Before his death, Justice William Brennan granted Wermiel access to a trove of personal and court materials that will not be available to the publi...
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May 17, 2011
Andy
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A great biography about a great man. The book does a great job outlining Brennan's early life and background and the authors leave it up to the reader to see how his pre-Supreme Court personality made him so effective once he was on the Court. One example was that he represented corporations against labor unions for a number of years and despite the contentious nature of these cases, opposing litigators always ended up liking and respecting Brennan.That trait served him well while on the Court,
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Jan 25, 2011
Brian
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A bit dry but ultimately readable, Justice Brennan: Liberal Champion offers important insights into the life, philosophy, and Supreme Court decisions of Justice William Brennan.
Arguably one of the most influential justices of the 20th century, Brennan's legacy lives on as our society continues to debate a multitude of issues related to our democratic republic and the role of the courts in our system of government.
Much maligned by right-wing propagandists as a "judi More...
Arguably one of the most influential justices of the 20th century, Brennan's legacy lives on as our society continues to debate a multitude of issues related to our democratic republic and the role of the courts in our system of government.
Much maligned by right-wing propagandists as a "judi More...
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Oct 22, 2010
Evan
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This is that rare easy to read judicial biography. While it suffers from the most common pitfalls of the genre (e.g., attempting to impart drama if not melodrama to the exchange of memos), it steps lightly through them. An unusual feature, frequently commented on by critics, is the unprecedented access given to one of the authors. So, while we learn Brennan's first wife may have been an alcoholic, the fact is stated with little explanation or interpretive insight, only to periodically re-surface
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Aug 01, 2011
Michelle
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While I'm not sure this book is for non-legal types or for people without a particular interest in the Supreme Court and its history and politics, I really enjoyed reading this biography (and not just because one of the authors is one of my favorite law school professors). Really interesting insight into how Supreme Court justices work together, especially during the Warren Court years that civil rights advocates like myself dream about. The book also contained numerous lessons in how people o
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Jun 10, 2011
Bill
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Interesting only for Supreme Court geeks and/or Brennan fanatics. (Or Brennan haters, I guess, because I'm sure this book offers plenty of fuel to keep the hate flames alive. From a policy perspective I agree with nearly all of Brennan's decisions, and even I was irritated by some of his free-flowing "dignity of the person" based jurisprudence.)
Brennan is one of my heroes. But it has to be said that, in the realm of Supreme Court Justices, Brennan was not a great writer or b More...
Brennan is one of my heroes. But it has to be said that, in the realm of Supreme Court Justices, Brennan was not a great writer or b More...
Jan 14, 2011
Kevin
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This took me much longer to read than I expected, but not because it wasn't interesting. I thought the authors offered a fair view of Brennan, and accurately reflected the arc of his career (outsized influence under Warren, more influential than expected under Burger and Rehnquist, and prone to very bitter dissents as he saw the legacy he build being chipped away). The personal information is interesting, too, and germaine. And not really gossip. I thought the narratives of his experiences w
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Dec 05, 2010
Toni
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This is the first biography I've ever read all the way through to the end. Going into the book, all I knew about Brennan was that I wished dearly that the Court had someone who could fairly be described as his heir -- I came out of law school decidedly more moderate / skeptical of the proper role for the judicial branch to play in effectuating social progress, but it seems to me that when four seats are occupied by diehard far-right conservatives, it's only fair and proper that the Left have
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Apr 17, 2011
Harry
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The importance of the Supreme Court in American life is often overlooked. It is true that some few decisions provoke public attention and sometimes virulent opposition, but in the main, the effects are indirect. This biography is authorized and draws on a vast range of materials and interviews to paint a detailed picture of the man and his work. It strikes me as balanced and realistic, neither too admiring nor iconoclastic. It is readable and accessible, but goes into reasonable detail conce
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Jan 15, 2012
Brian
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Seth Stern and Stephen Wermiel provide an excellent (although very pro) biography of Supreme Court Justice William Brennan. Brennan was one of the longest serving justices in modern history celebrating around forty years on the court. He was in the majority opinions more often than most and was a crucial swing player in Supreme Court politics. If you want a real nitty gritty look at the major cases of the modern era from Baker v. Carr to Roe v. Wade you can see Brennan's influence running throug
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Sep 30, 2010
Steven
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Do you want to know more about Supreme Court Justice William Brennan? This is a good resource. The book is functionally written; the prose does not sing. But the work traces his life in detail from birth to his retirement from the Court in 1990 to the last part of his life. The book gives a good sense of Brennan-the-man. The volume also does a nice job outlining his judicial career and key moments of his tenure.
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Feb 24, 2011
Claire
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The best judicial biography I've read. Includes an incredible amount of detail and yet maintains easy readability. The anecdotes were fun and humanizing. The descriptions of complicated court cases and constitutional concepts were so clear and accessible to anyone without a JD. The amount of research that went into the book is staggering. Read this book!
Oct 15, 2011
Stuart
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Excellent and engaging biography with a focus, understandably, on his legal thinking and impact. The authors cover very thoroughly his interactions and relationships with the other justices. They provide good insight into the making and competing visions behind the critical work Brennan did in developing the liberal, "activist" Supreme Court era.
Aug 08, 2011
Excellent bio. Bill Brennan was a complex guy. He's on my heroes list. The insight on his misplaying his cards with Sandra Day and Kennedy was interesting. As was the fact that notwithstanding his championing equal rights for women, he didn't employ a female clerk until the hypocrisy factor was raised by some of his male former clerks.
Nov 22, 2011
Mindex
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This was a great readable book about an important period in the Supreme Court. I had no idea that Justice Brennan was even involved in, much less had such an influence on so many important issues. It is hard to imagine a time before these issues were resolved, we take for granted our right to privacy, Miranda rights, and right to choose but there was a time that these could have gone the other way.
The authors have presented a wealth of material in a interesting and informative way More...
The authors have presented a wealth of material in a interesting and informative way More...
Feb 14, 2011
Christopher
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Richly detailed and illuminating of how historically conservative the current court is compared to what it has been previously.
Jan 04, 2012
Kin
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Excellent book on the inner workings of the US Supreme Court and the give-and-take that often goes into the opinions issued by this body.
Jan 24, 2012
David
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Worthwhile - readable, moves quickly for a book of this length -- good enough context, no bogs, no dead spots.
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