Becoming Justice Blackmun: Harry Blackmun's Supreme Court Journey (Google eBook)

Linda Greenhouse

Macmillan, Apr 1, 2007 - Biography & Autobiography - 288 pages

A Pulitzer Prize-winning correspondent with unprecedented access to the inner workings of the U.S. Supreme Court chronicles the personal transformation of a legendary justice

From 1970 to 1994, Justice Harry A. Blackmun (1908-1999) wrote numerous landmark Supreme Court decisions, including Roe v. Wade, and participated in the most contentious debates of his era-all behind closed doors. In Becoming Justice Blackmun, Linda Greenhouse of The New York Times draws back the curtain on America's most private branch of government and reveals the backstage story of the Supreme Court through the eyes and writings of this extraordinary justice.

Greenhouse was the first print reporter to have access to Blackmun's extensive archive and his private and public papers. From this trove she has crafted a compelling narrative of Blackmun's years on the Court, showing how he never lost sight of the human beings behind the legal cases and how he was not afraid to question his own views on such controversial issues as abortion, the death penalty, and sex discrimination. Greenhouse also tells the story of how Blackmun's lifelong friendship with Chief Justice Warren E. Burger withered in the crucible of life on the nation's highest court, revealing how political differences became personal, even for the country's most respected jurists.

Becoming Justice Blackmun, written by America's preeminent Supreme Court reporter, offers a rare and wonderfully vivid portrait of the nation's highest court, including insights into many of the current justices. It is a must-read for everyone who cares about the Court and its impact on our lives.

What people are saying

Review: Becoming Justice Blackmun: Harry Blackmun's Supreme Court Journey

User Review  - Virginia - Goodreads

This is a very thorough biography and is not only the personal story of Justice Blackmun, but also the story of other justices and the major cases the Court was reviewing during his years. I came to ...

Review: Becoming Justice Blackmun: Harry Blackmun's Supreme Court Journey

User Review  - Eddy Allen - Goodreads

In this acclaimed biography, Linda Greenhouse of The New York Times draws back the curtain on America's most private branch of government, the Supreme Court. Greenhouse was the first print reporter to ...

Contents

• 1O IN THE CENTER: 228
• A No te on Sources: 253
• Index: 259

About the author

Linda Greenhouse has covered the Supreme Court for The New York Times since 1978 and won a Pulitzer Prize in 1998 for her coverage of the Court. She appears regularly on the PBS program Washington Week in Review and lectures frequently on the Supreme Court at colleges and law schools. She graduated from Radcliffe College and holds a master of studies in law from Yale Law School.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Becoming Justice Blackmun: Harry Blackmun's Supreme Court Journey
• Author: Linda Greenhouse
• Publisher: Macmillan, 2007
• ISBN: 1429900407, 9781429900409
• Length: 288 pages
• Subjects: Biography & Autobiography / Lawyers & Judges; History / United States / 20th Century; Political Science / American Government / Judicial Branch