Share <Embed>

Buy New

$15.01

List Price: $22.00
Save: $6.99 (32%)

Only 4 left in stock - order soon.

Sold by bestbuyalways and Fulfilled by Amazon.

Turn on 1-Click ordering for this browser

This item ships to France. Want it Tuesday, Sept. 11? Order within and choose AmazonGlobal Priority Shipping at checkout. Learn more

Deliver to

Buy Used

$10.44

FREE Shipping on orders over $25.

Deliver to

Used: Very Good | Details

Sold by Leeward Charitable Foundation, Inc,

Fulfilled by Amazon

Turn on 1-Click ordering for this browser

Added to

Unable to add item to List. Please try again.

Other Sellers on Amazon

Add to Cart

$15.01
& FREE Shipping on eligible orders. Details

Sold by: CE_BOOKHOUSE

Add to Cart

$15.24
& FREE Shipping on eligible orders. Details

Sold by: BOOKandBOOK

Add to Cart

$15.24
& FREE Shipping on eligible orders. Details

Sold by: Amazon.com

Have one to sell? Sell on Amazon

Flip to back Flip to front

Listen Playing... Paused You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more

See all 3 images

Becoming Justice Blackmun: Harry Blackmun's Supreme Court Journey Paperback – April 4, 2006

by Linda Greenhouse (Author)

53 customer reviews

See all 11 formats and editions Hide other formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$4.97

—

Hardcover

"Please retry"

$7.40

$0.10

Paperback

"Please retry"

$15.01

$1.99

"A fascinating book. In clear and forceful prose, Becoming Justice Blackmun tells a judicial Horatio Alger story and a tale of a remarkable transformation . . . A page-turner."―The New York Times Book Review
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 have access to the extensive archives of Justice Harry A. Blackmun (1908–99), the man behind numerous landmark Supreme Court decisions, including Roe v. Wade.

Through the lens of Blackmun's private and public papers, Greenhouse crafts a compelling portrait of a man who, from 1970 to 1994, ruled on such controversial issues as abortion, the death penalty, and sex discrimination yet never lost sight of the human beings behind the legal cases. Greenhouse also paints the arc of Blackmun's lifelong friendship with Chief Justice Warren E. Burger, revealing how political differences became personal, even for two of the country's most respected jurists.

From America's preeminent Supreme Court reporter, this is a must-read for everyone who cares about the Court and its impact on our lives.

Frequently bought together

Total price: $23.55

These items are shipped from and sold by different sellers. Show details

Buy the selected items together

This item:Becoming Justice Blackmun: Harry Blackmun's Supreme Court Journey by Linda Greenhouse Paperback $15.01
Only 4 left in stock - order soon.
Sold by bestbuyalways and ships from Amazon Fulfillment.
FREE Shipping on orders over $25. Details
Protect and Defend (Kerry Kilcannon) by Richard North Patterson Mass Market Paperback $8.54
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
FREE Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Customers who bought this item also bought

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

This shopping feature will continue to load items. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading.

Richard North…

172

Mass Market Paperback
$8.54
Joan Biskupic

82

Paperback
$13.74
Howard Ball

5

Paperback
$16.24
Bob Woodward

104

Paperback
$8.95
Sun Yung Shin

46

Paperback
$12.88
John Paul Stevens

61

Paperback
$8.98

Editorial Reviews

Review

“[A] wonderful book . . . one of the most intimate and revealing portraits of the relationship between two justices ever achieved.” ―Jeffrey Rosen, The New York Times

“A graceful account, filled with well-chosen quotations, apt observations and elegant legal summaries.” ―The Washington Post Book World

“Reprises in rich, thoughtful, and more extensive detail the main emotional and interpretive threads of Blackmun's career.” ―David J. Garrow, The New Republic

“Highly readable and interesting . . . Greenhouse has mined [Blackmun's private papers] brilliantly to create a moving narrative.” ―Los Angeles Times

“A riveting account of [Blackmun's] life.” ―Anna Quindlen, Newsweek

“[A] fascinating volume . . . Becoming Justice Blackmun is as welcome as it is interesting . . . informative and moving.” ―The Washington Times

“Should inform anyone with an interest in the law and how the court operates . . . Blackmun, a precise writer and exacting editor, would approve.” ―USA Today

“A model biography of a Supreme Court justice . . . Greenhouse delivers a crystal-clear, and sometimes painful, portrait of the way personality shapes history.” ―The Courier-Journal (Louisville)

“Greenhouse sets a high standard in offering an intimate look both at the man and at the development of his judicial thought.” ―Publishers Weekly, starred review

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 reporting on the Court. She appears regularly on the PBS program Washington Week and lectures frequently on the Supreme Court at colleges and law schools. She graduated from Radcliffe College at Harvard University and holds a master of studies in law from Yale Law School. She lives outside Washington, D.C.

Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Times Books; Reprint edition (April 4, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0805080570
ISBN-13: 978-0805080575
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.6 x 8.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 53 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #126,600 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #66 in Books > Law > Rules & Procedures > Courts
- #82 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > United States > Judicial Branch
- #121 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Professionals & Academics > Lawyers & Judges

Would you like to tell us about a lower price?
If you are a seller for this product, would you like to suggest updates through seller support?

Be the first video

Your name here

Customer reviews

2 star (0%)

1 star (0%)

Write a customer review

See all 53 customer reviews

Top customer reviews

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Durwood

The Evolution of Justice in the Mind of Harry Blackmun

January 24, 2017

Verified Purchase

Justice Harry Blackmun was appointed to the US Supreme Court by President Nixon in 1970. This biography is based on Justice Blackmun's own personal notes, letters, and documents which were released 5 years after his death in 1999. It is the defenitive biography of one of the more influential Associate Justices in modern history.

A major thread in the book involves Blackmun's relationship and interactions with other Justices, with particular emphasis on his relationship with Chief Justice Warren Burger. Burger was a lifelong friend, but their tenure on the court put an irreparable strain on that friendship. Justice Blackmun is most famous for having penned the majority opinion in the landmark abortion case, Roe v. Wade. The book does a wonderful job in showing how Blackmun's jurisprudence evolved during his 24 years on the Supreme Court: he began as a fairly conservative-to-moderate justice but was the court's most liberal judge when he retired in 1994.

This is a great read. My only complaint is that there is some organizational confusion to the book: while in general it is presented chronologically, towards the end when discussing Blackmun's role with women's rights, it jumps back in time and is a little confusing. This is a minor problem though and certainly didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the book.

Definitely worth reading if you have an interest in the Supreme Court, American History or biographies in general.

2 people found this helpful3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Hannah

highly recommended.

March 17, 2016

Verified Purchase

After finishing the biography on Brennan (Justice Brennan: Liberal Champion), I thought I'd pick up a book about one of his co-justices, and a frequent ally. I have to say that I found this to be an easier read, and a more powerful one. The book is especially moving when describing Justice Blackmun's struggles with the effects of each court decision on real people. Unlike many judges, it's clear that Blackmun understood that court decisions are not merely conclusions of legal theory but that they have profound impact and can cause real devastation for those affected.

All those famous quotes I remember from law school--from "Poor Joshua!" to "from this day forward I shall no longer tinker with the machinery of death" to "There is 'another world' out there, the existence of which the Court, I suspect, either chooses to ignore or fears to recognize"--were put into context. You can see and feel the evolution of Justice Blackmun's jurisprudence and his movement away from the faith held so close by most other justices (liberal and conservative): that judging is a sterile job through which an academic interpretation grounded in strict principles will lead to a "just" system regardless of whether human experience demonstrates otherwise. As a practicing lawyer who sees the impact of each judicial decision in human terms play out on the lives of her clients daily, I can appreciate Justice Blackmun's compassion. That this compassion shines through is a testament to Linda Greenhouse as a writer.

TL;DR An accessible and moving biography that captures Justice Blackmun's compassion, highly recommended.

3 people found this helpful4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Jean

Interesting man

March 30, 2014

Verified Purchase

For historians Blackmum must be an angel, as he kept all his papers and on his death turned them over to the Library of Congress. He also sat for 38 hours of videotaped interviews with his former clerk Harold Hongju Keh now Dean of the Yale Law School. Greenhouse was provided early access by Blackmum’s daughter to write this biography. Greenhouse is a Pulitzer Prize winning Supreme Court reporter for the New York Times. The book provides a fascinating story told in clear and forceful prose telling the tale of a remarkable transformation. Greenhouse tells a detailed story of Blackmum’s personal and professional life including his lifetime friendship with Warren Burger. Blackmum was a Republican, conservative, Methodist appointed to the Supreme Court by President Richard Nixon after two other men where refused appointment. Their fellow justices referred to Burger and Blackmum as the Minnesota Twins. Burger assigned Roe v Wade and a number of other similar cases to Blackmum. He took his time deciding and writing the decision including spending part of his summer vacation at the Mayo Clinic library studying information about abortion. He had been the counsel for Mayo Clinic for about 9 years prior to appointment to the bench. Blackmum said, he was unprepared for the firestorm he entered after the decision was released; nor was he prepared to be assigned all the abortion cases by the court. Over time he found himself voting with the liberal judges more often particularly on cases of equal right, sex and race discrimination resulting in the breakup of the long friendship with Chief Justice Warren Burger. Greenhouse paints Blackman as a modest Minnesotan who carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. He drove his little blue Volkswagen to court daily for breakfast with his clerks until assassination attempts required security to escort him. Greenhouse says he was known as a man of civility and compassion. Blackman wrote numerous landmark Supreme Court decisions but he will always be best known as the protector of women’s rights. He participated in the most contentious debates of his era all behind close door, with the donation of all his papers we now get to peek behind the door. I read this as an e-book via my Kindle app on my Ipad.

3 people found this helpful4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Set up an Amazon Giveaway

Amazon Giveaway allows you to run promotional giveaways in order to create buzz, reward your audience, and attract new followers and customers. Learn more about Amazon Giveaway

This item: Becoming Justice Blackmun: Harry Blackmun's Supreme Court Journey

Set up a giveaway

Buy New

$15.01

Turn on 1-Click ordering for this browser

Buy Used

$10.44

Turn on 1-Click ordering for this browser

Other Sellers on Amazon

Becoming Justice Blackmun: Harry Blackmun's Supreme Court Journey Paperback – April 4, 2006

Frequently bought together

Customers who bought this item also bought

Sponsored products related to this item (What's this?)

Editorial Reviews

Review

About the Author

Product details

Related Video Shorts (0)

Be the first video

Customer reviews

Read reviews that mention

Top customer reviews

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Customer images

Most recent customer reviews

Set up an Amazon Giveaway

What other items do customers buy after viewing this item?

Buy New $15.01

Turn on 1-Click ordering for this browser

Buy Used $10.44

Turn on 1-Click ordering for this browser

Sorry, there was a problem.

Sorry, there was a problem.

Other Sellers on Amazon

Becoming Justice Blackmun: Harry Blackmun's Supreme Court Journey Paperback – April 4, 2006

Frequently bought together

Customers who bought this item also bought

Sponsored products related to this item (What's this?)

Editorial Reviews

Review

About the Author

Product details

Related Video Shorts (0)

Be the first video

Customer reviews

Read reviews that mention

Top customer reviews

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Customer images

Most recent customer reviews

Set up an Amazon Giveaway

What other items do customers buy after viewing this item?

Buy New

$15.01

Buy Used

$10.44