The Citizen's Constitution: An Annotated Guide

The Citizen's Constitution: An Annotated Guide

The Citizen's Constitution: An Annotated Guide
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Book Summary Information

Commentary: Seth Lipsky
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-10-27
ISBN: 0465018580
Number of pages: 352
Publisher: Basic Books

Book Reviews of The Citizen's Constitution: An Annotated Guide

Book Review: Fascinating Read
Summary: 5 Stars

I purchased several copies of this book as Christmas presents and finally got around to reading my own copy. Its a fascinating read and Seth does a great job of weaving historical background and legal opinions together to provide a "flavor" of the background of each part of the Constitution. The author is a political conservative, but I found the book unbiased and quite factual.

There are a few typos, the most humorous appears on page 150, where Seth quotes the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 and notes, "...willfully uses any part of the Army or the Air Force as a posse...". As far as I know the US didn't have much of an Air Force in 1878, but Seth does go on later to describe how the Air Force was formed out of the Army, as the Constitution only provides for an Army and Navy. I tried to contact Seth (and the publisher) to point out the typos, but found no way to contact them.

In addition to being a full copy of the Constitution and its Amendments (worth having in your library) the background information is invaluable in helping to piece together how the founders were influenced by the events of their times. In finishing the book I was overwhelmed at how much time, effort and resources our Nation devoted/wasted to maintaining slavery - ostensibly as concessions to the South in order to keep the Union together. Mississippi didn't finally ratify the XIII Amendment (abolishing slavery) until 1995!!!

An interesting read and an excellent resource for those interested in the Constitution (which should be ALL Americans).

Summary of The Citizen's Constitution: An Annotated Guide

Pocket versions of the Constitution of the United States of America abound, as do multi-volume commentaries, scholarly histories of its writing, and political posturings of various clauses. But what if you want a delightfully quick, witty, and readable reference that, in one compact volume, places the document and its clauses into context? You?re out of luck?until now. Written by Seth Lipsky, described in the Boston Globe as ?a legendary figure in contemporary journalism,? The Citizen?s Constitution draws on the writings of the Founders, case law from our greatest judges, and current events in more than 300 illuminating annotations. Lipsky provides a no-nonsense, entertaining, and learned guide to the fundamental questions surrounding the document that governs how we govern our country. Every American should know the Constitution. Rarely has it glinted so brightly.

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