Praise for Figures of Speech

“In Figures of Speech, celebrated civil rights attorney Bill Turner has crafted a rare gem: a concise, clearly written book that provides a trenchant introduction to the complexities of First Amendment law as well as riveting, behind-the-scenes accounts of some of the most controversial free-speech cases in American history. Anyone interested in politics, the law, and the future of American democracy should read this important, vigorously argued book.”

—Robert Perkinson, Texas Tough: The Rise of America’s Prison Empire

“Turner infuses his book with energy and passion for the First Amendment. He tells fascinating stories of unlikely heroes and explains difficult legal issues clearly and concisely, educating and entertaining at the same time.”

—Elizabeth Farnsworth, The PBS NewsHour

“William Turner’s compelling stories make you want to shout ‘Hooray’ for the heroes and hiss the villains. And his scholarly history of the First Amendment helps you understand why you are free to run out and do both.”

—Elaine Elinson, Wherever There’s a Fight: How Runaway Slaves, Suffragists, Immigrants, Strikers, and Poets Shaped Civil Liberties in California

“With these keenly etched portraits of idealists, misfits, and eccentrics, Bill Turner brings the First Amendment alive—just as he has done in the classroom and courtroom for a generation.”

—Tom Goldstein, University of California, Berkeley