The Challenge, Jonathan Mahler
The Challenge, Jonathan Mahler
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The Challenge
Hamdan v. Rumsfeld and the Fight over Presidential Power

Author: Jonathan Mahler

Narrator: William Hughes

Unabridged: 11 hr 3 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 08/05/2008

Synopsis

In November 2001, a thirty-one-year-old Yemeni man named Salim Ahmed Hamdan was captured near the Pakistan border and turned over to US forces in Afghanistan. After confessing to being Osama bin Laden’s driver, Hamdan was transferred to Guantánamo Bay and designated for trial before a special military tribunal.The Pentagon assigned a young military defense lawyer, Lieutenant Commander Charles Swift, to represent him in a defense that no one expected to amount to much. But with the help of a young constitutional law professor, Neal Katyal, Swift sued the Bush administration over the legality of the tribunals—and won.Written with the cooperation of Swift and Katyal, here is the inside story of this seminal case, perhaps the most important decision on presidential power and the rule of law in the history of the Supreme Court.

About Jonathan Mahler

Jonathan Mahler is a staff writer for the New York Times Magazine and the author of three books, including the bestseller Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning, which was adapted as an ESPN miniseries. His journalism has received numerous awards and been featured in The Best American Sports Writing. He lives in Brooklyn.

About William Hughes

William Hughes is an AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator. A professor of political science at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon, he received his doctorate in American politics from the University of California at Davis. He has done voice-over work for radio and film and is also an accomplished jazz guitarist.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Laura

Today, I went to a CLE put on by the Washington Courts Historical Society in the courtroom of the Temple of Justice. The first afternoon speaker was Captain David C. Iglesias, who is currently prosecuting terrorism suspects in front of military commissions in Guantanamo (and may or may not be the in......more

Goodreads review by Chrisiant

My kind of book - the legal twists and turns of a momentous case, the political forces knocking things off track and on again, and the personal backgrounds and foibles of the folks involved, both voluntarily and involuntarily. This is the kind of book I would have really enjoyed before I went to law......more

Goodreads review by Mark

A strikingly relevant book about the extent and limitations of presidential power in light of recent events. The author paints a picture of the incredible amount of hard work, dedication, creativity, attention to detail and luck it takes to navigate a case through the American legal system to the Su......more

Goodreads review by Andrew

An important book. Setting up the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay will be regarded in time, I think, as one of G.W. Bush's greatest mistakes during his presidency (along with the creation of the DHS, and the 2008 Wall Street bailouts). One can accept the idea of a need to find a place to put the......more

Quotes

“The Challenge is not just a very readable account of an important case. It is also an intimate account of the lawyers who overcame personal conflicts, animus, and flaws to produce a decision for the ages.” New York Times

“A work of rare drama.” New York Review of Books

“For those who thrill to what might be called the geology of American constitutional bedrock, The Challenge is a riveting read.” New York Sun

“Mahler excels at telling the story of a talented, fractious team coming together for a greater goal.” New Yorker

“An excellent legal thriller.” Toronto Star

“[Mahler’s] ability to communicate the grave constitutional consequences of the case and the often bizarrely circuitous path they must take to reach the Supreme Court make for a thrilling and moving drama of justice, democracy, and the patriotism of challenging your own government.” Amazon.com Review

“Mahler skillfully humanizes the characters and institutions at the heart of the case…[and] amply conveys the heroism of his protagonists.” Publishers Weekly

Awards

  • New York Times Book Review 100 Notable Books
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