National Book Award Non Fiction Winner
The Lion and the Throne
by Catherine Drinker Bowen
Summary
A biography of Sir Edward Coke, the 17th-century English lawyer and judge who championed the common law against the absolute power of kings. It traces the roots of the legal principles that would later shape the U.S. Constitution.
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Historical Context & Significance
Bowen was famous for her "narrative" approach to biography, often imagining scenes and dialogue based on strict historical evidence to make the legal history come alive.