Murphy offers a thoughtful and concise introduction to the First Amendment and its history. It is not a case by case review of the Supreme Court's exposition of First Amendment rights; instead the book offers a more subtle analysis of the First Amendment's application to the conditions and challenges of various historical periods.

Lewis combined his skills as a New York Times Columnist and his knowledge as a Harvard Law School graduate to produce this compelling and authoritative review of this 1964 Supreme Court libel case. The book is particularly good at placing this case within the context of a much longer history of First Amendment legal decisions.