The Brethren is a 1979 book by
Bob WoodwardRobert Upshur "Bob" Woodward is regarded as one of America's preeminent investigative reporters and non-fiction authors. He has worked for The Washington Post since 1971 as a reporter, and is currently an associate editor of the Post...
and
Scott ArmstrongScott Armstrong is the current director of Information Trust, a former journalist for the Washington Post, and founder of the National Security Archive...
, which gives a nonfiction look behind the scenes of the United States Supreme Court during
Warren BurgerWarren Earl Burger was Chief Justice of the United States from 1969 to 1986. Although Burger had conservative leanings, the U.S...
's early years as
Chief Justice of the United StatesThe Chief Justice of the United States is the head of the United States federal court system and the chief judge of the Supreme Court of the United States...
.
Using Woodward's now-familiar and often controversial writing technique involving "off-the-record" sources, the book provides a fascinating account of the deliberations leading to some of the more controversial decisions from the 1960s and 1970s rendered by the highest court of the United States.
The Brethren is a 1979 book by
Bob WoodwardRobert Upshur "Bob" Woodward is regarded as one of America's preeminent investigative reporters and non-fiction authors. He has worked for The Washington Post since 1971 as a reporter, and is currently an associate editor of the Post...
and
Scott ArmstrongScott Armstrong is the current director of Information Trust, a former journalist for the Washington Post, and founder of the National Security Archive...
, which gives a nonfiction look behind the scenes of the United States Supreme Court during
Warren BurgerWarren Earl Burger was Chief Justice of the United States from 1969 to 1986. Although Burger had conservative leanings, the U.S...
's early years as
Chief Justice of the United StatesThe Chief Justice of the United States is the head of the United States federal court system and the chief judge of the Supreme Court of the United States...
.
Using Woodward's now-familiar and often controversial writing technique involving "off-the-record" sources, the book provides a fascinating account of the deliberations leading to some of the more controversial decisions from the 1960s and 1970s rendered by the highest court of the United States. Among the cases explored was the 1969 decision involving dethroned
heavyweightHeavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Organization, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing...
champion
boxerBoxing is a combat sport where two participants, generally of similar weight, fight each other with their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee and is typically engaged in during a series of one to three-minute intervals called rounds. There are three ways to win...
Muhammad AliMuhammad Ali is a retired American boxer and three-time World Heavyweight Champion, who is widely considered one of the greatest heavyweight champions. As an amateur, he won a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome...
's refusal to be inducted for
military serviceMilitary service, in its simplest sense, is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, whether as a chosen job or as a result of an involuntary draft . Some nations Military service, in its simplest sense, is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, whether...
in the
Vietnam WarThe Vietnam War or the Second Indochina War was a Cold War military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1959 to 30 April 1975...
. Preliminary opinions by the justices pointed to a defeat for Ali's cause. After further discussion and persuasion, the final opinion was a unanimous decision overturning Ali's conviction for draft evasion, which paved the way for Ali's second boxing career and his legendary bouts with
Joe FrazierJoseph "Billy" Frazier, known as Smokin' Joe , is an Olympic and World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, active mostly from the later 1960s to the mid 1970s....
,
George ForemanGeorge Edward Foreman is an American two-time former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Olympic gold medalist, and successful entrepreneur....
and
Leon SpinksLeon Spinks is an American former boxer. He had an overall record of 26 wins, 17 losses and 3 draws as a professional, with 14 knockout wins. While still an amateur, he also became a member of the United States Marine Corps. Spinks went from being heavyweight champion of the world to being...
.
Another case with substantial treatment in the book was the 1974 decision involving then President
Richard NixonRichard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States and is the only president to resign the office. He was also the 36th Vice President of the United States ....
's refusal to turn over the Watergate tapes on the ground of
executive privilegeIn the United States government, executive privilege is the power claimed by the President of the United States and other members of the executive branch to resist certain subpoenas and other interventions by the legislative and judicial branches of government...
. The unanimous decision against the President directly led to his resignation as the 37th
President of the United StatesThe President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition...
-- the only President in history to do so. "The Brethren" is one of the few accounts of the workings of the mysterious and least-known of the branches of the United States government.
In 1985, upon the death of Associate Justice
Potter StewartPotter Stewart was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. On the Court, he made major contributions to criminal justice reform, civil rights, access to the courts, and Fourth Amendment jurisprudence, among other areas.-Education:Stewart was born in Jackson, Michigan,...
, Woodward disclosed that Stewart had been the primary source for
The Brethren.
External links
Other ISBN numbers: ISBN 0671241109; ISBN 9780380521838; ISBN 0380521830. ISBN 9780671241100; ISBN 0743274024; ISBN 9780743274029. - find
The Brethren at various libraries and booksellers