Judging Thomas - by Ken Foskett (Paperback)

From the Back Cover

Clarence Thomas, the youngest and most controversial member of the Supreme Court, could become the longest-serving justice in history, influencing American law for decades to come. Who is this enigmatic man? And what does he believe in?

Judging Thomas tells the remarkable story of Clarence Thomas's improbable journey from hardscrabble beginnings in the segregated South to the loftiest court in the land. With objectivity and balance, author Ken Foskett chronicles Thomas's contempt for upper-crust blacks who snubbed his uneducated, working-class roots; his flirtation with the priesthood and, later, Black Power; the resentment that fueled his opposition to affirmative action; the conservative beliefs that ultimately led him to the Supreme Court steps; and the inner resilience that propelled him through the doors.

Based on interviews with Thomas himself, fellow justices, family members, and hundreds of friends and associates, Judging Thomas skillfully unravels perhaps the most complex, controversial, and powerful public figure in America today.

Review Quotes

"[An] impressively researched, well-written and concise account of Thomas's rise.... Foskett comes up with facts that will please Thomas's admirers, but he also unearths information that will provide ammunition to the justice's detractors." - Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"A truly gripping and insightful biography. Written with great narrative verve, Foskett explains the historic rise of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court in an unforgettable fashion. Essential reading for anybody interested in both the African American freedom struggle and U.S. legal history." - Douglas Brinkley, bestselling author of Tour of Duty