Hugo Blackhugo Black: A Biography

by Roger K. Newman

Book Overview

The extraordinary story of a man who bestrode his era like a colossus, Hugo Black is the first and only comprehensive biography of the Supreme Court Justice of thirty four years, (1886-1971). Once a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0679431802
• ISBN13: 9780679431800
• Release Date: October 1994
• Publisher: Pantheon Books
• Length: 741 Pages
• Weight: 2.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 6.4" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

This should be your first book about the Supreme Court

I had a great Constitutional law professor while I was in law school. He had all these stories of the Supreme Court behind the scenes, and it brought the law to life. So I started to look around for Supreme Court biographies. About 6 years later, I'm still reading them. This is the best I have come across. Love him or hate him, Hugo Black is one of the 10 most important Justices in history, most would agree. More than that--he had a strong, controversial, well-thought-out point of view about the law, though he was friends with many people who absolutely disagreed with him. He is interesting to conservatives and liberals alike and he challenges us to use our brains because he doesn't fit neatly into modern ideas of what it is to be Republican or Democrat. For instance, he's known as a "judicial activist," but he was a textualist (like Scalia). He's also something of an original intent guy (though he doesn't ignore the Amendments like the 14th Amendment that were passed long after the "founding fathers" died). He didn't believe in what's called "substantive due process"---the notion of fairness that many jurists find in the Constitution's due process clause(s). In other words---abortion, gay rights, right to die, anything labeled as a privacy right---he had his views on what the law SHOULD be but...well, as Hugo said (paraphrasing): "I like my privacy as much as the next man, but I don't find it in the Constitution." Also, he wrote Korematsu, the opinion that allowed the government to put Japanese-Americans into internment camps during the war years. Along with Justice Douglas, he was the most vigorous protector of the First Amendment free speech rights that the Court has ever had. He was banned for years from Alabama because of his assistance in desegregaing the nation and providing equal protection to African Americans (which is interesting in light of his KKK past). Thus, if you're a fan of the liberal Warren Court era OR a fan of Scalia and Thomas's modern/throwback textualist and originalist ideas, there is much for you to learn. That aside, Hugo's story was fascinating. Other reviewers have remarked on his KKK and New Deal Senator past. He was also one of the longest sitting Justices---30 years or so. This book is an easy read and you'll get a feel for Hugo's PERSONALITY, not just his actions. (I think of him as "Hugo" rather than Justice Black because I think of him as a friend...and that's due to this book).

From KKK member to the Supreme Court: A fascinating story

What more can you say to attract a reader than this book is the story of a southern lawyer who begins as a member of the Ku Klax Klan in Alabama and ends his career as one of the most respected members of the United States Supreme Court. WOW! The truth IS stranger than fiction.This book was written by one of Justice Black's former law clerks on the Court. It is well-written and gives great insight into the man, his methods, convictions, passions, and flaws.Highly recommended for those who are fans of the Court's jurisprudence during the era of expanding protection of individual rights.

An excellent study of Justice Black's jurisprudence

Justice Black was (and is) a fascinating study in American constitutional theory -- an unabashed and lifelong Democrat, Black surprised many, especially toward the end of his life, when he often refused to join in the Warren court's adventures into judicial activism. Newman's biography is comprehensive, touching on all the key points of Black's life both on and off the bench, including a lenghty examination of his now-famous First Amendment jurisprudence. Black emerges in three dimensions, as a complicated and passionate advocate and jurist. Three minor flaws: first, Newman, obviously in awe of Black, occasionally misses an opportunity to fairly criticize some of his opinions; secondly, the book does not always flow smoothly, but often advances in a rough, staccato fashion (a venial flaw, considering the complicated subject matter). Finally, toward the end of the book, Newman becomes somewhat overly-sentimental - hardly a page goes by without Newman describing the "tears pouring down Black's face" as he recalls his youth and public service. Again, given the author's clear love of his subject, this is forgiveable.Overall, a fantastic book - a must read for any Supreme Court scholar.

Essential reading to understand 20th Century American law

This is a towering work on the life of Justice Black, who, more than any other man, shaped our concept of what civil liberties were in the late 20th century.While author Roger K. Newman clearly worships Justice Black, he isn't blind to the almost inexplicable inconsistencies in Black's thinking: how, for example, the civil libertarian who fought to extend the prohibitions of the Bill of Rights to state action could dismiss the importance of the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable search and seizure! Newman's account of Black's voyage from lifetime membership in the Ku Klux Klan to champion of equal rights is a much more clear-eyed look at the inherent contradictions thereof than Black's own fumbling efforts to explain his paradigm shift.The author strikes a delicate balance between the intricacies of legal reasoning (of probable interest only to law students like myself) and simple storytelling which will fascinate the uninitiated. He tells you enough, but not too much!This book amply fulfills the primary purpose of all recent histories--it gives the reader a much clearer understanding of how we got where we are today from where we were at the turn of the last century.

A fascinating book about a fascinating figure

From his time as a United States Senator to his retirement from the Supreme Court in 1971 Hugo Black was never boring. His career was marked by a willingness to defend those who needed a defense. As a successful attorney in Birmingham Black refused to represent large corporations, only individuals who desperately needed his help. As a Senator Black argued for legislation to help the same group of people. And as a Supreme Court Justice Black became known as the leading libertartian of his time. Roger Newman captures Black brilliantly, both as a man and as a public figure. Newman looks at Black dispassionately during good times and bad. From his time in the KKK thru his tenure on the court, Newman's analysis is honest and insightful. If you are interested in the Supreme Court or American history this book is a must read.