Lyndon B. Johnson

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By Charles Peters & Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. &

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Publisher Description

The towering figure who sought to transform America into a "Great Society" but whose ambitions and presidency collapsed in the tragedy of the Vietnam War

Few figures in American history are as compelling and complex as Lyndon Baines Johnson, who established himself as the master of the U.S. Senate in the 1950s and succeeded John F. Kennedy in the White House after Kennedy's assassination on November 22, 1963.

Charles Peters, a keen observer of Washington politics for more than five decades, tells the story of Johnson's presidency as the tale of an immensely talented politician driven by ambition and desire. As part of the Kennedy-Johnson administration from 1961 to 1968, Peters knew key players, including Johnson's aides, giving him inside knowledge of the legislative wizardry that led to historic triumphs like the Voting Rights Act and the personal insecurities that led to the tragedy of Vietnam.

Peters's experiences have given him unique insight into the poisonous rivalry between Johnson and Robert F. Kennedy, showing how their misunderstanding of each other exacerbated Johnson's self-doubt and led him into the morass of Vietnam, which crippled his presidency and finally drove this larger-than-life man from the office that was his lifelong ambition.

3 Reviews

3.5

Books, Brews, and Tunes

Created almost 3 years ago

Kim Henry

Created over 13 years ago

Bill Napper

Created over 14 years ago

“This biography of LBJ could be described as Robert A. Caro light. In all fairness, however, Peters wrote the book for the LBJ entry in The American Presidents series. Arthur Schlesinger and Sean Wilentz are the general editors of the series the purpose of which is to provide brief and generalized presidential biographies. . It is difficult to review this book because I lived through the Johnson presidency and have read Caro's excellent and detailed biography of LBJ. As such, I am acquainted with the general aspects of Johnson's life and presidency. Gaining a general knowledge of his life is, of course, the objective of Peters' book. He realizes this objective in keeping with goals of the series. Knowing that Johnson had an affair with Helen Gahagan Douglas was new information. Peters also extensively documents how LBJ lied about the Gulf of Tonkin. He deliberately did not inform Congress or the public that two days before the alleged attack on the Maddox, South Vietnamese forces raided North Vietnamese coastal installations. As a result of this partial truth, Congress gave Johnson almost unlimited authority to conduct the war. Ultimately Johnson's escalation and mishandling of the war led to his refusal to run for a second term and great harm to his reputation. Johnson's significant contribution was the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and a year later Medicare and Voting Rights, all part of the Great Society. Peters emphasizes the importance of this legislation. Peters concludes by wondering how much LBJ's obsessive fear of being categorized as a coward contributed to the tragedy of Viet Nam. And, whether his abusive behavior toward his staff was the result of his insecurities. He suggests, taking LBJ warts and all.”

About Charles Peters

Charles Peters is the author of Five Days in Philadelphia and How Washington Really Works, among other books. He is the founder of The Washington Monthly, that he edited for thirty-two years, following a career in politics and government which included serving in the West Virginia legislature, working on John F. Kennedy's 1960 campaign, and helping to launch the Peace Corps. He lives in Washington, D.C.