📖 Overview
Lawrence Goldstone is an American author and historian known for writing both non-fiction historical works and thriller novels. His non-fiction books often explore significant but lesser-known events and figures in American history, particularly focusing on constitutional law, civil rights, and scientific innovation.
Goldstone has written extensively about racial justice and voting rights, with works like "On Account of Race: The Supreme Court, White Supremacy, and the Ravaging of African American Voting Rights" (2020) and "Inherently Unequal: The Betrayal of Equal Rights by the Supreme Court" (2011). His books examining scientific and technological history include "Going Deep: John Philip Holland and the Invention of the Attack Submarine" (2017) and "Birdmen: The Wright Brothers, Glenn Curtiss, and the Battle to Control the Skies" (2014).
Beyond his historical works, Goldstone has authored several mystery novels featuring historical settings and characters. He frequently collaborates with his wife Nancy Goldstone on book projects, and together they have written works exploring various historical topics and periods.
His writing has appeared in notable publications including The Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, and Chicago Tribune, and his books have been finalists for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the Audie Award for History/Biography.
👀 Reviews
Readers appreciate Goldstone's ability to present complex historical topics in an accessible way. On Goodreads and Amazon, reviewers frequently mention his thorough research and clear explanations of legal concepts and historical events.
What readers liked:
- Detailed research with extensive citations
- Engaging narrative style that makes history readable
- Clear explanations of complex Supreme Court cases
- Connections between historical events and current issues
What readers disliked:
- Some find his political viewpoints too prominent
- Occasional repetition of information
- Dense legal terminology in constitutional history books
- Some readers note organizational issues in longer works
Ratings across platforms:
- Goodreads: Average 3.8/5 across all books
- Amazon: Average 4.2/5
- "On Account of Race" - 4.6/5 (Amazon)
- "Birdmen" - 4.3/5 (Amazon)
One reader on Goodreads noted: "Goldstone excels at making constitutional law accessible without oversimplifying." Another commented: "His research is impeccable, but sometimes gets bogged down in details."
📚 Books by Lawrence Goldstone
Driving While Black: The Car and Race Relations in Modern America
A historical examination of how the automobile influenced and reflected racial dynamics in 20th century America.
On Account of Race: The Supreme Court, White Supremacy, and the Ravaging of African American Voting Rights Analysis of Supreme Court decisions from 1876 to 1903 that affected African American voting rights.
Deconstructing Penguins: Parents, Kids, and the Bond of Reading Guide for parents to discuss literature with children using methods of literary analysis.
Used and Rare: Travels in the Book World Personal account of becoming rare book collectors and navigating the antiquarian book trade.
Birdmen: The Wright Brothers, Glenn Curtiss, and the Battle to Control the Skies Chronicles the early years of aviation and the legal battles between the Wright Brothers and Glenn Curtiss.
Going Deep: John Philip Holland and the Invention of the Attack Submarine Biography of John Philip Holland and the development of the modern submarine.
Inherently Unequal: The Betrayal of Equal Rights by the Supreme Court, 1865-1903 Examination of Supreme Court decisions that undermined Reconstruction-era civil rights legislation.
Dark Bargain: Slavery, Profits, and the Struggle for the Constitution Analysis of how slavery influenced the drafting of the U.S. Constitution.
Slightly Chipped: Footnotes in Booklore Collection of stories and observations about book collecting and antiquarian books.
The Activist: John Marshall, Marbury v. Madison, and the Myth of Judicial Review Historical analysis of Chief Justice John Marshall and the establishment of judicial review.
On Account of Race: The Supreme Court, White Supremacy, and the Ravaging of African American Voting Rights Analysis of Supreme Court decisions from 1876 to 1903 that affected African American voting rights.
Deconstructing Penguins: Parents, Kids, and the Bond of Reading Guide for parents to discuss literature with children using methods of literary analysis.
Used and Rare: Travels in the Book World Personal account of becoming rare book collectors and navigating the antiquarian book trade.
Birdmen: The Wright Brothers, Glenn Curtiss, and the Battle to Control the Skies Chronicles the early years of aviation and the legal battles between the Wright Brothers and Glenn Curtiss.
Going Deep: John Philip Holland and the Invention of the Attack Submarine Biography of John Philip Holland and the development of the modern submarine.
Inherently Unequal: The Betrayal of Equal Rights by the Supreme Court, 1865-1903 Examination of Supreme Court decisions that undermined Reconstruction-era civil rights legislation.
Dark Bargain: Slavery, Profits, and the Struggle for the Constitution Analysis of how slavery influenced the drafting of the U.S. Constitution.
Slightly Chipped: Footnotes in Booklore Collection of stories and observations about book collecting and antiquarian books.
The Activist: John Marshall, Marbury v. Madison, and the Myth of Judicial Review Historical analysis of Chief Justice John Marshall and the establishment of judicial review.
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Nathaniel Philbrick focuses on American maritime history and colonial period events through primary source research. His work emphasizes the human elements of historical incidents and their broader societal impact.
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