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LBJ: A Life
Critical Praise for Irwin Unger "A careful, comprehensive portrait of a complex figure, a man both eminently practical and deeply principled, who looms large over the middle of our century."–Kirkus Reviews "Few authors have attempted a one-volume life of the idealistic but controversial Lyndon B. Johnson, and none has succeeded like Irwin Unger.. . . Highly recommended. "–Library Journal Pulitzer Prize—winning author Irwin Unger and Debi Unger explore the enigmatic and complex Lyndon B. Johnson, as both a public and a private figure–examining his monumental achievements as well as his conflicted and turbulent relationships with his family, friends, and colleagues. LBJ reveals Johnson’s demons as well as his dreams, providing a compelling portrait of this larger-than-life figure. From the hardscrabble life of the Texas hill country to the colorful Lone Star state elections that provided his entrée into national politics to power politics in Washington, this compassionate, insightful biography traces the life, influences, and motivations of the unpredictable, charismatic, and difficult man who occupied the Oval Office during one of the nation’s most tumultuous periods.
592 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
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July 12, 2015Not reviewing this book as such, more writing a note for my own record.
I am not rating this book as my reason for abandoning it is not the quality of the book but rather that I have lost interest in the subject.
The book is well written as far as I can tell. No idea where the authors are going with this, but the start of the book focuses on the hardships of LBJ's early life that influenced some of his political motivations.
However, there is, even within the first 50 pages, much honing in on Johnson's passion for social justice, which is an assertion, or rather an assumption on Johnson's character, that will, no doubt, create cause for contention later on in his biography.
I am not rating this book as my reason for abandoning it is not the quality of the book but rather that I have lost interest in the subject.
The book is well written as far as I can tell. No idea where the authors are going with this, but the start of the book focuses on the hardships of LBJ's early life that influenced some of his political motivations.
However, there is, even within the first 50 pages, much honing in on Johnson's passion for social justice, which is an assertion, or rather an assumption on Johnson's character, that will, no doubt, create cause for contention later on in his biography.
March 28, 2012
A tragedy, in a way, although the very final note is a kind one. The Ungers do an excellent job of reconciling Johnson's hardscrabble upbringing with his later moves as Congressman/Senator/VP/President, and tie together the amazing advances of the Great Society with the quicksand of the escalating Vietnam war, and show how the latter hobbled the former. The writing is fine--nothing spectacular, but nothing terrible, either.
October 14, 2020
My low rating is not for the man, its for the book.
For me there was way too much time spent on every single bill LBJ got passed. It felt like I was reading a spreadsheet. Boring.
I would have rather read that he accomplished so much and then actually read a bit more about some of his more famous accomplishments.
I was hoping to get a more personal view of LBJ. At times it felt like I was reading a list of accomplishments.
For me there was way too much time spent on every single bill LBJ got passed. It felt like I was reading a spreadsheet. Boring.
I would have rather read that he accomplished so much and then actually read a bit more about some of his more famous accomplishments.
I was hoping to get a more personal view of LBJ. At times it felt like I was reading a list of accomplishments.
February 10, 2016
A pretty fair biography of LBJ and all his warts and personality. I am always surprised at how expansive his programs were for the War on Poverty and Civil Rights which didn't have a chance with the Vietnam War taking monies away from developing these programs more.
April 16, 2012
Irwin and Debi Usher wrote this book about our thirty-sixth president. They tell the tale of a man who would spend a life in politics fighting for the poor and underprivileged, yet would involve the nation is one of the bloodiest and stupidest wars in its history. The late Tim Russert once described him as the victor of a thousand battles who was ultimately beaten in the end. The story of Lyndon B. Johnson is one of tragedy and triumph.
Johnson was born in 1908, the year William H. Taft was elected president, his grandfather and father; both named Sam Johnson, were fighters for the common people. The Ushers tell a story of a Lyndon Johnson who followed his father's career in the state legislature very closely, watching him do politics and fight for benefits for the common people. In some ways, the reason why Johnson would go off to Washington so early in his career, is he had already experienced a career in Austin by being so close to his father.
Johnson would first go to the U.S. Congress as a congressional aide before winning his own seat in 1936. Johnson was a very eager young new dealer, the tall skinny Congressman from Texas was on very good terms with the President, Franklin D. Roosevelt. FDR would refer to Johnson as 'his boy' in Texas. His time in Congress was interrupted by World War II. LBJ would serve as a lieutenant commander in the United States Navy.
In 1948 he would fulfill a prophecy his grandfather made when he was born, that he would be a U.S. Senator. Johnson would take to the Senate like a fish to water. In only two years, he convinced his colleagues in the Democratic caucus, after the massive defeat in the 1952 presidential election that saw the Democrats lose of the presidency and both houses of Congress for the first time in twenty years, to make him the new minority leader. Two years later, he had the Democrats back in the majority and for the first (and only) time in the history of the U.S. Senate the body had a ruler. Johnson would be the master of the Senate, whatever came out of that body during the next six years had to have Johnson's approval, and if it did not it was dead on arrival.
In 1960, John F. Kennedy, a little accomplished senator from the state of Massachusetts, shocked the world by winning the presidential nomination on the first ballot at the Democratic National Convention. Johnson would end up joining the ticket, to the horror of Bobby Kennedy, and was probably the most important pick a presidential candidate had ever made in regards to a running mate and was crucial to Kennedy's narrow victory over Richard Nixon.
"When it came to Congress he felt like a powerless outsider among the people he had once so successfully dominated. And he could barely bring himself to help Kennedy in the legislative area, where his services would have been most appreciated. 'Johnson pulled back...after that caucus,' related a Kennedy aide. 'He hadn't expected it, and it made him reluctant to approach senators.' At the weekly White House breakfast meetings for legislative leaders, Johnson was uncharacteristically silent. He looked tired and tense, giving his opinion only when specifically asked by Kennedy to offer one, usually mumbling his answers." p.261
Johnson was miserable as vice president; he was not a Kennedy insider and was not close to those who were. He was no longer allowed in the Senate caucus and was at times utterly miserable. Johnson and President Kennedy got along enough but Johnson was at a career low. In Dallas, on November 22, 1963, while campaigning, the President of the United States was assassinated in front the nation on live television. On Air Force One, Johnson was sworn in as the new president. Assuming the role of mourner-in-chief, Johnson led a grieving nation. With the martyr ghost of JFK at his side Johnson would get the Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed. The Republicans would nominate the extreme Barry Goldwater in 1964 and Johnson would slaughter him in the biggest landslide elections in our nation's history.
"There were still pestiferous amendments to get out the way, 115 in all. All told there were 106 Senate roll-call votes on the bill. It was clear that the real battle was over, however, when at one point, Richard Russell was speaking and Massachusetts senator Edward Kennedy cut him off, telling him his time was up. Dick Russell had never been treated so rudely before. As Russell took his seat, he had tears in his eyes. Finally, Dirksen came up with a 'revised' bill, one that almost a duplicate of the strong measure the House had passed in February. The one proviso that diluted the bill somewhat was the 'Mrs. Murphy's clause,' exempting from nondiscrimination provisions boardinghouses with no more than five rooms to rent. Nine days after cloture was invoked, the Dirksen bill passed the Senate, 73 to 27. On July 2 Johnson signed into law the most comprehensive civil rights act in the nation's history." p.311
Johnson would unveil his 'Great Society' programs in a revival of New Deal polices that would see the creation of Medicare and Medicaid. Johnson's programs would become as important as Roosevelt's New Deal reforms in the 1930s. However as the war in Vietnam escalated, Johnson sent more and more troops in, feeling that doing anything else was appeasement. Facing a hostile right and an increasingly dissatisfied left--that had very little appreciation for what had been accomplished but was really concerned about what had not. Race riots that were occurring that became worse after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. The assassination of Robert F. Kennedy that June killed the hopes of the Democratic Party in the election of 1968.
"In truth, his advisers' views did not entirely conflict with Johnson's own inclinations. The president's understanding of twentieth-century history, especially the abysmal appeasement chapter of Munich, would not allow him to surrender part of the Free World to Communist subversion without a fight. Shortly after the Ann Arbor speech, Johnson discussed American policy in Southeast Asia at a news conference. In Vietnam, he said, he would be guided by four principals: One, 'American keeps her word.' Two, 'The issue is the future of Southeast Asia as a whole.' Three, 'Our purpose is peace.' Four, 'This is not a jungle war, but a struggle for freedom on every front of human activity.'" p.319
Johnson having already declined to run for another full term sat back and watched his vice president, Hubert Humphrey; lose the presidency to Richard M. Nixon. On January 20, 1969, Johnson was replaced as president by the man who he had replaced as vice president eight years earlier. Johnson entered his post-presidency extremely unpopular; he went back to Texas to work on his ranch. He watched the party he loved make the serious mistake of nominating George McGovern, who was beaten nearly as badly in 1972 as Goldwater was in 1964.
Lyndon Johnson died on January 22, 1973 had he served another term as president then he would have lived only two days after the term ended. I highly recommend this book about President Johnson; the Ungers do an incredible job telling the story of a complicated president.
Johnson was born in 1908, the year William H. Taft was elected president, his grandfather and father; both named Sam Johnson, were fighters for the common people. The Ushers tell a story of a Lyndon Johnson who followed his father's career in the state legislature very closely, watching him do politics and fight for benefits for the common people. In some ways, the reason why Johnson would go off to Washington so early in his career, is he had already experienced a career in Austin by being so close to his father.
Johnson would first go to the U.S. Congress as a congressional aide before winning his own seat in 1936. Johnson was a very eager young new dealer, the tall skinny Congressman from Texas was on very good terms with the President, Franklin D. Roosevelt. FDR would refer to Johnson as 'his boy' in Texas. His time in Congress was interrupted by World War II. LBJ would serve as a lieutenant commander in the United States Navy.
In 1948 he would fulfill a prophecy his grandfather made when he was born, that he would be a U.S. Senator. Johnson would take to the Senate like a fish to water. In only two years, he convinced his colleagues in the Democratic caucus, after the massive defeat in the 1952 presidential election that saw the Democrats lose of the presidency and both houses of Congress for the first time in twenty years, to make him the new minority leader. Two years later, he had the Democrats back in the majority and for the first (and only) time in the history of the U.S. Senate the body had a ruler. Johnson would be the master of the Senate, whatever came out of that body during the next six years had to have Johnson's approval, and if it did not it was dead on arrival.
In 1960, John F. Kennedy, a little accomplished senator from the state of Massachusetts, shocked the world by winning the presidential nomination on the first ballot at the Democratic National Convention. Johnson would end up joining the ticket, to the horror of Bobby Kennedy, and was probably the most important pick a presidential candidate had ever made in regards to a running mate and was crucial to Kennedy's narrow victory over Richard Nixon.
"When it came to Congress he felt like a powerless outsider among the people he had once so successfully dominated. And he could barely bring himself to help Kennedy in the legislative area, where his services would have been most appreciated. 'Johnson pulled back...after that caucus,' related a Kennedy aide. 'He hadn't expected it, and it made him reluctant to approach senators.' At the weekly White House breakfast meetings for legislative leaders, Johnson was uncharacteristically silent. He looked tired and tense, giving his opinion only when specifically asked by Kennedy to offer one, usually mumbling his answers." p.261
Johnson was miserable as vice president; he was not a Kennedy insider and was not close to those who were. He was no longer allowed in the Senate caucus and was at times utterly miserable. Johnson and President Kennedy got along enough but Johnson was at a career low. In Dallas, on November 22, 1963, while campaigning, the President of the United States was assassinated in front the nation on live television. On Air Force One, Johnson was sworn in as the new president. Assuming the role of mourner-in-chief, Johnson led a grieving nation. With the martyr ghost of JFK at his side Johnson would get the Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed. The Republicans would nominate the extreme Barry Goldwater in 1964 and Johnson would slaughter him in the biggest landslide elections in our nation's history.
"There were still pestiferous amendments to get out the way, 115 in all. All told there were 106 Senate roll-call votes on the bill. It was clear that the real battle was over, however, when at one point, Richard Russell was speaking and Massachusetts senator Edward Kennedy cut him off, telling him his time was up. Dick Russell had never been treated so rudely before. As Russell took his seat, he had tears in his eyes. Finally, Dirksen came up with a 'revised' bill, one that almost a duplicate of the strong measure the House had passed in February. The one proviso that diluted the bill somewhat was the 'Mrs. Murphy's clause,' exempting from nondiscrimination provisions boardinghouses with no more than five rooms to rent. Nine days after cloture was invoked, the Dirksen bill passed the Senate, 73 to 27. On July 2 Johnson signed into law the most comprehensive civil rights act in the nation's history." p.311
Johnson would unveil his 'Great Society' programs in a revival of New Deal polices that would see the creation of Medicare and Medicaid. Johnson's programs would become as important as Roosevelt's New Deal reforms in the 1930s. However as the war in Vietnam escalated, Johnson sent more and more troops in, feeling that doing anything else was appeasement. Facing a hostile right and an increasingly dissatisfied left--that had very little appreciation for what had been accomplished but was really concerned about what had not. Race riots that were occurring that became worse after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. The assassination of Robert F. Kennedy that June killed the hopes of the Democratic Party in the election of 1968.
"In truth, his advisers' views did not entirely conflict with Johnson's own inclinations. The president's understanding of twentieth-century history, especially the abysmal appeasement chapter of Munich, would not allow him to surrender part of the Free World to Communist subversion without a fight. Shortly after the Ann Arbor speech, Johnson discussed American policy in Southeast Asia at a news conference. In Vietnam, he said, he would be guided by four principals: One, 'American keeps her word.' Two, 'The issue is the future of Southeast Asia as a whole.' Three, 'Our purpose is peace.' Four, 'This is not a jungle war, but a struggle for freedom on every front of human activity.'" p.319
Johnson having already declined to run for another full term sat back and watched his vice president, Hubert Humphrey; lose the presidency to Richard M. Nixon. On January 20, 1969, Johnson was replaced as president by the man who he had replaced as vice president eight years earlier. Johnson entered his post-presidency extremely unpopular; he went back to Texas to work on his ranch. He watched the party he loved make the serious mistake of nominating George McGovern, who was beaten nearly as badly in 1972 as Goldwater was in 1964.
Lyndon Johnson died on January 22, 1973 had he served another term as president then he would have lived only two days after the term ended. I highly recommend this book about President Johnson; the Ungers do an incredible job telling the story of a complicated president.
September 22, 2019
I've been reading Robert Caro's series on LBJ... all four of the books to date. Frankly, that's a lot of effort - while I respect Caro's work on this, it's taking just way too much time.
Unger/Unger do a quality job of encapsulating LBJ's life into a single novel. While there isn't much in the way of surprise to anyone who followed his career (retroactively, of course), one could do worse... it's a little more than simply a Greatest Hits, rather it highlights Johnson's strengths and weaknesses, and leaves the reader with an impression that he probably ranks near the bottom of the first quartile of American Presidents.
In many ways LBJ can be considered the quintessential American success story - not quite coming from nothing, but not coming from everything. And with certain strengths, but with also certain weaknesses. As we humans tend to be....
Unger/Unger do a quality job of encapsulating LBJ's life into a single novel. While there isn't much in the way of surprise to anyone who followed his career (retroactively, of course), one could do worse... it's a little more than simply a Greatest Hits, rather it highlights Johnson's strengths and weaknesses, and leaves the reader with an impression that he probably ranks near the bottom of the first quartile of American Presidents.
In many ways LBJ can be considered the quintessential American success story - not quite coming from nothing, but not coming from everything. And with certain strengths, but with also certain weaknesses. As we humans tend to be....
January 15, 2019
This book had extraordinary detail about a President whom history remembers more for escalating the Vietnam War than for the amazing improvements in everyday life that he brought for many Americans. Despite his Texan background with racism dnd discrimination, Johnson was a leader in civil rights, housing, education, and the space program. A long book but worth the read.
March 13, 2020
Excellent, I really enjoyed this book.
Unbiased and and very interesting.
I learned a lot about LBJ and the times he, and the country, went through.
Unbiased and and very interesting.
I learned a lot about LBJ and the times he, and the country, went through.
October 13, 2024
Operation Read Every President's Biography #36
May 31, 2014
After visiting LBJ Ranch and the "Texas White House" two years ago, I had been wanting to read a little more about LBJ and Lady Bird.
Well, I finally made some time... and wow, the history he witnessed during his political career is remarkable. From Civil Rights to the space program to Hawaii's statehood... a lot was happening during that time.
I normally don't read biographies for the simple fact that the writers rely on quotes and sources from other books so much, it makes reading a struggle. And I found that this was the case with this book. It was interesting reading, but hard to follow at times because a quote used may not be in context of the time frame that was being discussed...
Well, I finally made some time... and wow, the history he witnessed during his political career is remarkable. From Civil Rights to the space program to Hawaii's statehood... a lot was happening during that time.
I normally don't read biographies for the simple fact that the writers rely on quotes and sources from other books so much, it makes reading a struggle. And I found that this was the case with this book. It was interesting reading, but hard to follow at times because a quote used may not be in context of the time frame that was being discussed...
August 4, 2015
I really enjoyed this biography about LBJ. He was controversial to say the least, a man of remarkable political courage but also a bad habit of misplacing that courage. There was an emphasis on the populist and pragmatist mindset of Johnson's politics; he was neither an ideological liberal or conservative, but a politician who got things done. I wish there were a longer discussion about how his populism and pragmatism played into his insistence on the war of attrition in Vietnam (which was neither politically populist or pragmatic). Overall, I thought it was an excellent treatment of his policies, core values, and the influences that shaped his political world.
July 30, 2020
Decent biography of a complicated, interesting, remarkable man whose impressive accomplishments are often overshadowed by his involvement in the Vietnam War.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews