A Machine That Would Go of Itself

Library Journal

A timely historical survey of American lay thought and attitude toward the Constitution from the 1780s to the present by Pulitzer Prize-winner Kammen ( People of Paradox ). With a mix of reverence and ignorance, Americans have fashioned a constitutional pattern of conflict within consensus. Kammen traces this pattern: initial ambiguity, slow emergence as a national symbol, conflict and the Civil War, etc., accelerating change after 1940. Throughout he emphasizes the role of the Supreme Court. Past constitutional anniversary celebrations provide a fascinating perspective on the upcoming fete. As Kammen notes, the Constitution has not been a popular topic. But with the bicentennial so near (1987), this wide-ranging scholarly account, which breaks new ground yet is suitable for general readers, should be in most libraries. History Book Club alternate. John Cudd, Sch. of Library & Information Science, Univ. of Missouri-Columbia

Charles McGrath

....An illuminating exploration of literature comparing our written Constitution with the unwritten one of Britain....[this] engaging book ought to shake that faith. -- The New York Times Books of the Century