Matters of State

This collection of essays chosen by the Philip Hamburger from his 60 years of writing for The New Yorker chronicles not only the people of US political life (Judge Learned Hand Fiorello La Guardia Dean Acheson FDR Eisenhower Reagan Clinton) but also the places and events with special emphasis on presidential inaugurations (the author has attended he thinks 14). Here is one man's view both funny and serious of the glorious diversity of American politics--and of the better angels of our nature.