Customer Reviews

Dream Makers, Dream Breakers: The World of Justice Thurgood Marshall

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A captivating truly exhilirating book. Full of all kinds of fascinating details about Marshall's upbringing, his years as a litigator, and his judicial career. Truly captures the essence of a man who was irreverent, down to earth, compassionate, and fully committed to his cause. Demonstrates the numerous ways in which Marshall's achievements have made life better for all American's. More entertaining than a work of fiction. Made me want to read Rowan's other books.

As it says on the cover, this is as close as one will get to an autobiography of Thurgood Marshall. The author gives a fascinating insight into Marshall's life and career. Very well worth reading.

Dream Makers is a biography saved from complete irrelevance only by the facet that its subject is so colorful, so eminent in history and American culture, so likable and so admirable. The author's POV is that of a racist sycophant, rendering the book a veritable litany of ad hominen attacks in defense of Marshall against anyone who dared to question or criticize Marshall (or Rowan, the author, for that matter). In between Rowan's extended and unbalanced rant, and his frequent, mind boggling references to "white America" and "white people" while he purports to abhor racism, there are some gems - Rowan does have unique personal experiences from which to draw, and uses anecdote to great effect in filling out what would otherwise be a glorified primary school "research paper." Rowan's personal investment in Thurgood Marshall's own life and legacy become crippling stumbling blocks in this work, as the author undermines his own critique of right-wing ideology, racism and willful ignorance by so thoughtlessly and ineffectively railing against them for 400-plus pages. If you admire Justice Marshall's life and work as much as I do, this bio may be worth your while. If, however, you are in search of a balanced, measured biography of the man, then look elsewhere.