A CIVIL ACTION, THE BOOK

"A Civil Action" by Jonathan Harr and published in 1995 is the true story of two companies in Woburn, Mass. accused of contaminating municipal water wells. The author was given access to strategy session, decision making sessions. The trial is followed closely in a lively story telling manner and relates some of the 196 volumes of deposition testimony, 57 volumes of pre- and post-trial hearing, 78 days of trial testimony. There is also a film based on the book, but it is not half so engaging.