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Thurgood Marshall: American Revolutionary
This New York Times Notable Book of the Year, 1998, is now in trade paper.
From the bestselling author of Eyes on the Prize, here is the definitive biography of the great lawyer and Supreme Court justice.
From the bestselling author of Eyes on the Prize, here is the definitive biography of the great lawyer and Supreme Court justice.
512 pages, Paperback
First published September 14, 1998
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May 9, 2021
Thurgood Marshall was one of the key figures of the Civil Rights movement in the United States in the 20th Century. He went to the Supreme Court several times – and won many times. His major victory was in overruling legal segregation in Brown vs. Board of Education. He advertised the plight of Black people by his constant litigation against lynching, unfair trials of Black people where there were no Blacks on the jury, the constant discrimination of not admitting Black people to schools, restaurants, hotels, jobs… He did much to prepare the ground for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Thurgood Marshal destroyed the “legitimacy” behind much of the racism in American society.
He was for integration, not segregation. He despised the Black militants like Malcolm X. Perhaps he came to value too much the language of legislation without realizing that whites were not going to yield easily and accept integrated schools, give blacks their constitutional right to vote… In fact there is still de facto segregation in many schools in the U.S. today.
Lyndon Johnson appointed Thurgood Marshall to the Supreme Court in 1967 and he became the first Black person on the Supreme Court. He favoured much progressive legislation – he believed in the rights of women to have an abortion (Roe vs Wade), he was against Capital Punishment, he believed in the individuals right to privacy…
Page 382 (my book) Thurgood Marshall
The authors of the Constitution “could not have imagined nor would they have accepted that the document they were drafting would one day be construed by a Supreme Court to which had been appointed a woman [Sandra Day O’Connor appointed to the Supreme Court in 1981] and a descendent of an African slave.”
This is a personal biography. We are told of Thurgood Marshall’s relationship to his family and wives (his first wife died in 1955). Marshall could be quite a prima donna. He felt he was the center of the Civil Rights movement – and became jealous when attention was diverted to others (i.e. Martin Luther King Jr.). He did not see the value of mass rallies, boycotts, demonstrations… Today he could easily be accused of sexual harassment.
His accomplishments were tremendous and he broke down many legal barriers which were morally unethical.
He was for integration, not segregation. He despised the Black militants like Malcolm X. Perhaps he came to value too much the language of legislation without realizing that whites were not going to yield easily and accept integrated schools, give blacks their constitutional right to vote… In fact there is still de facto segregation in many schools in the U.S. today.
Lyndon Johnson appointed Thurgood Marshall to the Supreme Court in 1967 and he became the first Black person on the Supreme Court. He favoured much progressive legislation – he believed in the rights of women to have an abortion (Roe vs Wade), he was against Capital Punishment, he believed in the individuals right to privacy…
Page 382 (my book) Thurgood Marshall
The authors of the Constitution “could not have imagined nor would they have accepted that the document they were drafting would one day be construed by a Supreme Court to which had been appointed a woman [Sandra Day O’Connor appointed to the Supreme Court in 1981] and a descendent of an African slave.”
This is a personal biography. We are told of Thurgood Marshall’s relationship to his family and wives (his first wife died in 1955). Marshall could be quite a prima donna. He felt he was the center of the Civil Rights movement – and became jealous when attention was diverted to others (i.e. Martin Luther King Jr.). He did not see the value of mass rallies, boycotts, demonstrations… Today he could easily be accused of sexual harassment.
His accomplishments were tremendous and he broke down many legal barriers which were morally unethical.
July 6, 2012
Although an informative book, Juan Williams' Thurgood Marshall is an all too common example of a biography where the strength of the subject is forced to shine through weak writing. It is unfortunate that publishers allow the prominence of radio hosts and television pundits almost free reign to chronicle the lives of important historical figures knowing full well that the combination of names will often outweigh the quality of the book.
In this case, Thurgood Marshall is not done justice by Williams. However, considering there are almost no viable alternatives for anyone researching the life of one of the most powerful black man in American history, we must make due.
The chapter on the Justice's political maneuvering - Machiavellian Marshall - is particularly strong and interesting. The period after Marshall graduated from law school but before becoming lead counsel for the NAACP is also a crucial look at the formative part of his legal education. Those, I'm sad to say, are the only parts that really dive into what makes Marshall tick. The reader would be better served by more of them.
American Revolutionary is by no means a fluff piece or a poorly written work. It is however fairly shallow and not the substantive biography that Marshall (and the public) deserve.
In this case, Thurgood Marshall is not done justice by Williams. However, considering there are almost no viable alternatives for anyone researching the life of one of the most powerful black man in American history, we must make due.
The chapter on the Justice's political maneuvering - Machiavellian Marshall - is particularly strong and interesting. The period after Marshall graduated from law school but before becoming lead counsel for the NAACP is also a crucial look at the formative part of his legal education. Those, I'm sad to say, are the only parts that really dive into what makes Marshall tick. The reader would be better served by more of them.
American Revolutionary is by no means a fluff piece or a poorly written work. It is however fairly shallow and not the substantive biography that Marshall (and the public) deserve.
January 16, 2025
I have to confess, to my shame, that I never really knew who Thurgood Marshall was until I read Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America earlier in the year, in which he represented the 'Groveland Boys'. I found the glimpse of his role as chief lawyer for the NAACP in some of the most important civil rights cases fascinating, so when I came across this book I snapped it up to read. Having done so, I would say it is a must-read for anyone remotely interested in the Civil Rights Movement in America.
Thurgood Marshall was involved in almost all of the major civil rights cases of the era, most visibly Brown v. Board of Education, that paved the way for the integration of schools. He represented African-Americans against trumped-up murder charges, assault and rape charges; investigated charges of racism in the armed forces in Korea and Japan; won cases ending segregation on interstate buses, in colleges and universities, in housing contracts and primary elections; made the first challenge against the 'separate but equal' doctrine. After his career in the NAACP he later appointed the first African-American Solicitor General by JFK, and later the first African-American Justice of the Supreme Court.
Thurgood Marshall was arguably one of the most important figures in the Civil Rights Movement; many would argue, and I'm inclined to agree after reading this, that his role was as important, if not more so, as that of Martin Luther King Jr. Whilst King may have lent the movement its Messianic figurehead, Marshall was the one who arguably led the vanguard of change, believing as he did that change in minds and attitudes would necessarily follow changes in law.
Thurgood Marshall was involved in almost all of the major civil rights cases of the era, most visibly Brown v. Board of Education, that paved the way for the integration of schools. He represented African-Americans against trumped-up murder charges, assault and rape charges; investigated charges of racism in the armed forces in Korea and Japan; won cases ending segregation on interstate buses, in colleges and universities, in housing contracts and primary elections; made the first challenge against the 'separate but equal' doctrine. After his career in the NAACP he later appointed the first African-American Solicitor General by JFK, and later the first African-American Justice of the Supreme Court.
Thurgood Marshall was arguably one of the most important figures in the Civil Rights Movement; many would argue, and I'm inclined to agree after reading this, that his role was as important, if not more so, as that of Martin Luther King Jr. Whilst King may have lent the movement its Messianic figurehead, Marshall was the one who arguably led the vanguard of change, believing as he did that change in minds and attitudes would necessarily follow changes in law.
July 18, 2012
Didn't know who Juan Williams was until I read this book about 12 years ago. Just a brilliant account of one of the trailblazers of the Civil Rights Movement who doesn't get enough credit in my view. Not to mention he was the first African American appointed to the Suprement Court under Lyndon Johnson. Excellent book.
October 21, 2010
One of the best biographies I've ever read. Williams perfectly blends research and journalistic flair in this intimate portrait of a giant in the American civil rights movement.
February 20, 2009
This is such an excellent biography, and especially timely in light of Obama's election. Marshall was a fascinating man who lived in fascinating times. As a lawyer, I really liked the legal aspect as well, but think a non-lawyer would enjoy it too. The author makes history come alive.
August 15, 2017
Juan Williams book comes across as a fair portrait, neither hero worship nor hatchet job.
Marshall was a drinker, a smoker, a party animal and a womanizer. He came from a relatively privileged background and was in awe of rich and powerful white guys in his youth (a weakness he never fully overcame). He was ambitious to the point of neglecting his family and choosing his battles.
Marshall did do a lot dismantle Jim Crow practices and laws, and to push for racial equality under the law. Marshall's main claim to fame was "the Brown case" in which he argued before the Supreme Court that racially segregated schools were unconstitutional and should be outlawed. He won that case, but virtually nobody (including Marshall) pushed to ensure that the law was enforced in a timely fashion. There was some progress over the years, but if John Oliver's reporting is to be believed, the Supreme Court has been siding in recent years with segregationists to the point that things have reverted to almost the point they were in 1950's... kind of depressing....
Reading the last chapter of the book that describes Marshall's funeral and the outpouring of grief and praise (much of it from people who had treated him pretty shoddily during his time on the Supreme Court), I was reminded of Shel Silverstein's song ROUGH ON THE LIVING with its chorus:
Yeah, Nashville is rough on the livin'
But she really speaks well of the dead.
This was book #37 on our 2017 Read-alouds List.
Marshall was a drinker, a smoker, a party animal and a womanizer. He came from a relatively privileged background and was in awe of rich and powerful white guys in his youth (a weakness he never fully overcame). He was ambitious to the point of neglecting his family and choosing his battles.
Marshall did do a lot dismantle Jim Crow practices and laws, and to push for racial equality under the law. Marshall's main claim to fame was "the Brown case" in which he argued before the Supreme Court that racially segregated schools were unconstitutional and should be outlawed. He won that case, but virtually nobody (including Marshall) pushed to ensure that the law was enforced in a timely fashion. There was some progress over the years, but if John Oliver's reporting is to be believed, the Supreme Court has been siding in recent years with segregationists to the point that things have reverted to almost the point they were in 1950's... kind of depressing....
Reading the last chapter of the book that describes Marshall's funeral and the outpouring of grief and praise (much of it from people who had treated him pretty shoddily during his time on the Supreme Court), I was reminded of Shel Silverstein's song ROUGH ON THE LIVING with its chorus:
Yeah, Nashville is rough on the livin'
But she really speaks well of the dead.
This was book #37 on our 2017 Read-alouds List.
October 1, 2009
Juan Williams' writing, while mediocre, sheds light on the life and work of a man who perhaps did the most to dismantle (though not completely) institutional racism in America.
The chronological narrative plows through many of Marshall's legal battles, sometimes too briefly, but gives a good overview of many of them. Perhaps the book's biggest strength is both its scope (it covers his whole life), and the personal stories and battles between Marshall and his contemporaries (both inside and outside the civil rights movement), which is incredibly entertaining, like a civil rights soap.
The book's best parts where not Marshall's great ability to find and argue historic cases to integrate American society, but the behind-the-scenes politics he engaged in with everyone from racist southern judges and cops, to J.Edgar Hoover, MLK, LBJ, the Kennedy's (he hated Bobby), as well as the NAACP leadership and the civil rights leaders. Marshall was quick witted, a hard drinker, jokester, womanizer and sexual harrasser, unabashedly spoke his mind, stormed out of ceremonies (even those in which he was being honored), a master politician, and would tell anyone, if they deserved it, to go fuck themselves. I have even more respect for his life, his work, and his life-long commitment to ensuring equality in America after reading this book.
The chronological narrative plows through many of Marshall's legal battles, sometimes too briefly, but gives a good overview of many of them. Perhaps the book's biggest strength is both its scope (it covers his whole life), and the personal stories and battles between Marshall and his contemporaries (both inside and outside the civil rights movement), which is incredibly entertaining, like a civil rights soap.
The book's best parts where not Marshall's great ability to find and argue historic cases to integrate American society, but the behind-the-scenes politics he engaged in with everyone from racist southern judges and cops, to J.Edgar Hoover, MLK, LBJ, the Kennedy's (he hated Bobby), as well as the NAACP leadership and the civil rights leaders. Marshall was quick witted, a hard drinker, jokester, womanizer and sexual harrasser, unabashedly spoke his mind, stormed out of ceremonies (even those in which he was being honored), a master politician, and would tell anyone, if they deserved it, to go fuck themselves. I have even more respect for his life, his work, and his life-long commitment to ensuring equality in America after reading this book.
July 3, 2010
This is a wonderful biography of a great legal mind, and a mammouth figure in American culture. Certain Republican Senators dismissed Justice Marshall as an "activist judicial mind" during the confirmation hearings of Solicitor General Elena Kegan. These Senators must read this book. Juan Williams gives a complete biographical discription of the man, as pure human being, while capturing the genius of Justice Marshall. As a college professor, I teach courses relating to African American History and History of the Civil Rights Movement. I use this text in my college classrooms. Juan Williams wrote a comprehensive, analytic and thoughtful tome on the meaning of justice in America, through the reflection of a life lived for the purpose of seeking justice and seeing all Americans make the Federal and State Governments live up to the Constitutional promise that keeps us a nation. I loved this book.
February 26, 2008
A genuine American hero of the 20th Century, Marshall was a brilliant trial lawyer for several decades before being nominated for the Supreme Court.
This book covers it all. From his childhood in Baltimore, through his education, his career as a fearsome attorney and his tenure as a legal giant on the United States Supreme Court.
This book covers it all. From his childhood in Baltimore, through his education, his career as a fearsome attorney and his tenure as a legal giant on the United States Supreme Court.
February 15, 2010
A really great book. Interesting, educational, personal. This book taught me so much about the civil rights movement and what daily life was like for the average black person of that era. Marshall's personal life was not so admirable.
July 31, 2017
Juan Williams did a great job here. I was surprised at his competence and literary acumen. This said, he told a very compelling and important story. Great read.
November 4, 2014
Thurgood Marshall is one of the primary movers of the United States in the twentieth century. He was a trailblazer who challenged racial segregation head-on in the courts and won. Marshall reversed the over a half century precedent of ‘separate but equal’ by making the Supreme Court to finally see correctly what the Fourteenth Amendment is supposed to mean.
Williams traces a young Thurgood Marshall who grew up in Maryland and was mostly uninfected by the segregation system that he would come to challenge. It was not until he grew up and wanted to go law school when he found out that he could not get into the prestigious state law school and had to make other arrangements. His mother, Norma, dominated the house that he grew up in. She strongly pushed both her sons, and despite living in a world where everything was stacked against them, Norma ended up with a doctor and a lawyer.
After graduating from Lincoln University, where he attended with Langston Hughes, he was denied entrance to the University of Maryland because of his race. Marshall was forced to go to Howard Law School, which was anything but prestigious. Fortunately for Marshall—and ultimately the United States—Marshall’s arrival coincided with the arrival of Charles Houston as the dean. Houston’s rigorous curriculum help prepare Marshall to become the lawyer that would change the nation.
Marshall goes to work for the NAACP where he helps establish the Legal Defense Fund. Williams’ shows Marshall taking on case after case. He defends poor black people down on their luck, and he attacks segregation at every opportunity for everyone but himself. While becoming the bane of Jim Crow, he felt as a lawyer he needed to obey the law no matter how immoral it was. His work to improve the lives of the African-American community led to him earning the nickname ‘Mr. Civil Rights.’
Marshall had admirers in the white mainstream community as well as the African-American community. Williams’ explains a great deal of strange alliances that Marshall made throughout his career, none more peculiar than his alliance with J. Edger Hoover.
As Marshall built his career by challenging Jim Crow at the graduate school and college level, but he really made history with his victory in Brown v. the Board of Education that overturned the evil of Plessy v. Ferguson.
“No one had to tell him this was the biggest case of his career. This case could change the face of American society. Marshall began calling conferences of the brightest minds from around the nation to discuss every angle of the case. Lawyers, law professors, sociologists, anthropologists, and even psychologists, notably Ken Clark, all came to Marshall’s office to discuss how to convince the Court that separate but equal was a devastating burden to black people, nothing more than racism.” (p.209)
Biographies are not worth much if you do not learn something about the people whom the subject shared the stage of history. If you read a biography of Abraham Lincoln and you learn nothing of Stephen Douglas, then the biography fails. In the case Marshal, I learned a great deal on his Brown adversary John W. Davis. All I knew about Davis was his status as the Democratic nominee for President in 1924 and the segregation defender in the Brown decision. The irony is Marshall, as a law student, use to watch Davis before the Supreme Court regularly and actually admired him. Marshall would after Brown tell people that beat Davis but knew few who did.
Davis kind of reminds me of polite anti-marriage equality people. Who maybe personally nice and polite and may not actually hate their opponents but are completely blind to the mass of hatred that is sitting to the right behind them.
As the fifties turned into the sixties the rank and file of the Civil Rights Movement—especially the younger members—got tired of the slow crawl of integration and embraced the non-violent direct action methods. The leader of this new generation of civil rights leaders was Martin Luther King, Jr. There was a huge generation gap between the young pastor and the older lawyer. Marshall thought King was nice enough young man who could give good speeches but he also felt that King and his associates got way too much credit for the work that people like him really did. Nevertheless, he kept a united front with King and never publicly criticized him.
While Marshall had his reservations on Dr. King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference he had a respect for them; unlike Black Nationalist movement that Marshall absolutely despised. He couldn’t stand Malcolm X and refused to meet with him even after the later dropped his separatist ideas. To Marshall, Black Nationalism was undermining everything he had worked for in his entire life.
While not only working for civil rights at home, Marshall went aboard under an invention from the new nation of Kenya to come and aid them in writing their constitution. This great act of a statesmanship increased his international prestige.
During the Kennedy Administration, Marshall filled his lifelong ambition and became a judge. Now serving on the U.S. court of appeals, Marshall’s name disappeared from the newspapers and he was now working on business cases the completely disinterested him. Marshall was relieved when he was asked by President Johnson to become the U.S. Solicitor General. This was an interesting switch for him, because for years he challenged the system and now he was the government’s top lawyer.
The high point of Marshall’s life was his appointment to the Supreme Court. He would be the first African-American to be appointed to this high position. However in reading Williams’ account Marshall’s experience of the court was not what he thought it was going to be.
Marshall is unquestionably one of the greatest American lawyers in our history. Marshall easily ranks up there with the likes of Henry Clay and Clarence Darrow. As a justice however, although he breaks major color barrier in American society, his career on the Supreme Court was not anywhere near as successful as his earlier career had been. Part of this is not his fault. He lacked opportunity due the changing climate on the court. After his confirmation a conservative backlash would have the Republicans winning five out of the next six presidential elections. This resulted in the Court growing evermore conservative. Marshall would find himself in the minority and writing dissents more often than not. In addition, throughout his stay on the Court he was suffering from numerous health problems. This would also contribute to his declining effectiveness on the Court.
I highly recommend this book. I disagree with Juan Williams’ on many things politically but his historical work is awesome and he put together an incredible biography of one of our great statesmen Thurgood Marshall.
Williams traces a young Thurgood Marshall who grew up in Maryland and was mostly uninfected by the segregation system that he would come to challenge. It was not until he grew up and wanted to go law school when he found out that he could not get into the prestigious state law school and had to make other arrangements. His mother, Norma, dominated the house that he grew up in. She strongly pushed both her sons, and despite living in a world where everything was stacked against them, Norma ended up with a doctor and a lawyer.
After graduating from Lincoln University, where he attended with Langston Hughes, he was denied entrance to the University of Maryland because of his race. Marshall was forced to go to Howard Law School, which was anything but prestigious. Fortunately for Marshall—and ultimately the United States—Marshall’s arrival coincided with the arrival of Charles Houston as the dean. Houston’s rigorous curriculum help prepare Marshall to become the lawyer that would change the nation.
Marshall goes to work for the NAACP where he helps establish the Legal Defense Fund. Williams’ shows Marshall taking on case after case. He defends poor black people down on their luck, and he attacks segregation at every opportunity for everyone but himself. While becoming the bane of Jim Crow, he felt as a lawyer he needed to obey the law no matter how immoral it was. His work to improve the lives of the African-American community led to him earning the nickname ‘Mr. Civil Rights.’
Marshall had admirers in the white mainstream community as well as the African-American community. Williams’ explains a great deal of strange alliances that Marshall made throughout his career, none more peculiar than his alliance with J. Edger Hoover.
As Marshall built his career by challenging Jim Crow at the graduate school and college level, but he really made history with his victory in Brown v. the Board of Education that overturned the evil of Plessy v. Ferguson.
“No one had to tell him this was the biggest case of his career. This case could change the face of American society. Marshall began calling conferences of the brightest minds from around the nation to discuss every angle of the case. Lawyers, law professors, sociologists, anthropologists, and even psychologists, notably Ken Clark, all came to Marshall’s office to discuss how to convince the Court that separate but equal was a devastating burden to black people, nothing more than racism.” (p.209)
Biographies are not worth much if you do not learn something about the people whom the subject shared the stage of history. If you read a biography of Abraham Lincoln and you learn nothing of Stephen Douglas, then the biography fails. In the case Marshal, I learned a great deal on his Brown adversary John W. Davis. All I knew about Davis was his status as the Democratic nominee for President in 1924 and the segregation defender in the Brown decision. The irony is Marshall, as a law student, use to watch Davis before the Supreme Court regularly and actually admired him. Marshall would after Brown tell people that beat Davis but knew few who did.
Davis kind of reminds me of polite anti-marriage equality people. Who maybe personally nice and polite and may not actually hate their opponents but are completely blind to the mass of hatred that is sitting to the right behind them.
As the fifties turned into the sixties the rank and file of the Civil Rights Movement—especially the younger members—got tired of the slow crawl of integration and embraced the non-violent direct action methods. The leader of this new generation of civil rights leaders was Martin Luther King, Jr. There was a huge generation gap between the young pastor and the older lawyer. Marshall thought King was nice enough young man who could give good speeches but he also felt that King and his associates got way too much credit for the work that people like him really did. Nevertheless, he kept a united front with King and never publicly criticized him.
While Marshall had his reservations on Dr. King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference he had a respect for them; unlike Black Nationalist movement that Marshall absolutely despised. He couldn’t stand Malcolm X and refused to meet with him even after the later dropped his separatist ideas. To Marshall, Black Nationalism was undermining everything he had worked for in his entire life.
While not only working for civil rights at home, Marshall went aboard under an invention from the new nation of Kenya to come and aid them in writing their constitution. This great act of a statesmanship increased his international prestige.
During the Kennedy Administration, Marshall filled his lifelong ambition and became a judge. Now serving on the U.S. court of appeals, Marshall’s name disappeared from the newspapers and he was now working on business cases the completely disinterested him. Marshall was relieved when he was asked by President Johnson to become the U.S. Solicitor General. This was an interesting switch for him, because for years he challenged the system and now he was the government’s top lawyer.
The high point of Marshall’s life was his appointment to the Supreme Court. He would be the first African-American to be appointed to this high position. However in reading Williams’ account Marshall’s experience of the court was not what he thought it was going to be.
Marshall is unquestionably one of the greatest American lawyers in our history. Marshall easily ranks up there with the likes of Henry Clay and Clarence Darrow. As a justice however, although he breaks major color barrier in American society, his career on the Supreme Court was not anywhere near as successful as his earlier career had been. Part of this is not his fault. He lacked opportunity due the changing climate on the court. After his confirmation a conservative backlash would have the Republicans winning five out of the next six presidential elections. This resulted in the Court growing evermore conservative. Marshall would find himself in the minority and writing dissents more often than not. In addition, throughout his stay on the Court he was suffering from numerous health problems. This would also contribute to his declining effectiveness on the Court.
I highly recommend this book. I disagree with Juan Williams’ on many things politically but his historical work is awesome and he put together an incredible biography of one of our great statesmen Thurgood Marshall.
March 21, 2022
Juan Williams created a very readable biography of Thurgood Marshall and his assertion that, more than King and Malcolm X, Marshall is the preeminent hero of the Civil Rights Movement is largely convincing. His legal work, coupled with his influence in the liberal wing of the Supreme Court, created more lasting impact that King's optimism and protests and Malcolm X's influence upon more militant members of the Black community. Williams spends a lot of time of the various aspects of Marshall's life- as a result, he does get a little repetitive, especially once Marshall becomes the first Black Justice of the Supreme Court, but much of what Williams provides here introduces a man that is much more flawed than I had realized. His flaws, however, made him more approachable as an historical figure and I consider this book to be essential reading for the history of the United States in the modern world.
October 10, 2018
I am extremely thankful how candid Williams chose to discuss the life, legacy, and impact of such an extraordinary individual. Considering the timing I chose to read this book, embedded in a nationwide uproar over the most recent nominee to the Supreme Court, it is easy to conceptualize the challenges that Marshall faced in his bid for the Supreme Court.
It is also important to understand his moral failings as well. Williams discussed numerous times the liberty he took with women and his proclivity towards doing things that would absolutely have been highly controversial today. It leaves a lot of questions about someone I respect and believe to be one of the greatest figures in American History. I greatly appreciate the open narrative that showed Marshall was deeply flawed in a lot of senses, he was unequivocally human, as we all are.
One of the greatest civil rights leaders in our nation's history, this is absolutely a read that will captivate, challenge, and evolve your understanding of the movement, the man, and other leaders throughout the era.
It is also important to understand his moral failings as well. Williams discussed numerous times the liberty he took with women and his proclivity towards doing things that would absolutely have been highly controversial today. It leaves a lot of questions about someone I respect and believe to be one of the greatest figures in American History. I greatly appreciate the open narrative that showed Marshall was deeply flawed in a lot of senses, he was unequivocally human, as we all are.
One of the greatest civil rights leaders in our nation's history, this is absolutely a read that will captivate, challenge, and evolve your understanding of the movement, the man, and other leaders throughout the era.
March 1, 2025
I learned SO much throughout this biography not just about Marshall’s life but about the history of systemic violence against black people, Jim Crow laws, the civil rights movement, and American law. This book is packed with information and very thorough, with plenty of wacky details about Marshall as a person.
If you are a history nut like me then you’ll enjoy this but anyone else will hate it, as it gets pretty dense with descriptions of legal cases at times. I do wish the author’s voice had been a little more distinctive and fun to read, but even so the writing is polished and powerful. The short final chapter summarizing Marshall’s achievements and their implications for the present day really moved me.
If you are a history nut like me then you’ll enjoy this but anyone else will hate it, as it gets pretty dense with descriptions of legal cases at times. I do wish the author’s voice had been a little more distinctive and fun to read, but even so the writing is polished and powerful. The short final chapter summarizing Marshall’s achievements and their implications for the present day really moved me.
June 22, 2020
This is an easy and essential read for those who want to know more about the U.S. civil rights movement in the 1900s. This lays out Justice Marshall's work with the NAACP to set aside the laws of segregation, along with his interaction with President Johnson and his administration before and after he was nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court. This is an important book to read alongside Robert Caro's "The Years of Lyndon Johnson". Spoiler alert: You may never again consider Bobby Kennedy a civil rights advocate.
September 13, 2018
I learned a great deal about Thurgood Marshall in this interesting biography.
August 12, 2020
The first 200 pages are rough but the last 2 are very relevant and interesting to take in in light of current events in America. But the first 200 were long and dry
April 21, 2018
A solid biography. Nothing exceptional about the writing but the fact that it is very competent while keeping the book laudably fair and balanced.
Thurgood Marshall wasn't a terribly likable guy, and grew much less likable as he aged, but he was so much more important to his times than I ever knew. We hear so much about MLK and other civil rights heroes and far too little of Marshall's time extended contributions. This is terribly unfortunate. His unique personality proved important to his early career; he was one of a few who could have accomplished what he did where he did, under trying circumstances. I'm glad I read this book.
Thurgood Marshall wasn't a terribly likable guy, and grew much less likable as he aged, but he was so much more important to his times than I ever knew. We hear so much about MLK and other civil rights heroes and far too little of Marshall's time extended contributions. This is terribly unfortunate. His unique personality proved important to his early career; he was one of a few who could have accomplished what he did where he did, under trying circumstances. I'm glad I read this book.
January 14, 2015
fascinating story, but the telling leaves a great deal to be desired. marshall's life is a more than worthy subject for biography — he came of age at the height of jim crow and before he died, played an enormous role in bringing that age to an end. at the same time, he was a unique and flawed person — probably egotistical, intermittently selfish, ultimately bitter and depressed.
williams's telling, though, is one-sided (virtually all of his sources were close to marshall) and lacks depth. williams starts the book with lyndon johnson struggling with the questions of whether marshall was lazy and a good lawyer. by the end of the book, the reader is left only with a series of random opinions on the question, but lacks the evidence to make a judgement for themselves. in particular, williams tells us very little about marshall's legal mind. he gives us virtually no detail on marshall's major cases, the legal background, marshall's legal theories, etc. similarly, williams gives us pro and con reports on marshall's worth ethic, but little data beyond that. throughout, williams poses relevant questions, but rarely makes headway in answering them.
williams's telling, though, is one-sided (virtually all of his sources were close to marshall) and lacks depth. williams starts the book with lyndon johnson struggling with the questions of whether marshall was lazy and a good lawyer. by the end of the book, the reader is left only with a series of random opinions on the question, but lacks the evidence to make a judgement for themselves. in particular, williams tells us very little about marshall's legal mind. he gives us virtually no detail on marshall's major cases, the legal background, marshall's legal theories, etc. similarly, williams gives us pro and con reports on marshall's worth ethic, but little data beyond that. throughout, williams poses relevant questions, but rarely makes headway in answering them.
October 3, 2015
Juan Williams has written an engaging, informative biography of Thurgood Marshall. I wondered at the "American Revolutionary" when I started the book, but by the end, I understood why the phrase was used. Marshall was truly a revolutionary who tried to revolutionize the institutional racism in this country. He never gave up his plan of working from within the system achieve his goals.
The book is interesting on several levels but mostly because it give such rich portrait of the emerging Civil Rights movement in the U.S. I knew something about Martin Luther King, Jr., Stokely Carmichael, Malcolm X and the Black Militant movement, but Williams does a fine job at defining each part of the larger movement and explaining ways that the different threads of the movement interacted with one another - or didn't.
Marshall was a brilliant, flawed, and fascinating character, very confident in his vision of how race relations in America should change and who should direct that change. The descriptions of the worlds he inhabited throughout his career (NAACP, LDF, Appeals Court, Supreme Court) are well described. I learned a great deal from this book.
The book is interesting on several levels but mostly because it give such rich portrait of the emerging Civil Rights movement in the U.S. I knew something about Martin Luther King, Jr., Stokely Carmichael, Malcolm X and the Black Militant movement, but Williams does a fine job at defining each part of the larger movement and explaining ways that the different threads of the movement interacted with one another - or didn't.
Marshall was a brilliant, flawed, and fascinating character, very confident in his vision of how race relations in America should change and who should direct that change. The descriptions of the worlds he inhabited throughout his career (NAACP, LDF, Appeals Court, Supreme Court) are well described. I learned a great deal from this book.
July 24, 2017
A review of Thurgood Marshall's life, from beginning to end, and placing his life in historical context in terms of its meaning for America at the time it was written (1998). The breadth of the research that was pursued in order to write this biography of such a larger-than-life character to many must have been daunting and it appears that there were a wide variety of sources used from Marshall's own personal papers at the Library of Congress to newspaper articles written about him at the time of various court cases, his federal appointments, etc., and to interviews of Marshall and others close to him. The writing leaves a bit to be desired, though, as it gets bogged down in details that may have been better left out to provide for a more sweeping picture of the man. However, I will concede that in order to tell the full story and get the full picture, one must not only focus on the good about him but also his frailties and faults. I would like to see a more recent biography of Marshall that puts him in historical context after having Obama as president.
December 11, 2014
Juan Williams does a great job examing that life of Mr. Civil Rights. Talks of his upbringing in Baltimore and the effect on his thinking and actions. His role in the NCAAP and running the Legal Defense Fund brings out his skill in bring court actions that changed America with Brown versus The Board of Education being one of the 20th Century's greatest legal decision. His elevation to the Supreme Court was not without its struggle with many senators from the Old South holding keep postions and trying to knock him down. His tenure on the Court was not without controversy especially when the Court became conservative in his later years. Marshall was not without his fobiles-liked his drink and had fondness for women. He would survive in today's culture. Overall, glad I had taken the time to read this book and learn more about a man who helped reshape America in its society and race relationships.
May 8, 2013
This is a wonderful book. The title is certainly fitting. I had not been aware of the huge role Thurgood Marshall played in fighting for the rights of individuals, and especially the African-American. His belief was that integration needed to be done through the legal system to have long lasting results. Juan Williams material is based on many, many interviews as well as all the law cases and newspaper coverage of the times. I feel the hard work Mr. Williams put into this book, saved the oral history of the times for all future generations. Justice Marshall was complex, and Mr. Williams covered it all. As I continue reading about the Supreme Court, I continue to marvel at all I never appreciated about it before.
January 7, 2010
I do not usually read non fiction, especially biographies so I was unsure about reading this one. I realized after the first chapter that my worries were unfounded. Williams writes a compelling picture of Thurgood Marshall, about whom most might just know one sentence and one obscure fact. The book covers his personal life as well as his professional/political life as a lawyer. In fact, the cases mentioned were my favorite parts of the book.
Williams also did a fair job at not being too heavy handed. If you told me I would laugh out loud during some parts of a Thurgood Marshall biography, I would have stared at you with disbelief.
Williams also did a fair job at not being too heavy handed. If you told me I would laugh out loud during some parts of a Thurgood Marshall biography, I would have stared at you with disbelief.
November 3, 2021
A good, well written overview of Marshall's life. I read this some time ago and enjoyed how Williams structured his presentation. That said, I think "Young Thurgood" by Baltimore's own Larry Gibson provides a better introduction to Justice Marshall's early years (to be fair I provided Prof. Gibson some research support for his book). The fact that Gibson knew Marshall and his family, AND Maryland history gives him an advantage over other writers on Marshall.
Still, Williams is a good introduction as long as you realize that there is more to Justice Thurgood Marshall's life and experience in Maryland that shaped his life than Williams offers here.
January 24, 2014
A solid biography of Thurgood Marshall. Williams, through interviews and stories from those who new Marshall, was able to give readers an in depth understanding of one of the most important civil rights leaders from the 20th century. Several important court cases were mentioned, and their ever lasting impact was discussed. The struggle with race and becoming one of the most prominent figures in history, makes his story a must read. It's hard to believe that Brown v. Board of Education will barely turn 50 this year.
January 19, 2014
This is so much better than I thought it would be! A very detailed look at Marshall's life as a man, lawyer, activist, and judge. Reads surprisingly quickly for a biography that is this thick. I really felt like I "knew" Thurgood as well as anyone could after having read this...at least as well as someone could given his reputation for bring standoffish in his later years. Through personal papers and dozens of oral histories, Williams tells the story of Marshall's life and, to his credit, doesn't get too bogged down in legal writing that would drive an average reader away.
October 13, 2008
A thorough and fair review of Justice Marshall's life and contributions to the "Civil Rights movement". Although an uncomprimising and flawed man, I now hold Justice Marshall in high regard and possibly the most important litigator in the 20th Century.
I confess that I am a Williams fan, and I enjoy his writing style. The last chapter is quite repetitive, but overall the writing is to the point and full of the personal details that endear you to the subject of the biography.
I confess that I am a Williams fan, and I enjoy his writing style. The last chapter is quite repetitive, but overall the writing is to the point and full of the personal details that endear you to the subject of the biography.
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