This is a forthright picture of Wachtler's persecuted boyhood in North Carolina, his early years in law, his rise to the top of New York political circles, and his appointment as chief judge by Governor Mario Cuomo. Caher chronicles Wachtler's impact on the national scene, through his judicial and administrative decisions, and his role in shaping the court and influencing other judges to follow his ground-breaking lead, the steamy affair, and his efforts to rise from the ashes of disgrace and shame.
