The run of his life

the long version

The Run of His Life will be the definitive history of the most famous criminal proceeding of the century. Here is the whole story of the events of June 12, 1994, and their aftermath, as it has never been told - rich in character, driven by the nonstop plot of a legal thriller, and nuanced by the foibles, vanities, and idiosyncracies of its participants. This news-breaking, behind-the-scenes book will transform what you thought you knew. Jeffrey Toobin's stunning coverage of the trial of O. J. Simpson for The New Yorker magazine was the first to focus on the reality that no one wanted to address directly but that pervaded every moment of the trial and perhaps even the crime itself - that race was at the heart of everything. Toobin's explosive article in July 1994, "An Incendiary Defense," laid out the defense lawyers' strategy, fingered Mark Fuhrman as their chief villain, and made the "race card" the euphemism of choice. In The Run of His Life, Toobin's great reporting, based on his unprecedented access to sources on all sides, lets us see, in a fresh light, the prosecutors, defense attorneys, private eyes, waiters, dog walkers, cops, ex-football stars, TV personalities, forensic experts, and so many others who, if they were not already, have become household names. The plaintive wail, the bloody glove, the "n-word," the Dream Team, and the Bronco chase are images so much a part of our collective unconscious that they need no further introduction. But Toobin provides a new understanding of these modern totems as well as an insightful examination of the larger questions raised by the case - including the importance of celebrity, race (and the way it's manipulated in the politically correct media), California as both a state and a state of mind, domestic violence, American jurisprudence, and the efficacy of the jury system.