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Clarence Thomas: A Biography
In this unauthorized biography, the most authoritative ever written about the controversial Supreme Court Justice, Andrew Peyton Thomas (no relation) explores Clarence Thomas' remarkable rise from a childhood of poverty in segregated Georgia to the nation's highest court. In his attempt to understand what drives the elusive and sometimes enigmatic Justice, the author located and conducted the first-ever interview with Clarence Thomas' father, as well as interviews with his mother, sister, and other relatives and friends.
672 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 26, 2022
I truly believe that we need to have more biographies and books about the justices on our Supreme Court. I have seen at least 2-3 written by or about Antonin Scalia (two of which I own) and quite a few on or written by Ruth Bader Ginsburg (one of which I own) and I own a book written by Stephen Breyer, two written about John Marshall, and a few general books about the court. I have also noticed that there is barely anything about or written by Elena Kagan, Anthony Kennedy, and several others. This book about Clarence Thomas is the very first that I came across and it is also the first biography written about him. Due to current events, his name is appearing a lot in the news and since being appointed to the bench in 1991, he has voted among "conservative lines" more than any judge (even more than Scalia). Whether or not you admire him or despise him, I feel that it is very important to learn about him. This book is the perfect place to do so. This book covers plenty of ground, talking about his upbringing, his education, his family, his earlier jobs, being appointed to the Supreme Court and the grueling process that was fueled by accusations made by Anita Hill pertaining to sexual harassment, and the way he ruled on the court.
The first part of the book talks about his ancestors that were brought to the United States as slaves and about the horrifying treatment that his ancestors and other slaves had to endure. This makes up a stronger portion than one may be looking for in a biography, but it is not long in the way that discussion about the French Revolution was in Les Miserables the book. We learn about Clarence Thomas' strict upbringing that heavily leaned on being raised by his firm and orderly maternal grandfather, Myers Anderson, who Thomas has referred to frequently. We learn about what shaped Thomas' values and hardships, be it things that were inflicted by society such as being a black man going to school among white people or things that were self-inflicted, such as bad decisions and complex realizations that he had about his faith. While much of this book covers Thomas' rise to being appointed by George H.W. Bush and provides us with both the information and emotional reaction to the allegations made by Anita Hill more so than it covers his time in the court, it does a perfect job laying out what we need to know about his interaction with other justices and his responses to the cases he oversaw. This book is great at presenting cases that were impactful in Thomas' career, tells us what they were about, the decision, and how Thomas responded. It is not statistical, and you may want to check out additional information about each case, but it serves its purpose and that is what a biography should do.
This book is brilliant. Brilliant in the way that it depicts a man that is perfectly flawed, but perfectly human in a filthy system filled with contagions that feed on the people in power and latch themselves onto everyone that enters. This book is objective in the way that it reveals Thomas and his moments of contradictory, having a thin skin, and being greatly impacted by the process that would eventually confirm his nomination, but solidify his attitude on the bench. It is also objective in the way that it depicts his more positive traits, a disciplined, well-read, and practical on the topic of moving forward as a nation that is equal regardless of race. Andrew Peyton Thomas, who is not related to his subject, interviewed several people from various parts of Clarence Thomas' life in order to develop a greater and more personal understanding of who Thomas really is as an individual, ranging from relatives to co-workers to those that also served in public office. It is also very well researched, and Andrew Peyton Thomas does not let anything stop him from gathering what he wants people to know. Clarence Thomas and his wife, Ginni, initially were supportive of this project when it was merely an article, but as per the author's note, their support started to fade as the author got deeper into the project.
If you want to learn more about Clarence Thomas, this book is worth picking up. If you find him to be a hero and want to defend your stance, this book is worth picking up. If you find him to be a monster and want to learn more about the mechanics of what molded Thomas' opinions, this book is worth picking up. This book will provide you with a great deal of information about what you want to know about Clarence Thomas and it will help strengthen any argument you may have about him and the way he has utilized being a justice to the Supreme Court. This book was published in 2001, so it only covers up until the 2000 Presidential Election between George W. Bush and Al Gore, but many of the political issues brought up in this book can be compared and applied to today's issues and not much has radically changed regarding Thomas' demeanor between then and now.
Again, we need more books about the justices of the Supreme Court. I can mark this as my book about Clarence Thomas and while there should be more, this one certainly laid out the groundwork for those that follow.
The first part of the book talks about his ancestors that were brought to the United States as slaves and about the horrifying treatment that his ancestors and other slaves had to endure. This makes up a stronger portion than one may be looking for in a biography, but it is not long in the way that discussion about the French Revolution was in Les Miserables the book. We learn about Clarence Thomas' strict upbringing that heavily leaned on being raised by his firm and orderly maternal grandfather, Myers Anderson, who Thomas has referred to frequently. We learn about what shaped Thomas' values and hardships, be it things that were inflicted by society such as being a black man going to school among white people or things that were self-inflicted, such as bad decisions and complex realizations that he had about his faith. While much of this book covers Thomas' rise to being appointed by George H.W. Bush and provides us with both the information and emotional reaction to the allegations made by Anita Hill more so than it covers his time in the court, it does a perfect job laying out what we need to know about his interaction with other justices and his responses to the cases he oversaw. This book is great at presenting cases that were impactful in Thomas' career, tells us what they were about, the decision, and how Thomas responded. It is not statistical, and you may want to check out additional information about each case, but it serves its purpose and that is what a biography should do.
This book is brilliant. Brilliant in the way that it depicts a man that is perfectly flawed, but perfectly human in a filthy system filled with contagions that feed on the people in power and latch themselves onto everyone that enters. This book is objective in the way that it reveals Thomas and his moments of contradictory, having a thin skin, and being greatly impacted by the process that would eventually confirm his nomination, but solidify his attitude on the bench. It is also objective in the way that it depicts his more positive traits, a disciplined, well-read, and practical on the topic of moving forward as a nation that is equal regardless of race. Andrew Peyton Thomas, who is not related to his subject, interviewed several people from various parts of Clarence Thomas' life in order to develop a greater and more personal understanding of who Thomas really is as an individual, ranging from relatives to co-workers to those that also served in public office. It is also very well researched, and Andrew Peyton Thomas does not let anything stop him from gathering what he wants people to know. Clarence Thomas and his wife, Ginni, initially were supportive of this project when it was merely an article, but as per the author's note, their support started to fade as the author got deeper into the project.
If you want to learn more about Clarence Thomas, this book is worth picking up. If you find him to be a hero and want to defend your stance, this book is worth picking up. If you find him to be a monster and want to learn more about the mechanics of what molded Thomas' opinions, this book is worth picking up. This book will provide you with a great deal of information about what you want to know about Clarence Thomas and it will help strengthen any argument you may have about him and the way he has utilized being a justice to the Supreme Court. This book was published in 2001, so it only covers up until the 2000 Presidential Election between George W. Bush and Al Gore, but many of the political issues brought up in this book can be compared and applied to today's issues and not much has radically changed regarding Thomas' demeanor between then and now.
Again, we need more books about the justices of the Supreme Court. I can mark this as my book about Clarence Thomas and while there should be more, this one certainly laid out the groundwork for those that follow.
October 16, 2013
Mind you, my rating is for the book and not for Clarence Thomas. I came to this book via "Devil in the Grove," an excellent book and winner of the 2013 general non-fiction Pulitzer. I wondered, who is this man who replaced Thurgood Marshall? I must admit, the first 150 pages or so are absolutely gripping. I will admit to you that I yelled at the t.v. during his confirmation hearings. I am no fan of Justice Thomas. He is highly critical of Brown vs. Board of Education, he believes that desegregation was wrong (ugh!) and he is clearly anti-choice. He is frustrating, contrary, and unbelievably self-pitying. With all that being said, I did enjoy the book as I felt it gave me greater insight into the most enigmatic of our justices even if it did not in any way elevate my opinion of him.
April 27, 2008
Clarence Thomas is someone you think you know, but actually reading through this biography, written by his son with remarkable evenhandedness, makes you realize how really little you know about this man. The depth of his background explain some of his seemingly divided or "inconsistent" views, since they're just carry overs of his divided and inconsistent background.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews