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The Brethren: Inside the Supreme Court Paperback – Illustrated, July 1, 2005

by Bob Woodward (Author)

474 ratings

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The Brethren is the first detailed behind-the-scenes account of the Supreme Court in action.

Bob Woodward and Scott Armstrong have pierced its secrecy to give us an unprecedented view of the Chief and Associate Justices—maneuvering, arguing, politicking, compromising, and making decisions that affect every major area of American life.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Explosive...The most controversial book on the Supreme Court yet written."
-- Los Angeles Times Book Review

"Fascinating. The pace is swift, with details that rivet the attention."
-- The Washington Post Book World

"A provocative book about a hallowed institution...It is the most comprehensive inside story ever written of the most important court in the world. For this reason alone it is required reading."
-- BusinessWeek

"It is to the credit of Woodward and Armstrong that they were willing -- and able -- to shatter this conspiracy of silence. It is certainly in the highest tradition of investigative journalism."
-- Saturday Review

"One hell of a reporting achievement."
-- The Village Voice

"The year's best political book."
-- New York Post

About the Author

Bob Woodward is the author of three consecutive #1 New York Times bestsellers on President Trump—Fear (2018), Rage (2020), and Peril (2021) with Robert Costa—and an audiobook of 20 interviews with Trump. He has authored 22 bestselling books, 15 of which have been #1 New York Times bestsellers, covering every president from Nixon to Biden.

Scott Armstrong is executive director of the Information Trust. A former reporter for The Washington Post, he founded the National Security Archive and was a senior investigator for the Senate Watergate Committee.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0743274024
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster
Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 1, 2005
Edition ‏ : ‎ Reissue
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 608 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780743274029
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0743274029
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.2 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.8 x 8.44 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #154,331 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #23 in Courts & Law
- #29 in United States Judicial Branch
- #121 in General Constitutional Law

Customer Reviews:
474 ratings

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Bob Woodward
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Bob Woodward is an associate editor of The Washington Post, where he has worked since 1971. He has shared in two Pulitzer Prizes, first in 1973 for the coverage of the Watergate scandal with Carl Bernstein, and second in 2003 as the lead reporter for coverage of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
He has authored or coauthored 18 books, all of which have been national non-fiction bestsellers. Twelve of those have been #1 national bestsellers. He has written books on eight of the most recent presidents, from Nixon to Obama.
Bob Schieffer of CBS News has said, “Woodward has established himself as the best reporter of our time. He may be the best reporter of all time.”
In 2014, Robert Gates, former director of the CIA and Secretary of Defense, said that he wished he’d recruited Woodward into the CIA, saying of Woodward, “He has an extraordinary ability to get otherwise responsible adults to spill [their] guts to him...his ability to get people to talk about stuff they shouldn’t be talking about is just extraordinary and may be unique.”
Gene Roberts, the former managing editor of The New York Times, has called the Woodward-Bernstein Watergate coverage, “maybe the single greatest reporting effort of all time.” In listing the all-time 100 best non-fiction books, Time Magazine has called All the President’s Men, by Bernstein and Woodward, “Perhaps the most influential piece of journalism in history.”
In 2018 David Von Drehle wrote, “What [Theodore] White did for presidential campaigns, Post Associate Editor Bob Woodward has done for multiple West Wing administrations – in addition to the Supreme Court, the Pentagon, the CIA and the Federal Reserve.”
Woodward was born March 26, 1943 in Illinois. He graduated from Yale University in 1965 and served five years as a communications officer in the United States Navy before beginning his journalism career at the Montgomery County (Maryland) Sentinel, where he was a reporter for one year before joining the Post.
Photos, a Q&A, and additional materials are available at Woodward's website, www.bobwoodward.com.
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Scott Armstrong
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Customers find the book well-written and thought-provoking, providing a surprising and eye-opening look behind the scenes of the Supreme Court. Moreover, they appreciate how the justices' personalities are clearly defined throughout the book. However, the entertainment value receives mixed reactions, with several customers finding it boring.

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Readability Insight Personality Eye opening Entertainment value

37 customers mention "Readability"32 positive5 negative

Customers find the book well written and engaging, though one customer notes it reads like a gossip magazine at times.

"First of all, Bob Woodward is a tremendous writer and his style kept me engaged the whole time I was reading The Bretheren...." Read more

"...It is a little dated, but still a fun and well-written insider's story of the workings of the U.S. Supreme Court...." Read more

"...the various justices along the way speaks not only to their talent in writing this book, but also to the fine detail captured in their research for..." Read more

"Well written book, maybe a lot more detail for the average reader...." Read more

29 customers mention "Insight"29 positive0 negative

Customers find the book provides great insight, describing it as thought-provoking and eye-opening.

"...of all, Bob Woodward is a tremendous writer and his style kept me engaged the whole time I was reading The Bretheren...." Read more

"...and Armstrong exemplify the highest standards and efforts of investigative journalism, conveying a vivid account of the events and personalities of..." Read more

"...However, despite this shortcoming, "The Brethen" is very interesting...." Read more

"...v. Wade got decided, but on top of that it provides gives us fascinating portrayals of some of modern histories most important justices, including..." Read more

10 customers mention "Personality"10 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate how the book portrays the justices' personalities, with one customer noting how it describes their relationships with each other.

"...He is a fascinating character, almost as bad a manager and as delusional as David Brent from the recent BBC TV Series The Office...." Read more

"...are both excellent and the injection of humour and the personalities of the various justices along the way speaks not only to their talent in..." Read more

"...a slow read because of the dryness of the material, but the characters are well defined and it is an inside look at how the Court functioned at the..." Read more

"...Insights into the politics, personalities and proclivities of the justices are both amusing and enlightening...." Read more

9 customers mention "Eye opening"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the book eye-opening, providing a very insightful look behind the scenes of the Supreme Court.

"...Anyway, I found the book a wonderful eye into the hidden workings of the Supreme Court. Just one comment...." Read more

"...Though published in 1979, The Brethren is still a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at how the Supreme Court of the US really functions...." Read more

"An eye opening look behind the vale. The personalities of the justices are clearly defined with their individual warts and halos exposed...." Read more

"It gave a good look at the judicial maneuverings of the justices on cases to get unanimous opinions in the terms 1969 to 1975, especially when..." Read more

5 customers mention "Entertainment value"3 positive2 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the entertainment value of the book, with some finding it boring.

"...It is a little dated, but still a fun and well-written insider's story of the workings of the U.S. Supreme Court...." Read more

"Horrible book. Nothing links up...." Read more

"...the politics, personalities and proclivities of the justices are both amusing and enlightening...." Read more

"So boring. I couldn't get through it." Read more

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Bart Baker
An eye opening account of how the court operates
Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2023
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First of all, Bob Woodward is a tremendous writer and his style kept me engaged the whole time I was reading The Bretheren. I am not an expert on the Supreme Court but have read several books on it's history. I also find the individual justices extremely interesting. I never realized before how much "lobbying" occurs among justices trying to get other justices to see (and perhaps join) in their opinions on a particular case. It is also wonderful to see how (in particular cases) the power lies not in the extreme right or left of the court but somewhere in the middle (i.e. John Paul Stevens, Potter Stewart, Luis Powell and, at times, Byron White.) My biggest concern with Woodward is this-- was Warren Burger really that much of a fool? His ineptitude seems unbelievable and was such that even his fellow justices made fun of him and the other clerks many times seem to hold him in contempt. I think that Burger's main problem is that he forgot where the political realm stopped and the role of the judiciary began (esp. when it came to Nixon's White House.

Anyway, I found the book a wonderful eye into the hidden workings of the Supreme Court. Just one comment. One reviewer wrote that "no justice was interviewed for this book." If she (Jean) had read in very beginning, the authors state that information was based on interviews with several justices, so she is wrong. I wish that people who contributed gave correct information in their reviews- it would be more helpful for people in their choice of reading.

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Adam D.
Great Timeless Book
Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2005
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This book might seem dated: it describes the machinations of the court from 1969 to 1976, which included, among other things, Roe v. Wade and the Watergate tapes case. However, it is far from obsolete. The Brethren is a still-unprecedented look into the Supreme Court, the most secretive top-level branch of government. Although the faces (save one) and the cases are different, the way in which cases are decided by this body has likely not, plus it is a look at a tumultous time in ours as well as the Court's history.

The focus of the story is Chief Justice Warren Earl Burger, who replaces Earl Warren after his retirement. The irony of the names is unexplored, but it is appropriate, because Burger becomes progressively preoccupied with trying to match Warren's legacy. Unlike Warren, though, he allows political concerns and vanity to influence his judgment and, bit by bit, erode the confidence of his colleagues, to the point where the late William Rehnquist, then a young conservative on the Court, makes fun of him behind his back. Although this book is unflattering to some of the justices, such as Thurgood Marshall, who is noted as lazy and uninvolved and Byron White, who is noted to be unlikeable, Burger is the biggest loser here. The book was published in the early 80s, only a few years before Burger left the court, and the image of him as a pompous, preening, intellectually deficient and generally clueless politician cost him, big time. In spite of the landmark rulings his Court made, he was unable to reverse the Warren Court's liberal activism (as he had hoped to do). His "Minnesota Twin", Harry Blackmun, would drift further away from him, both politically and personally, until finally becoming the most liberal justice after the departure of Thurgood Marshall in 1991. Burger's Macchiavellian strategizing to assign opinions caused such a backlash that, at one point, William Brennan decides to vote for whatever side of a case puts him in the minority so that Burger won't be able to assign him another crappy oppinion.

Ultimately, Burger had good intentions, but his blunders dominate the book. He is a fascinating character, almost as bad a manager and as delusional as David Brent from the recent BBC TV Series The Office. Some of the principals come out looking good: Potter Stewart, for example, and Brennan also. But Rehnquist comes out best, in spite of some scheming and obfuscation. Burger, though, is front and center, and he's a reminder of how we're to seriously we all should take the business of the Court.

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27 people found this helpful

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R. E. Marsh
A Classic History of the Burger Court
Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2006
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I have just re-read this book, which I first enjoyed while I was taking Con Law in law school in the late 1970s. It is a little dated, but still a fun and well-written insider's story of the workings of the U.S. Supreme Court. Woodward and Armstrong write with an "inside the beltway" politically-correct perspective which may seem a little dated today. That's one feature that stands out. When it was originally released, Jimmy Carter was just being elected President, and the Congress was 2/3 Democratic. The political battlegrounds have changed in a generation. However, judicially, not as much as you might expect. Many key issues - abortion, free expression, and the role and limits of government, e.g., - continued through Rehnquist's term as Chief and still face the Roberts court. While today's Court line-up is more conservative, the process of internal court politics is certainly similar, so this book remains useful in attempting to understand both the history of the Court when it issued so many of those decisions that still drive politicians mad today, and how the often convoluted opinions on divisive issues are formed.

It also provides a little nostalgia in remembering Justices such as Potter Stewart and Thurgood Marshall. The authors capture a famous incident involving these two. When the Court of the 1970's considered an obscenity case, the Justices would retire, often en masse, to a basement screening room to take in the offending film. This was a world without home videos. Justice Stewart was infamous for his statement in an earlier case that, while he couldn't define obscenity, "I know it when I see it." Apparently, at the crucial moment (you know the word I'm avoiding) of the film, Justice Marshall would turn to Justice Stewart and proclaim: "That's it - I know it, I see it!"

Anyone interested in Constitutional Law and the Supreme Court should read this book.

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Michael P. Maciuk
An Eye Opener
Reviewed in Canada on December 27, 2011
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The Brethren covers the Supreme Court of the United States of America from 1969 to 1975. It is evident that the authors Bob Woodward and Scott Armstrong did secure their information from former unnamed clerks of the court as well as others as there is no supporting documentation contained in this publication. There is no doubt in my mind that there was a great deal of exhaustive research conducted prior to publishing this book.

The Brethren is really a historic look and examination of the inner-workings of the Supreme Court of the United States of America and covers such areas as inner conflict amongst the judiciary, inner-politics, personalities, abilities of the judiciary, competence of the judiciary, government influence, political influence on decisions of the court, conference voting, assignments of majority opinions of the court, judicial strategy, judicial idiosyncrasies, judicial behaviour and respect towards each other, judicial compromises and deals and the ideological make-up of the court not seen by the average citizen.

The book also addresses areas that are not normally made public such as the role of moderates of the court, voting compromises amongst the judiciary, the writing of court opinions, how the judiciary advance their own ideology and beliefs in their decisions, how written opinions are often amended and why, concerns of the judiciary about new appointments to the court, personal lives of the judiciary, influence of law clerks on the judiciary, the inner workings of the law clerks, the role and influence of the Chief Justice, constitutional arguments and the true workings and operations of the 14 Justices of Supreme Court of America during the late 1960's and early 1970's.

The Brethren affords the reader to view the workings of the Supreme Court of America from the inside out rather than from the outside in!

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Klytanous
Bob can write.
Reviewed in Canada on June 17, 2019
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Love the insight.

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CDM
Very Good
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 26, 2013
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Fantastic read, very useful in an academic evaluation of the role of the US Supreme Court and Civil Rights. Also, a very interesting book for general knowledge.

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Eve-Marie Bouchard
The Brethren
Reviewed in Canada on April 28, 2013
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The book is amazing, but the copy I received was not in good shape. The cover was dirty. Very disappointing.

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5.0 out of 5 stars An eye opening account of how the court operates

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Timeless Book

4.0 out of 5 stars A Classic History of the Burger Court

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5.0 out of 5 stars An Eye Opener

5.0 out of 5 stars Bob can write.

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Good

5.0 out of 5 stars The Brethren

An eye opening account of how the court operates

Great Timeless Book

A Classic History of the Burger Court

An Eye Opener

Bob can write.

Very Good

The Brethren