Roe V. Wade: Abortion and a Woman’s Right to Privacy (Landmark Supreme… (utgåvan 2012)

This book is a history about the legal battles over abortion in America, primarily focusing on the Surpreme Court ruling in Roe v. Wade in 1973. The work gives a selected bibliography of five books, and refers readers to the publisher's website for pertinent web links. Although the selected bibliography is rather short and only includes books, the author has included a more complete "Sources Noted" section, which includes legal briefs and rulings, as well as poll results and periodical articles.

One of the main books used is Sarah Weddington's "A Question of Choice." As Weddington was one of Roe's two lawyers from the beginning of the lawsuit in Texas, I think that this would be an excellent source for insider information on the case. On the other hand, one of the other books is Norma McCorvey's "I am Roe,' which was written by the woman who was known as "Jane Roe" in the case. In the time since the Supreme Court decision, McCorvey has converted to Catholicism and become a pro-life advocate, so while I would trust her telling of the series of events, I would be cautious using the book as a source, as it might have some political motivation behind it, although I suppose one could say the same for Weddington's book.

The other sources sited in the notes section include a nineteenth century medical manual, which Higgins has used to show the antiquated beliefs held by some of the medical community even to the time when Roe was being decided. Conversely, Higgins also cites more recent medical studies which tend to show the safeness of legal abortions, as well as the dangers that can be associated with illegal abortions.

Higgins also cites a number of religious and ecumenical articles, most of which have been used by their respective religious denominations to decry the use of abortions. She also cites public polls, from the time of Roe to more current polls, showing the reader how public opinion has changed in the last forty years.

The author also cites a number of government documents, such as Constitution and the Bill of Rights, to help illsustrate the arguments being used in the case, mainly by the Roe lawyers. Included as well are briefs and rulings from previous court cases which helped to set up the Roe case, like "Griswold v. Connecticut," which gave the Roe team the legal precedent for a right to privacy.

Overall, while I did not find the book itself to be incredibly stimulating, I think that Higgins uses a good variety of legitimate sources to tell the story of Roe v. Wade. By including legal documents, as well as public opinion polls, she gives the reader a good idea of the polarizing nature of the issue. ( )