MAN ON TRIAL

The flaw in Socrates' philosophy that led him to submit to the outcome of a trial under non-objective law; the broken spirit of Galileo, turning aside from the wrath of vested interests; the rantings of Van der Lubbe claiming sole credit for the Reichstag fire; the spectre of Stalin, moving through the juridical farce at Moscow -- these are examples of the philosophical and political puzzles studied in this unusual book. Each chapter is the record of a trial that had a profound effect on the course of history; the other defendants are Jesus, Joan of Arc, Charles I, the Salem ""witches"", Andrew Johnson, Dreyfus, Oppenheimer, and participants in the Scopes case and the Nuremberg trials. The drama of each situation is depicted in narrative form, but appended to each chapter is ""the best available verbatim account"" of the highlights of the proceedings. An extensive bibliography is provided.