Covered in this book are the criminal trials of Alger Hiss, Sacco and Vanzetti, and Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. Each trial was highly controversial, and many educated people at the time were certain that the defendants were charged and convicted because of their beliefs, not because of their conduct. The truth is worth knowing, and learning about these cases will help us approach contemporary legal issues in a more deliberate and contemplative if not circumspect way.