Book Review:
Dagmar S. Hamilton, A Friend’s Commentary on Justice Douglas: The Court Years and Independent Journey (reviewing William O. Douglas' The Court Years, 1939-1975: The Autobiography of William O. Douglas and James F. Simon's Independent Journey: The Life of William O. Douglas), 59 Texas L. Rev. 3 (1981).
 

Abstract:
In response to a request from the Texas Law Review, Associate Professor of Public Affairs at the University of Texas and long-time friend of former Associate Justice William O. Douglas, Dagmar S. Hamilton agreed to write an essay upon Douglas. Using the book review format as a springboard, Hamilton offers her thoughts and reflections upon the recently deceased Justice via her commentary upon two texts, The Court Years, an autobiography by Douglas, and Independent Journey: The Life Of William O. Douglas, a biography of Douglas written by James F. Simon. Overall, she finds the two texts to paint a complementary picture of Douglas. She praises Douglas’ auto-biography for capturing the “inimitable voice” of its author. However, she also notes that it, like most auto-biographies, tends to gloss over the negative and recount incidents only in their most positive light. By contrast, Hamilton finds the Simon biography more willing to paint an accurate picture of her late friend, including accounts of both his considerable charms and his “few warts.” She concludes that the biography, when read in consort with his auto-biography, provides a useful and revealing balance that a traditional auto-biography simply cannot achieve. She also notes with satisfaction that while there is tension in the views they present, the two texts are not nearly as disparate in their portrayals as the biography/auto-biography airings of some recent presidents.