The Old Devil

A gripping account of the world's greatest and most controversial defence lawyer and the infamous trials which forged his enduring legacy.

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Clarence Darrow was one of the most legendary and influential trial lawyers the world has ever seen. Famous for his ability to turn seemingly unwinnable cases his way through his oratory and his uncanny skill at reading the mood of a jury, he was a man whose work inspired impassioned campaigns against the death penalty as well as lavish Hollywood movies. Now award-winning writer Donald McRae revisits the three greatest trials which secured Darrow's near-mythic reputation and brings them vividly to life.

The public themes which Darrow confronted still resonate powerfully today: sex and murder, religion and science, racism, the media and the law. Written with great intimacy, drama and immediacy, this is a sweeping story which offers piercing insight into one of the most towering and controversial personalities of the twentieth century.