Look for Dan Abrams and David Fisher’s new book,
Kennedy’s Avenger: Assassination, Conspiracy, and the Forgotten Trial of Jack Ruby
.
THE
NEW YORK TIMES
BESTSELLER
2020 Audie Finalist—History/Biography
A
Mental Floss
Book to Read in Summer 2019
“Gripping.…
Theodore Roosevelt for the Defense
is a must—read.”
—NPR
A President on Trial. A Reputation at Stake.
ABC News
legal correspondent and host of
LIVE PD
Dan Abrams reveals the story of Teddy Roosevelt’s last stand—an epic courtroom battle against corruption—in this thrilling follow—up to the
New York Times
bestseller
Lincoln’s Last Trial
“No more dramatic courtroom scene has ever been enacted,” reported the
Syracuse
Herald on May 22, 1915 as it covered “the greatest libel suit in history,” a battle fought between former President Theodore Roosevelt and the leader of the Republican party.
Roosevelt , the boisterous and mostly beloved legendary American hero, had accused his former friend and ally, now turned rival, William Barnes of political corruption. The furious Barnes responded by suing Roosevelt for an enormous sum that could have financially devastated him. The spectacle of Roosevelt defending himself in a lawsuit captured the imagination of the nation, and more than fifty newspapers sent reporters to cover the trial. Accounts from inside and outside the courtroom combined with excerpts from the trial transcript give us Roosevelt in his own words and serve as the heart of
This was Roosevelt’s final fight to defend his political legacy, and perhaps regain his fading stature. He spent more than a week on the witness stand, revealing hidden secrets of the American political system, and then endured a merciless cross—examination. Witnesses including a young Franklin D. Roosevelt and a host of well—known political leaders were questioned by two of the most brilliant attorneys in the country.
Following the case through court transcripts, news reports, and other primary sources, Dan Abrams and David Fisher present a high—definition picture of the American legal system in a nation standing on the precipice of the Great War, with its former president fighting for the ideals he held dear.