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Senator Ted Cruz’s new biography about Justice Clarence Thomas, Going Further, is a must-read contribution to this third genre of Supreme Court books.
Three general types of books about the Supreme Court exist. First, most books are based entirely on publicly known information. These books, often written by academics, rely primarily on the author’s opinion and analysis. Second, some books provide inside information about the Court that largely comes from anonymous sources. These books, usually authored by journalists, are intriguing but are impossible to verify because unnamed sources have unknown biases. Third, few books deftly blend public and private information, most of which is directly attributed to named sources. With these tomes, readers learn directly from the principals, and there is no speculation about anonymous sources. This final category, usually an authorized biography, is the rarest and most useful because few authors have earned such trust at the Court.
Senator Ted Cruz’s new biography about Justice Clarence Thomas, , is a must-read contribution to this third genre of Supreme Court books. Indeed, Cruz is uniquely qualified to write this book because he has observed the third branch from three perspectives over three decades: as a law clerk to Chief Justice Rehnquist, as a Supreme Court litigator in public and private practice, and as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Most importantly, Cruz has earned the trust of Clarence Thomas. If “somebody else was asking,” Thomas said, “I would say no. But if it’s you writing, I’m glad to do it.” In late 2025, Cruz visited the Thomas chambers six times over six months, compiling nine hours of on-the-record interviews. Justice Thomas did not speak “on background” like other Justices trying to improve their reputation. Thomas was an open book.
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Josh Blackman is an adjunct fellow at the Manhattan Institute.