Wild Bill: The Legend and Life of William O. Douglas.

• Author: Cullen, Steven P.
• Position: Book Review

by Bruce Allen Murphy

Wild Bill: The Legend and Life of William O. Douglas is the detailed biography of U.S. Supreme Court Justice William 0. Douglas. The early chapters contrast Douglas' struggle with poverty and strife for education with his rapid rise to power as an ivy league law professor. With questionable self-esteem, Douglas is rarely satisfied with the pace of his career advancement. Failed political jaunts and missed presidential opportunities make his U.S. Supreme Court appointment seem anticlimactic.

On the personal side, Douglas' love of the outdoors dwarfs his self-perceived shortcomings. His penchant for liquor, young blonde women other than his wife of the moment, and a propensity to embellish the truth always seem to propel him into personal turmoil.

Financially, multiple alimony orders and predisposition to live beyond his means fuel one fiscal crisis after another.

At the Supreme Court, Douglas is portrayed as mostly at war with the conservative factions. Initially prone to side with business and law enforcement interests, his legal philosophy...