The Anti-Hero; The Legend and Life of William O. Douglas

New Republic ^ | Feb 24,2003 | Richard A. Posner

[ishmac]

...Anti-Hero...

World-historical Mountebank and Cad would be more like it

[Aquinasfan]

Apart from being a flagrant liar, Douglas was a compulsive womanizer, a heavy drinker, a terrible husband to each of his four wives, a terrible father to his two children, and a bored, distracted, uncollegial, irresponsible, and at times unethical Supreme Court justice who regularly left the Court for his summer vacation weeks before the term ended.

And he wrote the Griswold decision? I should have known. Sounds like artificial birth control played an important role in his life. Maybe he should have recused himself.

[Aquinasfan]

Degenerate Moderns and Dionysius Rising

"Intellectuals" by Paul Johnson is a romp along the same lines.

[Maximilian]

Sounds like artificial birth control played an important role in his life.

Good point. Four wives and only two children. Plus the innumerable little episodes on the side. He certainly had a vested interest in the legalization of birth control.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Douglas would rate an especially fat chapter in one.

As would both Hillary and bill.