Robert H. Jackson: New Deal Lawyer, Supreme Court Justice, Nuremberg Prosecutor
Grade 6–9—Clear writing, well-placed black-and-white photographs, and extensive research combine to illuminate Jackson's extraordinary life. Chapters on his childhood in rural Frewsburg, NY, his successes on the high school debate team and as a young orator, his law apprenticeship, and his experiences at Albany Law School are included. Jarrow also details how Jackson became an adviser to Franklin Delano Roosevelt, was elected to the Democratic Party's state committee, and made a name for himself as one of the nation's top trial lawyers. Moving up the political ladder, Jackson was appointed to the positions of solicitor general and attorney general, and then to the Supreme Court. When World War II ended, he became the chief prosecutor of the Nuremberg Trials, representing the United States government in these historic international proceedings. The author's treatment of the trials is perhaps the most interesting portion of the book and will be especially useful to social-studies teachers looking for supplemental information for World War II and Holocaust curricula. An impressively detailed and fascinating treatment of a little-known yet important figure in American history.—Rachel Kamin, North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, Highland Park, ILCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.