The Man to See

Evan Thomas chronicles the career of Edward Bennett Williams, a defense attorney who became the most influential fixer in mid-century Washington, D.C. The biography tracks Williams from his representation of Senator Joseph McCarthy and Mafia boss Frank Costello to his ownership of the Washington Redskins and Baltimore Orioles. Thomas details how Williams integrated legal brilliance with a massive network of political and media contacts to protect elite figures from scandal. The narrative explains the mechanics of white-collar defense and the blurring lines between legal advocacy and backroom political influence.

This book serves attorneys, historians, and political strategists who need to understand the evolution of the American legal establishment and the culture of the nation’s capital. Readers learn how Williams redefined the role of a private lawyer into a central power broker within the federal government. The text provides a clear look at how personal relationships shape public policy and legal outcomes. Readers walk away with a factual record of how political defense worked during the Cold War and the Watergate era.