Top reviews from the United States

Top reviews from other countries

• 

  TC Review

  5 out of 5 stars

  Like visiting Chatsworth

  Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 6, 2015

  Format: Hardcover

  Verified Purchase

  Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

  Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

  It's an old addage I know, but they say never judge a book by its cover - Lord Devlin, when preparing his judgment in the Dr Adams case (see my Amazon review) preferred a large cigar and a small brandy to aid his contemplation. I recommend the same to anyone thinking of reading Lord Birkett's wonderful life story.

  My book was a little `fusty' having presumably languished for some time on a damp bookshelf. This did not detract from my enjoyment however, indeed it accentuated the pleasure because Lord Birkett's guiding star was his `personal integrity', perhaps a somewhat `fusty' and outmoded concept itself in today's society.

  No one reading H Montgomery Hyde's book can fail to be inspired that a draper's son can rise to the highest pinnacles of public life. Pinnacles too many to mention here, but including those of Nuremburg trial judge, Lord of Appeal, Law Lord, Privy Councillor, and many others. But throughout he remained often depressed and filled with self-doubt saying he feared he would never be the perfect judge; he hadn't enough impudence to believe he was always right!

  His sadness and loneliness on the bench is palpable; he missed the cut and thrust of advocacy. But, as his selfless attitude to the Nuremberg war trials show, he was always ready to fulfill his public duty.

  His description of the qualities required of an advocate p551, and of what it takes to be a judge worthy of the title p545, to my mind provide textbook definitions and essential reading for anyone contemplating a life at the bar. But he was not above a sense of irony, stating that in his opinion most Lords of Appeal were deaf and learned counsel for the most part inaudible!

  There is no disguising the author's understandable passion for his subject. A passion I share having read this beautifully written book. To quote a New Statesman's comment following an interview given by Lord Birkett: it was `...like a coach-party visiting Chatsworth who suddenly realize they are being shown round by the Duke in person'.

  Read moreRead less

  Report

  Sending feedback...

  Thanks, we'll investigate in the next few days.

  Sorry, We failed to report this review. Please try again
• 

  fgr

  5 out of 5 stars

  Good to know it is still available

  Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 2, 2020

  Verified Purchase

  Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

  Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

  Had this wonderful book years ago. This is a replacement copy, an excellent second hand copy with just the legal information I need as an elderly layman which I recall from the first time I read it but have forgotten some detail. I am delighted to get it. Thank you.

  Read moreRead less

  Report

  Sending feedback...

  Thanks, we'll investigate in the next few days.

  Sorry, We failed to report this review. Please try again
• 

  LinG

  5 out of 5 stars

  Wonderfull

  Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 27, 2016

  Format: Paperback

  Verified Purchase

  Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

  Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

  What an amazing man he was - full of life and humanity. A really good read for anyone who enjoys reading about real life!

  Read moreRead less

  Report

  Sending feedback...

  Thanks, we'll investigate in the next few days.

  Sorry, We failed to report this review. Please try again
• 

  jj56

  5 out of 5 stars

  Present for my Mum

  Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 17, 2012

  Verified Purchase

  Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

  Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

  Bought this as a mothers day present for my mother. She comes from Ulverston and remembers following some of the trials in the papers. She thoroughly enjoyed reading it. The book arrived as described in a very acceptable condition. Worth every penny

  Read moreRead less

  Report

  Sending feedback...

  Thanks, we'll investigate in the next few days.

  Sorry, We failed to report this review. Please try again
• 

  Junius

  4 out of 5 stars

  Good, but very much an authorised biography

  Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 10, 2020

  Format: Paperback

  Verified Purchase

  Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

  Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

  This is a good long book but has the stamp of being the authorised, official biography and whilst not quite hagiography, sometimes comes close to it. For example, there's lots of congratulatory letters to the subject repeated here verbatim. The book is dedicated to the subject's widow, was published shortly after his death and draws on papers from the subject's family. There is little analysis or critical thinking displayed by the author here; for example Birkett is at one point opposed to free speech and later he is in favour of it. The book is sometimes fact piled on fact but without much else.

  However, for all that, it is, on the whole, a good and an interesting account of a very successful legal career, with accounts of the major trials Birkett was involved with including libel, fraud, divorce, murder, treason, war crimes and so on. The beginning and later parts of the book show us more of Birkett as a man, being able to draw on his diaries and partial memoir and this was certainly very good indeed. The reproduction of part of a TV interview in later life was one of the highlights for me.

  The book lacks any pictures, the footnotes are sparse, the author refers to police courts when magistrates'/petty session courts are meant. He fails to deal with the fact that whilst Birkett was a staunch Methodist in his youth (and there's a lot about this) and fell away in later life (mentioned in passing in an interview). How or why is not explained, which is symptomatic of the uncurious nature of the biographer. Very little is given about Birkett's private life or recreations. Or the fact that he was only a very part time MP indeed or only seems to have been in his constituency at election times (not that that always bothered his electorate; was he a good constituency MP? we are never told this). Some comparative information at times might have been useful; eg stating Birkett was earning about £30,000 in the 1930s is interesting but not that many employed men earned a hundredth of that.

  I would certainly recommend the book to anyone, but I thought it could have been better, for reasons explained above. In this I mean no disrespect to Lord Birkett, who was clearly an intelligent and capable lawyer, to put it mildly.

  Read moreRead less

  Report

  Sending feedback...

  Thanks, we'll investigate in the next few days.

  Sorry, We failed to report this review. Please try again