More an indictment than a scholarly assessment of the failure of the German judicial system, which undermined Weimar and facilitated the establishment of Hitler's totalitarian regime. The book, built-excessively, even for a German law professor-on a recital of individual examples, does present a persuasive case that the guardians of the law helped to pervert it. Somewhat flawed in organization and translation, it is nevertheless an important contribution to our knowledge of the Nazi period-and a reminder that those charged with high responsibility often acted most irresponsibly.