Stephen Clingman was born in South Africa and studied at the University of the Witwatersrand and at Oxford University. In 1989 he joined the teaching staff at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Clingman's biography, Bram Fischer: Afrikaner Revolutionary, was published in 1998 (Cape Town: David Philip; Bellville: Mayibuye; Amherst, Massachusetts: University of Massachusetts Press). It won the 1999 Sunday Times Alan Paton Award, South Africa's premier prize for non-fiction.

Abram (Bram) Fischer (1908-1975) was born in South Africa into a prominent Afrikaner nationalist family. He was called to the Johannesburg bar in 1935 and was appointed King’s Counsel in 1951. A distinguished lawyer, Fischer was involved in many political trials; he worked on the defence team in the Treason Trial (1957-1961) and led the defence team at the Rivonia Trial (1963-1964).

Shortly after the Rivonia Trial ended, Fischer was arrested for being a member of the illegal Communist Party. He was granted bail and permitted to go to London to argue a case before the Privy Council. He returned to South Africa to stand trial in November 1964 but one day absconded to continue his political activities underground.

In November 1965 Fischer was disbarred by the General Bar Council of South Africa and struck off the Roll of Advocates. He was captured the same month and tried on the more serious charge of conspiracy to commit sabotage as well as being a member of the Communist Party. In May 1966 he was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.

In 1974 Fischer was diagnosed with cancer. In April 1975, following a public campaign appealing for his release, the government placed Fischer under house arrest at his brother's home in Bloemfontein. He died there the following month. Because Fischer had died a prisoner, the authorities demanded that his ashes were returned to them after the funeral.

In October 2003 Fischer was posthumously reinstated to the Roll of Advocates by a full bench of South Africa's high court.

Fischer married Susanna Johanna (Molly) Krige (1908-1964) in 1937. They had three children.