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The Trial of the Chicago 7: The Official Transcript
- Narrated by: J. K. Simmons, Jeff Daniels, Chris Jackson, John Hawkes, Chris Chalk, Luke Kirby, Corey Stoll, Norbert Leo Butz, George Newbern, full cast
- Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins
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Publisher's Summary
Republished 50 years later to coincide with the release of the Academy Award-nominated film of the same title written and directed by Aaron Sorkin with an all-star cast, this is the classic account of perhaps the most infamous, and definitely the most entertaining, trial in recent American history.
In the fall of 1969 eight prominent anti-Vietnam War activists were put on trial for conspiring to riot at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. One of the eight, Black Panther cofounder Bobby Seale, was literally bound and gagged in court by order of the judge, Julius Hoffman, and his case was separated from that of the others.
The activists, who included Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, and Tom Hayden, and their attorneys, William Kunstler and Leonard Weinglass, insisted that the First Amendment was on trial. Their witnesses were a virtual who’s who of the 1960s counterculture: Allen Ginsberg, Timothy Leary, Arlo Guthrie, Judy Collins, Norman Mailer, among them.
The defendants constantly interrupted to protest what they felt were unfair rulings by the judge. The trial became a circus, all the while receiving intense media coverage. The convictions that resulted were subsequently overturned on appeal, but the trial remained a political and cultural touchstone, a mirror of the deep divisions in the country. The Trial of the Chicago 7 consists of the highlights from trial testimony with a brief epilogue describing what later happened to the principal figures.
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What listeners say about The Trial of the Chicago 7: The Official Transcript
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- Kenneth Chisholm
- 2021-03-25
A great companion to the feature film
After seeing the Hollywood feature film, this is a natural resource to learn this sensational and revealing trial without the dramatic embellishment. With this, you will learn the anatomy of an unfair trial and the dark side of American federal justice.
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- Liam Harper
- 2020-12-13
the reason I finally followed a YouTubers sponsor
why was this SO good? I have no idea. but it was.
wack. what the hell
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- Stephen Snead
- 2021-01-16
Reminiscent of current discourse
This was an entertaining as well as educational dramatization. I enjoy full cast Audible productions and this doesn't disappoint. It reminds me of our current political national discourse. on one hand you have a generation questioning the old guard and bashing at the foundation of the establishment. Then you have the old conservative guard. Frightened that this new thing might destroy life and security as they've known it. Willing to use hyperbole and any other means to maintain what they see as The sacred American Way.
Now for the cons: While I feel the actions of Judge Hoffman were a flagrant violation of the defendants right to a fair trial. Also his intimidation of the attorneys which he should have known would be a slam dunk for successful appeal. Still the actor voicing the judge did make him sound like a Simpson's cartoon character and I wonder if that was intentional. probably not. But, still. Also I do imagine that constantly being laughed at and name called in a court of law was unsettling and infuriating to the aging judge.
This has caused me to go back and explore a little history and that's a good thing. Full disclosure: I am a 63 year old white Southerner from Alabama. A moderately (which means left wing in the South) left of center Democrat. Yes America there are still Democrats left in the South. All in All a highly recommended production.
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13 people found this helpful
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- Nataka
- 2020-12-04
A look into the past
The book, beautifully performed by a stunning cast, gives you a look into the trial of the Chicago 7. I especially loved the performance of J.K. Simmons, trying to show an unbiased reading with words that were clearly biased. Jeff Daniels made me really feel for Weinglass' issues with the Judge. I suggest this book highly.
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5 people found this helpful
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- Laura
- 2021-04-02
massively editted
This book is the trial transcript so massively editted the reader (listener) has no idea if this is a basis perspective or a realistic version of the trial. Terrible
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3 people found this helpful
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- Angel grimston
- 2020-11-01
enter the sorkinverse
aaron sorkin is a hack and a neoliberal propagandist and he ruined this beautiful comedy for his abomination of a movie
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3 people found this helpful
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- Michael Mills
- 2021-03-13
This is a bonkers trial.
This performance was an excellent look into a strange court in a trial that had me laughing throughout as the persons inside the court were part of an insane proceeding.
I was unaware of this incident before watching the Movie about it on Netflix and seeing the YouTube channel’s Legal Eagle’s review. I’m coming away more informed but perhaps less enlightened, as this didn’t present the prosecutions arguments in a convincing manor, and the jury didn’t find the defendants innocent.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Chris Reich
- 2022-05-17
Maybe the Best Book in My Library
This book is so riveting I could not stop listening. It makes proud of the defense lawyers, especially Bill Kunstler.
It also made me a little sad to think we are no better off today than we were in 1968. With Trump, all the old evils were legitimized. It once again became cool to be a racist. Corporations are more powerful than ever. America has no soul today.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Thomas H. Jackson Jr
- 2021-10-25
The perfect audiobook for a rainy day
After seeing the film "The Trial of the Chicago 7" , I was interested in knowing if there was a book about and I stumbled upon this audiobook and I have listened to it a few time and it is one of the best audiobooks out there. It is almost like being there and a great cast that makes the experience of listening to these transcripts really cool .
I highly recommend this audiobook to anyone who likes true stories and audio drama recreations !
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1 person found this helpful
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- Niko Segal-Wright
- 2023-10-02
Edited into nothingness
Great story. But so cut up it becomes drab and meaningless. The editors could have cut it down to size without including every 10 second quip that the listener can't place in context. Very frustrating.
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- Anonymous
- 2023-06-04
Fantastic
I loved this drama and I wish there was more like it but I can never find any
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- Alaina
- 2023-03-31
Still Incredibly Relevant
The principles on trial are still incredibly relevant today, and listeners who see themselves as advocates for equality, peace, and justice may find themselves just as angry and bewildered as the defendants and lawyers in this trial.
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- David Pasternak
- 2021-04-26
Usefull and moving
Being French, I only had a vague idea of "WTF" was going on in that era. This transcript is invaluable as an illustration of what that moment in history was. It is funny at time, frustrating at many (due to the judge). The voice actors did a stellar job. I do recommend warmly.
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