They are two of America’s most fundamental and cherished rights, familiar to young and old alike, the right of free speech and the freedom of religion, but like most of the Bill of Rights and its amendments, the First Amendment is more subtle and intricate than most of us realize, something that author Conway makes clear in this detailed look at the deceptively simple right that gives us these familiar phrases. From the 1735 court case that established the right of a free press in the minds of Americans to its more recent applications in cases challenging the separation of church and state, Conway chronicles the First Amendment and how it remains vital and vitally important to our everyday lives.