Featuring five famous trials, this book examines the way our right to a fair trial can be threatened, when people are tempted to abandon their principles in the name of safety. Trials included are the Salem Witch Trials, the Haymarket Affair Trial, the Scopes “Monkey” Trial, the trial of Alger Hiss, and the trial of Zacarias Moussaoui—the latter not yet covered extensively in any book.
"In this well-researched and affecting offering, Margulies and Rosaler tie some of the most important trials in American history to the country’s frequent need to find a "devil: not just a threat to the community, but an incarnation of evil . . . With an oversize format, a crisp typeface, and an illustration-filled design, this is an appealing-looking read. However, it is not light reading; the depth in which the authors examine these trials is both complete and sobering, especially when set against whatever public sentiment was raging at the time. Putting these trials into a historical context is something they do particularly well."--Booklist, starred review
