This book investigates the historical evolution and underlying tensions of American arbitration law, specifically focusing on the transition from private contract enforcement to a nationalized and internationalized legal framework. Ian R. Macneil, a noted legal scholar, utilizes historical analysis and legislative records to examine the forces that shaped the United States Arbitration Act of 1925. He argues that current legal interpretations are often hampered by distorted perceptions of the law's origins and the specific motivations of its early proponents. The work provides a critical examination of how the Supreme Court transformed the landscape of dispute resolution through its interpretation of federal and state authority.

Legal scholars and practitioners frequently cite this work as a foundational text for understanding the historical development of arbitration in the United States. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which provides a rigorous examination of the intersection between contract law and judicial policy.