First published 1990
Sir Edward Coke stands at the pinnacle of English law, serving as Chief Justice under Queen Elizabeth and King James. His legal mind shapes the very foundations of justice, and his pen crafts the Petition of Right, a document that will echo through centuries of free government. Yet power corrupts even the most brilliant jurists. Coke's unwavering principles clash with royal authority, his rigid interpretations alienate allies, and his arrogance breeds enemies at court. The same fierce independence that makes him a champion of legal rights ultimately destroys his career. Catherine Drinker Bowen traces the trajectory of a man whose greatest strength becomes his fatal weakness, showing how the architect of constitutional freedom watches his own world crumble around him.
Genres: historical-fiction, biography-memoir, historical-drama, legal-thriller
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: clash-of-ideals, power-struggle
Setting: England
Period: 16th-century, 17th-century
672 pages · Paperback · Little Brown & Co