Darrow’s Nightmare

As was said of Clarence Darrow’s closing arguments when reduced to print, “more interesting than a novel.” Judge Johnson deftly makes use of trial transcripts to bring to life the worst two years of Darrow’s career by weaving two great stories: Darrow as criminal defendant, and the brilliant lawyer who defended him, Earl Rogers.

I thoroughly enjoyed Darrow’s Nightmare. I was unaware of this facet of Darrow’s life until reading this riveting portrayal. The players and background are set very well and the courtroom exchanges provide a vivid picture of trials in California at the beginning of the 20th Century, truly the ‘Wild, Wild West.’

This is an incredible book — a dramatic story told by a gifted story teller. “Darrow’s Nightmare” is as gripping as a novel. The characters involved in this trial are outstanding. I’ll never forget the image of Earl Rogers, Darrow’s extraordinary defense attorney, dressed in his dapper clothes examining questionable evidence with his lorgnette. Nelson Johnson has a wonderful knack of giving the reader the interesting details while keeping the focus on the larger story.