Learning more about any one of Barrett Prettyman’s accomplishments might make his oral history worth exploring. But the fact that he had so many accomplishments – growing up as the son of a judge; landing on the beaches of Normandy; clerking for no fewer than three Supreme Court Justices; negotiating with Fidel Castro after the Bay of Pigs fiasco; working in the Kennedy administration; establishing a renowned Supreme Court appellate practice at Hogan & Hartson; representing authors such as Truman Capote; and writing a book about the death penalty – makes his life story all the more fascinating. Washington attorney Robert Kapp, who conducted the oral history, has prepared a summary that provides additional details about some of Prettyman’s career highlights.