-Hudson presents an overview and assessment of the Supreme Court during the tenure of the recently deceased Chief Justice, William J. Rehnquist. Career and other biographical information for Rehnquist open the volume, followed by a chapter profiling justices serving during Rehnquist's tenure at the head of Court. Subsequent chapters explore the views of Rehnquist and court rulings as they related to federalism; freedom of religion; freedom of expression; habeas corpus and capital punishment; other areas of criminal law; and abortion, gay rights, and affirmative action. The final chapter assesses Rehnquist as an efficient and fair administrator of the Court who articulated a consistent conservative judicial philosophy and remained committed to judicial independence. —Reference & Research Book News

-In this single volume, Hudson has produced a chronicle of William Rehnquist's 33-year service on the Supreme Court, with 19 years as chief justice. A dedicated conservative, Rehnquist was a controversial figure in his public life, from his clerkship to Robert Jackson through his initial public service in the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel. Hudson takes the reader through two contentious confirmation hearings following Rehnquist's appointment to the bench by President Nixon and later to the chief justiceship by President Reagan. Before moving to the bulk of the study--an analysis of the major public law decisions of the Rehnquist period--the author profiles the 14 justices who served as colleagues prior to Rehnquist's appointment as chief, and later under his leadership. Constitutional areas under Hudson's microscope are federalism, freedom of religion and speech, criminal law, affirmative action, abortion, and gay rights....[t]he book is enlightening reading for the public as well as for the professionals. Recommended. General readers, upper-division undergraduates through faculty. —Choice