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Shop nowOriginal Meanings
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Learn moreWhat did the U.S. Constitution originally mean, and how can we recover the intentions of its framers? These questions, which resound throughout today’s most heated legal and political controversies, lie at the heart of Jack N. Rakove’s splendidly readable work of historical analysis. In Original Meanings, he traces the complex weave of ideology and interests from which the Constitution emerged and shows how Americans have attached different meanings to their founding document from the moment it was published.
Original Meanings examines the classic issues that the framers of the Constitution had to solve: federalism, representation, executive power, individual rights, and the idea that the Constitution itself should become supreme law. Rakove pays particular attention to James Madison, the Constitution’s presiding genius, whose brilliance shaped the document’s framing, ratification, and amendment. The result is a major work of reinterpretation that should be read by every student of American history, law, and politics.
Jack Rakove, the Coe Professor of History and American Studies and a professor of political science at Stanford University, is one of the most distinguished historians of the early American republic. He won the Pulitzer Prize in history in 1997 for Original Meanings and frequently writes op-ed articles for the New York Times, the Washington Post, and other major newspapers.
Steven Weber is an Earphones Award–winning narrator who has been a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for Best narration. As an actor, he made his film debut in 1984 in The Flamingo Kid and has since acted in numerous films and television series, including Wings and The Shining. He has also appeared in many stage productions, including National Anthems and the Broadway musical The Producers.
Reviews
“A deeply satisfying account of the political world from which the United States Constitution issued.”
“With exquisite skill…Rakove convincingly demonstrates how complicated the issue of original intent really is…A first-rate historian.”
“Rich, learned, and profound…fascinating reading.”
“The most thoughtful and careful scholarly analysis to date of the extent to which the framers should control our contemporary understanding of the Constitution.”
“This work ranks with well-known works by Bernard Bailyn, Gordon Wood, Bruce Ackerman, and others. Its focus on the importance of language is reason enough for placing it on one’s shelf.”
“A unique contribution to the historical and legal debate surrounding the Constitution.”
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