“Kersten reveals a man whose life took nearly every possible turn: a corporate attorney who became labor's leading lawyer; an ambitious politico who came to detest political parties; a devout pacifist who drummed up support for war. Kersten, who has written two books on labor history, focuses much of American Iconoclast on Darrow's role in the big labor trials of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The book is at its best in this section, with vivid portraits of the front line in what was seen at the time as a great war between capital and labor.” —Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel with praise for Andrew E. Kersten's Clarence Darrow: American Iconoclast

“Forty years ago, Clarence Darrow's life story inspired me to sell my successful publishing company and found a civil rights law firm. Readers of Andrew E. Kersten's riveting new account of this great infectious trial lawyer will no doubt consider leaving life as usual and joining Darrow's quest for justice. Kersten's well-written book reveals Darrow as an early crusader against corporate abuse of human rights in the mold of Upton Sinclair, Ralph Nader, and Michael Moore.” —Morris Dees, founder and chief trial counsel, Southern Poverty Law Center with praise for Andrew E. Kersten's Clarence Darrow: American Iconoclast

“Andrew E. Kersten's Clarence Darrow is a superb biography, at once highly readable and historically astute. It is full of personality and politics, a compelling narrative that illuminates how Darrow's complex and contradictory legal career helped define and animate twentieth-century American liberalism.” —Nelson Lichtenstein, MacArthur Foundation Chair in History, UC Santa Barbara, and author of The Retail Revolution: How Wal-Mart Created a Brave New World of Business with praise for Andrew E. Kersten's Clarence Darrow: American Iconoclast

“Kersten explodes Darrow's messy, complicated life . . . This is no hagiography, but rather a portrait of a truly human character trying to effect change while battling private demons.” —Kirkus Reviews with praise for Andrew E. Kersten's Clarence Darrow: American Iconoclast

“The brilliance and daring of Darrow's legal strategies make this skillful, absorbing biography most riveting, especially with his masterful handling of the controversial Leopold-Loeb case, the unpopular Scopes ‘monkey trial,' and the Sweet case, where a black family defended their home from attacks by their white neighbors.” —Publishers Weekly with praise for Andrew E. Kersten's Clarence Darrow: American Iconoclast

“A richly detailed but accessible account of Clarence Darrow's complicated life . . . Unlike many Darrow biographies, this one shows how much more there was to the man than law and politics. Highly recommended for all interested readers and all libraries.” —Stephen L. Hupp, Library Journal with praise for Andrew E. Kersten's Clarence Darrow: American Iconoclast