C. Peter Magrath

This focuses on the actual legal case involved but also has a good overview of the shenanigans that occasioned it.

1582 Morrison R. Waite: The Triumph of Character, by C. Peter Magrath (read 16 Aug 1980) This is an excellent book. Waite was the sixth Chief Justice of the United States.. He was born 27 Nov 1816 in Lyons, Conn., practiced in Toledo, Ohio, and rather suddenly on Jan 31, 1874, (that's the date he was confirmed) became Chief Justice. He died 23 March 1888. This is an excellent book, even though not chronological. It makes him out to be not a bad guy, and I thought he was OK.