"John Marshall The Chief Justice Who Saved the Nation" Topic

"Harlow Giles Unger follows John Marshall from his birth in 1755 to his death in 1835, but he does more than that. He shines a bright light on the men we call Founders. As illustrious a group as ever there was, but subject to the same foibles as the rest of the human race. While some faltered and a few, in the grip of ambition or vengeance, veered into intemperance bordering on mental illness, Marshall appears remarkably immune from such failings

According to Unger, and as described by contemporaries, Marshall was tall, good looking, intelligent, possessed of a sense of humor and endowed with a talent for conviviality which would serve him well to persuade his colleagues on the court of his rectitude. He married Polly Ambler in 1783 and was devoted to her. They had 10 children, only 6 of them surviving to become adults. As a result, Polly Marshall suffered from ill health and bouts of depression. Marshall often took time from his busy law practice to comfort her and help with their children. They were married 48 years. When she died in 1831 Marshall was devastated.

In Marshall's case, Unger is not exactly an objective biographer. His admiration for his subject is evident. Objectivity aside, this reviewer concurs with the author's judgment, the controversial nature of some of Marshall's rulings not withstanding…"
Full review here
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Amicalement
Armand

Don't know about saving the nation, but he certainly extended Hamiltonian principles and policies (e.g. central banking) well into the Jeffersonian period. As much a partisan waging political warfare (e.g. in Marbury v Madison and the Aaron Burr case) as an "objective" jurist.