyer takes the case, initially with hopes of winning millions, and ends up nearly losing everything, including his sanity, as he is led to confront connected and powerful interests who will do anything to win. A Civil Action is considered by many to be the best book ever written on the legal system.
language: English
title: A Civil Action
titlecomplete: A Civil Action
genres: Legal Thriller, History, Mystery, Environment, School, Science, Nonfiction, Crime, True Crime, Law
ratings_count: 15952
awards: awardedAt: 788947200000
name: National Book Critics Circle Award
category: General Nonfiction, awardedAt: 820483200000
name: American Bar Association Silver Gavel Award
category: Books, awardedAt: 788947200000
name: National Book Award Finalist
category: Nonfiction
publisher: Random House (NY)