Using this technique for the life story of most past and present Justices would be a meandering re-telling about growing up in a political family, attending prestigious schools, and making lots of money before landing a coveted job on the high bench. But Marshall's life is so completely different from most of the men (and they have been almost exclusively men) that have wielded this ultimate judicial power over the country. And it is that unique life story that allows Marshall to transform the nation.

Starting with his rise from a meager beginning in Baltimore, Williams guides us through the fascinating history of Marshall's activist family - from the defiant runaway slave for one grandfather to the other grandfather, a surly Civil War veteran who challenged the brutal racism of the local police. It was in this 19th century city of Baltimore, full of free blacks who owned their own businesses and ran their own private schools, that formed the community that gave birth to Thurgood Marshall. These activists, who demanded that their rights be respected even in a time of Jim Crow oppression, would nurture Marshall's social consciousness.

Marshall's childhood is filled with his own battles against the system of segregation that oppressed so many African-Americans across the country. Particularly poignant was the story about Marshall, working as a delivery boy during high school, being pulled off a trolley car and called "Nigger" because he stepped in front of a white woman. Marshall, strong-willed even as a teen, would not take that kind of abuse, and a huge fight broke out between Marshall and the white man who had grabbed him.

But Marshall's struggle against Jim Crow only increased after he went away to college. Attending Lincoln University, he fell into a friendship with the poet Langston Hughes, who was also a student at the all-male school. Their discussions about American society lead Marshall to take stronger views on race. But it wasn't until he graduated college and wanted to attend law school that the revolutionary spirit fully took hold of Thurgood Marshall. The University of Maryland would not allow him to attend because of their racist policies. So Marshall was forced to take the train everyday from Baltimore into Washington to attend law school at Howard University. There, the tough-minded dean, Charles Houston, took the bright young student under his wing and gave Marshall the training and the desire to do something radical - begin the long process of ending segregation.

Williams recounts the many years of Marshall's work with the NAACP, where as the lead attorney he won several notable cases ending discrimination in everything from housing to voting to bussing to teachers salaries. But it was his work in Brown versus Board of Education that really broke the back of segregation and made Marshall, as Williams contends, one of the most important lawyers of the 20th century. Williams goes through several of these historic cases, but the most compelling tales involve Marshall's defense of poor black men who had been accused of rape or murder and are rushed into kangaroo courts by southern, all-white law enforcement. Marshall's triumphs and failures all come out in these stories filled with both great humor and tremendous tragedy.

Thoroughly researched and with an impressive set of interviews, including over half-dozen of Marshall's colleagues on the Supreme Court, we get to see the full side of Thurgood Marshall. From his fights and surprising friendship with FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, to his competition with Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. It is clear through this parade of the famous and infamous that Thurgood Marshall had such a profound impact on this country. It is unfortunate that at the time of his death, he felt so forgotten and unappreciated.

This lengthy biography covers so many important issues of American life and law. While readers will not find theoretical legal analysis, they will become absorbed in a rich narrative filled with lively characters. But most importantly, this book of Marshall's life brings into focus something that has been lost in recent shouting matches about Louis Farrakhan, affirmative action, and other issues of race that divide us. And that simple truth is that individual rights must be afforded the fullest protections of the law. That was Marshall's life work and that is his legacy.


An incredible account of an amazing life   August 25, 2001
Christina Sorenson (Arlington, Virginia United States)
12 out of 13 found this review helpful

This is one of the most wonderful books I ever read. Thurgood Marshall is one of the most dynamic figures of the Civil Rights Movement. Williams not only gives an excellent and engaging account of Marshall's life, he represents the time in a manner that easily imagined. I was not alive during this period of time, but reading Williams' book made me feel as though I had experienced it. So often, when an author truly likes and admires his subject, the work that results is biased and not well-rounded. You can tell when you are reading something that is one-sided and too tributory to be accurate. Williams' admiration for this great man shines through in his book; however, it is by no means a song to Marshall. Williams' is fair in his dedication to not only Marshall's courage and brilliance, but also his fallibility and humanity. This is what brings the history to life. When you finish reading this book, you will feel as though you know Thurgood Marshall.


A facinating look at a man who helped set things right...   April 7, 2000
Matt
4 out of 6 found this review helpful

Juan's engaging and highly readable book may not be a "comprehensive" Marshall reference, belabored with extensive footnotes & references, but persons interested in Civil Rights, or American history will find the man Turgood Marshall compelling & complex, and the book enjoyable and very informative.


"Reads Like Fiction"   April 30, 2007
Fivekitten (Cattaraugus, NY United States)
As a review on the back cover states, this book truly "reads like fiction." It gives a fascinating perspective of his life, and although I've read other technical biographies and his opinions, lectures and decisions, I would recommend this as a "first read" for anyone studying Thurgood. You feel as if you know Thurgood after reading this, and knowing his personal background helps you understand his professional background. His role in black freedom is no less than that of Martin Luther King's. (And quite frankly I think he should be revered as such.) The realities of black history nauseate me, and I can't comprehend how people historically treated blacks -- but Thurgood fought, and he fought legally and intelligently. Our children need to learn more about Thurgood and his overcoming adversity and changing the history of our country.


Thurgood Marshall: American Revolutionary   April 6, 2008
Louis J. Landry (New York City)
I think this book a "must read" for anyone who wants to know the truth about "back in the days" and "Jim Crow" days and such. Thurgood Marshall was the most inportant African-American man of the 20th century and probably of all time! The things he did have never nor will they ever be equaled. I only wish I'd had the pleasure and blessing of meeting this great man and shaking his hand. I recommend this book to everyone.