Before Roe V. Wade: Voices That Shaped the Abortion Debate Before the Supreme Court's Ruling

By presenting primary documents (fliers, handbooks, speeches, legal briefs), Before Roe v. Wade offers an in-depth look at the different voices that shaped the debate around abortion prior to the Roe ruling in 1973. Often, discussion of Roe v. Wade tends to obscure the political, legal, and social landscape before the case worked its way through the court system. Thus, Before Roe v. Wade seeks to illuminate the environment into which Roe landed -- revealing how the seeds of the contemporary abortion wars were in fact planted in the late 60s and early 70s. The book is full of surprising information about the lengths women went to to obtain safe abortions before they were legal (all the way to Japan!), the way that religious institutions and clergy considered abortion, the population control-dimension to the debate, and the cases and legal arguments that preceded Roe.

Very good collection of documents with some discussion that provides important insights on a controversial case for which many have an uninformed background.

A powerful reminder of a time that is quickly fading from memory, this is a frank look at the years leading up to the Roe v Wade decision.

The book was band new. I loved it.