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Rating: 
Summary: More than a biography of Miller
Review: Justice of Shattered Dreams is a well-balanced blend of history, law, economics and biography. The author provides a succinct and well-written summary of such topics as popular sovereignty, the tension over the Kansas/Nebraska issue, the recalcitrance of the South during Reconstruction, and the legal battles between capitalist bondholders and small town populists. Ross, who has a J.D. from Duke, provides insightful legal summaries of Dred Scott, Ex Parte Merryman, the Prize cases, Ex parte Milligan, the Legal Tender cases, as well as the Slaughterhouse cases for which Miller is most remembered. Ross's analysis of Ex Parte Milligan resonates today vis-a-vis the legal arguments over the status of the internees at Guantanamo Bay. There is just enough legal analysis to explain the theory of the decisions without overpowering the non-lawyer reader, and just enough facts to convey the essence of the case and its background.The book is interesting because it is not a true biography of a Supreme Court justice. It blends the economic background and the societal tensions that were present during Miller's lifetime. Additionally, Ross makes some very good points on Reconstruction and reinforces why Reconstruction, in some ways, was just as decisive as slavery in fracturing the country - a legacy that continues today much to the dismay of the modern Democratic party. Ross's analysis of how railroads and railroad bridges destroyed the small western towns is very informative; again, Ross provides a good, cogent synopsis of an economic issue. Overall, this is an interesting and informative book that ties together divergent strands of history and presents a cohesive snapshot of our country between the 1850's and 1870's.
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