The letters in this volume are easily the most intrinsically interesting of any that Louis D. Brandeis ever wrote. The excitement and quality of drama which these letters convey spring from the exciting and dramatic events which called them forth. On January 28, 1916, President Wilson stunned the nation by nominating Brandeis to the Supreme Court, and the first half of the book constitutes a spirited defense of a life of controversy and public service, and the closest Brandeis ever came to an autobiography.

The period from the beginning of 1916 through the middle of 1921 was a period of dramatic activity for Brandeis. Defending his previous career, working for a Jewish homeland, traveling through Europe and the Middle East, quarreling with fellow Zionists, Brandeis retained a lively interest in world affairs. Always an alert and perceptive observer of our national ways, he now found himself situated in Washington, the very center of the political and economic life of the American people. These letters record his controversies, his activities, his observations, and his hopes.