On Treason: A Citizen's Guide to the Law

A concise, accessible, and engaging guide to the law of treason, writtenby the nation’s foremost expert on the subjectTheonly crime defined in the United States Constitution, treason is routinelydescribed by judges as more heinous than murder. Today the term is regularlythrown around by lawmakers and pundits on both sides of the aisle. But as theseheated accusations flood the news cycle, it’s not always clear what the crimeof treason truly is, or when it should be prosecuted. Drawingon over two decades of research, constitutional law and legal history scholarCarlton Larson takes us on a grand tour of the Treason Clause of the UnitedStates Constitution. Despite the Clause’s apparent simplicity, Larsondemonstrates that it is a form of constitutional quicksand in which seeminglyobvious intuitions are often far off the mark. From the floors of themedieval British Parliament that codified the Statute of Treasons upon whichthe American law was based to the treason of Benedict Arnold, our nation’sfounding traitor, to more recent events, including WWII’s “Tokyo Rose” and theallegations against Edward Snowden and Donald Trump, Larson provides a rivetingaccount of treason law in action. On Treason isan indispensable guide for anyone who wants to understand this fundamentalaspect of our legal system. With this short, accessible look at the law’shistory and meaning, Larson clarifies who is actually guilty—and readers won’tneed a law degree to understand why.Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook. Read more