What do you think?
Rate this book
Lady Bird Johnson: Hiding in Plain Sight
A magisterial portrait of Lady Bird Johnson, and a major reevaluation of the profound yet underappreciated impact the First Lady's political instincts had on LBJ's presidency.
In the spring of 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson had a decision to make. Just months after moving into the White House under the worst of circumstances--following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy--he had to decide whether to run to win the presidency in his own right. He turned to his most reliable, trusted political strategist: his wife, Lady Bird Johnson. The strategy memo she produced for him, emblematic of her own political acumen and largely overlooked by biographers, is just one revealing example of how their marriage was truly a decades-long political partnership.
Perhaps the most underestimated First Lady of the twentieth century, Lady Bird Johnson was also one of the most accomplished and often her husband's secret weapon. Managing the White House in years of national upheaval, through the civil rights movement and the escalation of the Vietnam War, Lady Bird projected a sense of calm and, following the glamorous and modern Jackie Kennedy, an old-fashioned image of a First Lady. In truth, she was anything but. As the first First Lady to run the East Wing like a professional office, she took on her own policy initiatives, including the most ambitious national environmental effort since Teddy Roosevelt. Occupying the White House during the beginning of the women's liberation movement, she hosted professional women from all walks of life in the White House, including urban planning and environmental pioneers like Jane Jacobs and Barbara Ward, encouraging women everywhere to pursue their own careers, even if her own style of leadership and official role was to lead by supporting others.
Where no presidential biographer has understood the full impact of Lady Bird Johnson's work in the White House, Julia Sweig is the first to draw substantially on Lady Bird's own voice in her White House diaries to place Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Johnson center stage and to reveal a woman ahead of her time--and an accomplished politician in her own right.
In the spring of 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson had a decision to make. Just months after moving into the White House under the worst of circumstances--following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy--he had to decide whether to run to win the presidency in his own right. He turned to his most reliable, trusted political strategist: his wife, Lady Bird Johnson. The strategy memo she produced for him, emblematic of her own political acumen and largely overlooked by biographers, is just one revealing example of how their marriage was truly a decades-long political partnership.
Perhaps the most underestimated First Lady of the twentieth century, Lady Bird Johnson was also one of the most accomplished and often her husband's secret weapon. Managing the White House in years of national upheaval, through the civil rights movement and the escalation of the Vietnam War, Lady Bird projected a sense of calm and, following the glamorous and modern Jackie Kennedy, an old-fashioned image of a First Lady. In truth, she was anything but. As the first First Lady to run the East Wing like a professional office, she took on her own policy initiatives, including the most ambitious national environmental effort since Teddy Roosevelt. Occupying the White House during the beginning of the women's liberation movement, she hosted professional women from all walks of life in the White House, including urban planning and environmental pioneers like Jane Jacobs and Barbara Ward, encouraging women everywhere to pursue their own careers, even if her own style of leadership and official role was to lead by supporting others.
Where no presidential biographer has understood the full impact of Lady Bird Johnson's work in the White House, Julia Sweig is the first to draw substantially on Lady Bird's own voice in her White House diaries to place Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Johnson center stage and to reveal a woman ahead of her time--and an accomplished politician in her own right.
533 pages, Hardcover
First published March 16, 2021
557 people are currently reading
4146 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 229 reviews
July 20, 2023
EDIT: I read this book two years ago, and the review below stands. But this book has stood out with me over the past 2 years in ways other books have not. That being said, I feel like I have to change my initial rating of 4 stars to 5 stars.
*************************************
I seriously think this book could have been retitled, "Lady Bird Johnson: Everything you think you knew about her is wrong" or "Lady Bird Johnson: Yes, she mattered."
NOTE: In this review, LBJ stands for Lady Bird Johnson, not her husband.
I have been a tough grader of non-fiction this year. I do not think I've read a non-fiction that I've given 5 stars, but this one came very close to doing so. If I had stopped after the first half it would have easily been 5 stars, but the last half seemed to drag for me.
The key points:
1) The portray of LBJ is very different than I've gotten from other books. This is an advocacy piece, the premise is that LBJ was more than a passive figure in Lyndon's career---instead, she was a co-equal partner. A person who contributed, influenced, and even shaped her husband's career.
2) LBJ was a pioneer. While she is stereotyped as a traditional southern belle, she was actually quite progressive. With the exception of Eleanor Roosevelt, she was the most active first lady up until her time. When Kennedy died and Lyndon became president, LBJ became the proximate Vice President. She fulfilled the cerimonial roles and duties that the VP usually performed. Apparently, before Lyndon announced his running mate, there were jokes that the 1964 Democratic Presidential Ticket would be "LBJ and LBJ". This joke existed not because Lyndon's ego was so big, but rather because of the imporance LBJ served on Lyndon's presidency.
3) When an LBJ insider was outted as gay, LBJ embraced him and helped that friend (and his wife) endure the harsh realities of the 1960s. LBJ pushed for acceptance and tolerance of the gay lifestyle going so far as to openly support her gay friends.
4) She also pushed for women's rights. While Lyndon was starting various groups for aspiring politicians, LBJ was organizing luncheons and conferences for their wives. She invited key voices of the feminist movement and high ranking women executive to speak before the wives of senators and congressment.
5) When her husband ran into resistance, she would smooze up to the people in question. Anecdotes that Caro uses to portray her subservience to Lyndon become symbols of her power. (E.g. Lyndon stating that the most important men in DC gravitate to her.)
I really appreciate this book. Had I been asked to rank the First Ladies two weeks ago I would have put LBJ in the bottom quartile. Now that I've read it, I would put her in the top quartile. I don't know enough about the First Ladies to really rank them, but this book showed me that I did not know LBJ at all.
*************************************
I seriously think this book could have been retitled, "Lady Bird Johnson: Everything you think you knew about her is wrong" or "Lady Bird Johnson: Yes, she mattered."
NOTE: In this review, LBJ stands for Lady Bird Johnson, not her husband.
I have been a tough grader of non-fiction this year. I do not think I've read a non-fiction that I've given 5 stars, but this one came very close to doing so. If I had stopped after the first half it would have easily been 5 stars, but the last half seemed to drag for me.
The key points:
1) The portray of LBJ is very different than I've gotten from other books. This is an advocacy piece, the premise is that LBJ was more than a passive figure in Lyndon's career---instead, she was a co-equal partner. A person who contributed, influenced, and even shaped her husband's career.
2) LBJ was a pioneer. While she is stereotyped as a traditional southern belle, she was actually quite progressive. With the exception of Eleanor Roosevelt, she was the most active first lady up until her time. When Kennedy died and Lyndon became president, LBJ became the proximate Vice President. She fulfilled the cerimonial roles and duties that the VP usually performed. Apparently, before Lyndon announced his running mate, there were jokes that the 1964 Democratic Presidential Ticket would be "LBJ and LBJ". This joke existed not because Lyndon's ego was so big, but rather because of the imporance LBJ served on Lyndon's presidency.
3) When an LBJ insider was outted as gay, LBJ embraced him and helped that friend (and his wife) endure the harsh realities of the 1960s. LBJ pushed for acceptance and tolerance of the gay lifestyle going so far as to openly support her gay friends.
4) She also pushed for women's rights. While Lyndon was starting various groups for aspiring politicians, LBJ was organizing luncheons and conferences for their wives. She invited key voices of the feminist movement and high ranking women executive to speak before the wives of senators and congressment.
5) When her husband ran into resistance, she would smooze up to the people in question. Anecdotes that Caro uses to portray her subservience to Lyndon become symbols of her power. (E.g. Lyndon stating that the most important men in DC gravitate to her.)
I really appreciate this book. Had I been asked to rank the First Ladies two weeks ago I would have put LBJ in the bottom quartile. Now that I've read it, I would put her in the top quartile. I don't know enough about the First Ladies to really rank them, but this book showed me that I did not know LBJ at all.
January 29, 2021
In 2013, The Rachel Carson Award was posthumously awarded to Lady Bird Johnson for her "outstanding contributions to the conservation and environmental movement." If this surprises you, like it does me, it is because Bird's environmental agenda had been tweaked to the more acceptable "beautification" project.
In Lady Bird Johnson Hiding in Plain Sight, Julia Sweig explains how people like me remember the roadside wildflower plantings and attack on roadside bill boards and not the deeper issues Bird was promoting--issues of environmental justice and racial equality.
Every biography offers some new slant, some new insight. And Julia Sweig did not disappoint me with a new understanding of Lady Bird, her relationship with LBJ, and their experience during a tumultuous time.
Sweig does not mince words. She calls white supremacy by it's name. We see history, the landmark legislation, the white backlash, the Civil Rights movement, the riots, and the domestic terrorism from a 21st c. perspective.
Sweig presents Bird as a strong, determined, committed, intelligent woman who was necessary to her husband's well being and career. Bird's work of transforming urban environments for physical and mental health, from eliminating pollution to the beautification of schoolyards, leaves us impressed by Bird's deep knowledge, dedication, and passion.
Bird was a workaholic like her husband. She campaigned across the country, edited LBJ's speeches and acted as a sounding board. As First Lady she brought together talent and money to develop her dream of healthy neighborhoods, and she mothered two daughters on the verge of adulthood.
It was interesting to learn about the private contract between Bird and LBJ concerning his running for another term of office, and how their daughters reacted to his decision.
It is thrilling to read a book that does not diminish Lady Bird to an abused, underappreciated, complicit wife. Sweig shows us a true partnership of equals--or perhaps I should better say, the balanced and insightful woman necessary to her man's success.
I received a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.
In Lady Bird Johnson Hiding in Plain Sight, Julia Sweig explains how people like me remember the roadside wildflower plantings and attack on roadside bill boards and not the deeper issues Bird was promoting--issues of environmental justice and racial equality.
Every biography offers some new slant, some new insight. And Julia Sweig did not disappoint me with a new understanding of Lady Bird, her relationship with LBJ, and their experience during a tumultuous time.
Sweig does not mince words. She calls white supremacy by it's name. We see history, the landmark legislation, the white backlash, the Civil Rights movement, the riots, and the domestic terrorism from a 21st c. perspective.
Sweig presents Bird as a strong, determined, committed, intelligent woman who was necessary to her husband's well being and career. Bird's work of transforming urban environments for physical and mental health, from eliminating pollution to the beautification of schoolyards, leaves us impressed by Bird's deep knowledge, dedication, and passion.
Bird was a workaholic like her husband. She campaigned across the country, edited LBJ's speeches and acted as a sounding board. As First Lady she brought together talent and money to develop her dream of healthy neighborhoods, and she mothered two daughters on the verge of adulthood.
It was interesting to learn about the private contract between Bird and LBJ concerning his running for another term of office, and how their daughters reacted to his decision.
It is thrilling to read a book that does not diminish Lady Bird to an abused, underappreciated, complicit wife. Sweig shows us a true partnership of equals--or perhaps I should better say, the balanced and insightful woman necessary to her man's success.
I received a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.
March 22, 2021
https://thebestbiographies.com/2021/0...
Published this past week, Julia Sweig’s “Lady Bird Johnson: Hiding in Plain Sight” promises a revealing behind-the-scenes portrait and revaluation of one of America’s notable First Ladies. Sweig is a senior research fellow at the LBJ School of Public Affairs and has authored numerous books and policy papers on Cuba, Brazil, Latin America and U.S. foreign policy. Her eight-episode podcast about Lady Bird is available through ABC News.
As First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson is best known for her urban renewal, conservation and beautification efforts…and for those of us with Texas roots, her Wildflower Center. But what has been revealed only recently is the degree to which LBJ relied on her for unbiased strategic advice and feedback during his political career…particularly his presidency.
At the heart of this book are fresh insights gathered by Sweig from more than 120 hours of Lady Bird’s taped diary recordings which, until recently, was available only in written – and heavily edited – form. Sweig spent several years reviewing the tapes, reconstructing Lady Bird’s activities, and analyzing the observations she memorialized during her husband’s sixty-two-month presidency.
But readers expecting a cradle-to-grave biography will be disappointed. This book leaves aside nearly all of Lady Bird’s life prior to 1934 (when she met Lyndon at the age of twenty-one) and includes very little of their lives prior 1960 (when he was JFK’s pick for vice president). And while the book promises a profound revaluation of Lady Bird’s life and legacy, the information revealed only occasionally seems provocative or extraordinary.
Surprisingly, neither Lady Bird nor Sweig have much to say about the more colorful aspects of LBJ’s persona or presidency. While the author acknowledges his infidelities, they never receive much consideration…and their impact on the Johnson’s marriage is essentially unnoticed. Readers unaware of LBJ’s affairs or his infamous vulgarity will learn little of them here.
Although this is not a traditional biography of Lady Bird, it is a penetrating exploration of her time as First Lady. And it provides significant, if somewhat inconsistent, context on that era. Sweig’s work to uncover and convey Lady Bird’s influence during these years is obvious – and the book would most appropriately be titled “Lady Bird Johnson: The White House Years.”
Excellent individual moments include a gripping review of a controversy involving Eartha Kitt at a White House luncheon, wedding planning for the youngest Johnson daughter and a chapter describing the Johnson family’s life in the White House. Also of particular note is Lady Bird’s recollection of the day JFK was assassinated and the somber flight back to Washington D.C.
The most memorable broader threads involve an interesting contrast between the JFK/Jackie relationship and the LBJ/Lady Bird relationship. Sweig also provides an interesting comparison of FDR and Eleanor’s “working” relationship and that of the Johnsons. Finally, there is a fascinating ongoing exploration of LBJ’s decision regarding whether to run for re-election in 1968.
The narrative winds down as LBJ’s presidency ends but an Epilogue follows Lady Bird through the couple’s four-year retirement (until Lyndon’s death) and then reviews her thirty-four-year widowhood – an active period for her cultural and philanthropic pursuits. But at this point the narrative’s momentum has largely dissipated and the post-White House years are only briskly covered.
Overall, Julia Sweig’s account of Lady Bird Johnson’s life – her time as First Lady, in particular – seems to promise somewhat more than it delivers. As a revelatory vehicle providing insight into Lady Bird’s White House years the book is often invaluable. As a way of rounding out the conventional image of LBJ it can be quite useful. But as a complete and penetrating account of the First Lady’s public and private lives it is regrettably incomplete.
Overall rating: 3½ stars
Published this past week, Julia Sweig’s “Lady Bird Johnson: Hiding in Plain Sight” promises a revealing behind-the-scenes portrait and revaluation of one of America’s notable First Ladies. Sweig is a senior research fellow at the LBJ School of Public Affairs and has authored numerous books and policy papers on Cuba, Brazil, Latin America and U.S. foreign policy. Her eight-episode podcast about Lady Bird is available through ABC News.
As First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson is best known for her urban renewal, conservation and beautification efforts…and for those of us with Texas roots, her Wildflower Center. But what has been revealed only recently is the degree to which LBJ relied on her for unbiased strategic advice and feedback during his political career…particularly his presidency.
At the heart of this book are fresh insights gathered by Sweig from more than 120 hours of Lady Bird’s taped diary recordings which, until recently, was available only in written – and heavily edited – form. Sweig spent several years reviewing the tapes, reconstructing Lady Bird’s activities, and analyzing the observations she memorialized during her husband’s sixty-two-month presidency.
But readers expecting a cradle-to-grave biography will be disappointed. This book leaves aside nearly all of Lady Bird’s life prior to 1934 (when she met Lyndon at the age of twenty-one) and includes very little of their lives prior 1960 (when he was JFK’s pick for vice president). And while the book promises a profound revaluation of Lady Bird’s life and legacy, the information revealed only occasionally seems provocative or extraordinary.
Surprisingly, neither Lady Bird nor Sweig have much to say about the more colorful aspects of LBJ’s persona or presidency. While the author acknowledges his infidelities, they never receive much consideration…and their impact on the Johnson’s marriage is essentially unnoticed. Readers unaware of LBJ’s affairs or his infamous vulgarity will learn little of them here.
Although this is not a traditional biography of Lady Bird, it is a penetrating exploration of her time as First Lady. And it provides significant, if somewhat inconsistent, context on that era. Sweig’s work to uncover and convey Lady Bird’s influence during these years is obvious – and the book would most appropriately be titled “Lady Bird Johnson: The White House Years.”
Excellent individual moments include a gripping review of a controversy involving Eartha Kitt at a White House luncheon, wedding planning for the youngest Johnson daughter and a chapter describing the Johnson family’s life in the White House. Also of particular note is Lady Bird’s recollection of the day JFK was assassinated and the somber flight back to Washington D.C.
The most memorable broader threads involve an interesting contrast between the JFK/Jackie relationship and the LBJ/Lady Bird relationship. Sweig also provides an interesting comparison of FDR and Eleanor’s “working” relationship and that of the Johnsons. Finally, there is a fascinating ongoing exploration of LBJ’s decision regarding whether to run for re-election in 1968.
The narrative winds down as LBJ’s presidency ends but an Epilogue follows Lady Bird through the couple’s four-year retirement (until Lyndon’s death) and then reviews her thirty-four-year widowhood – an active period for her cultural and philanthropic pursuits. But at this point the narrative’s momentum has largely dissipated and the post-White House years are only briskly covered.
Overall, Julia Sweig’s account of Lady Bird Johnson’s life – her time as First Lady, in particular – seems to promise somewhat more than it delivers. As a revelatory vehicle providing insight into Lady Bird’s White House years the book is often invaluable. As a way of rounding out the conventional image of LBJ it can be quite useful. But as a complete and penetrating account of the First Lady’s public and private lives it is regrettably incomplete.
Overall rating: 3½ stars
December 3, 2021
Thoughts soon.
May 10, 2021
Wow, I can't believe the similarities between the 60's, and what we see happening in America right now. I loved this audiobook, and it was a pleasure to learn about Lady Bird Johnson. She was a force to be reckoned with. We can thank her for working to preserve the California Redwoods and many more conservation efforts. It's too bad Vietnam marred the Johnson years, and the mistake of entering that war is a stain on LBJ's tenure in the White House.
There were a lot of details, which made the book slow going at times, but it was a great look at the 60's through the eyes of one our most influential first ladies. I highly recommend it.
There were a lot of details, which made the book slow going at times, but it was a great look at the 60's through the eyes of one our most influential first ladies. I highly recommend it.
January 31, 2021
This book is primarily about Lady Bird Johnson’s years in the White House based on a journal she kept and interviews with those who interacted with her. Her life prior and after the White House years is given a once over lightly treatment. The book itself is a bit on the dry side as the author does more of a recitation rather than trying to bring color to an interesting person. As expected, a great deal of the book deals with the challenges that her husband faced as President and her role in supporting him. Others may find this book interesting, but it left me with a so-so feeling.
I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook page.
I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook page.
August 2, 2022
I have learned so many things about Lady Bird and how she helped to shape a President, her husband LBJ, and how hard she worked in those trying times in our history to give everyone a safe place to have places where they could enjoy nature.
She worked so hard on her beautification projects to have them moved down by the Senate. She wanted the White House to be inviting and beautiful for visitors. It was Lady Bird, who started showing art, loaned by museums, in the White House.
And the list continues as she worked tirelessly behind the scene to get the best from herself and her staff. She worried about Lyndon's health and depression and struggled at times to protect him from outside pressures and from internal pressures.
I now look back on the difference between how Lady Bird was portrayed in the press and how she actually was working so hard for all of us.
She worked so hard on her beautification projects to have them moved down by the Senate. She wanted the White House to be inviting and beautiful for visitors. It was Lady Bird, who started showing art, loaned by museums, in the White House.
And the list continues as she worked tirelessly behind the scene to get the best from herself and her staff. She worried about Lyndon's health and depression and struggled at times to protect him from outside pressures and from internal pressures.
I now look back on the difference between how Lady Bird was portrayed in the press and how she actually was working so hard for all of us.
May 13, 2021
I am glad I read this book, but it stirred up mixed emotions as I read it. I discovered there is a lot about the history of the Vietnam and Civil Rights era that I never learned in school. I’d never heard of the Poor People’s Campaign and Resurrection City, a 40+ day protest and occupation of the National Mall. I’d never heard of the Kerner Commission, which identified white supremacy as a main cause of the urban riots in 1968. It was disheartening to see how we are still grappling with many of the same issues today.
Overall, an interesting and informational read. I’m not sure I accept the author’s conclusion that Lady Bird was “a woman ahead of her time,” but I have a much more detailed and nuanced understanding of her accomplishments.
Overall, an interesting and informational read. I’m not sure I accept the author’s conclusion that Lady Bird was “a woman ahead of her time,” but I have a much more detailed and nuanced understanding of her accomplishments.
August 22, 2021
I summarized Lady Bird Johnson’s life as a feminine voice for highway beautification with wildflowers and a faithful handmaiden to LBJ. What a small box for this excellent writer, political strategist, and astute observer and participant in 20th century history. Author Julia Sweig uses Lady Bird’s extensive journals to fashion a rich and in-depth portrait of a woman who used her place of power and influence to make life better for Americans suffering poverty and urban blight during the turmoil of the 1960s. Like all humans, she was flawed, but she loved her country and cared deeply for its embattled soul. Highly recommended.
July 30, 2021
Highly Recommend
I wasn’t expecting such a great book. I thought would be a slight account of Lady Bird’s diary. This was an absorbing, fantastic read that I had trouble putting down. Detailed, involving, and touching I learned about a woman who was ten the butt of a joke in my mind. Johnson was hated as a president most of my life, and Lady Bird was a silly name. But both Lyndon Johnson and Lady Bird were something more. She was a great diarist and eloquent writer. A historian and journalist by training. I’m so impressed by this book. The author does credit to her subject. Wonderful.
I wasn’t expecting such a great book. I thought would be a slight account of Lady Bird’s diary. This was an absorbing, fantastic read that I had trouble putting down. Detailed, involving, and touching I learned about a woman who was ten the butt of a joke in my mind. Johnson was hated as a president most of my life, and Lady Bird was a silly name. But both Lyndon Johnson and Lady Bird were something more. She was a great diarist and eloquent writer. A historian and journalist by training. I’m so impressed by this book. The author does credit to her subject. Wonderful.
June 5, 2021
I'm going to give this 4 stars and try to continue to sort out my feelings. On the one hand, this book is imminently readable. I didn't want to stop listening. On the other hand, the plot feels very bumpy, like the trajectory could be smoother. It jumps around a lot, and then sometimes it jumps away from a point when I wish it would expound on it. For a book that said "hiding in plain sight," the character of Lady Bird is both illuminated for me in some ways but also still partially hidden. The author might also give Lady Bird the benefit of the doubt a bit much in some cases, but I haven't read anything other than Betty Caroli's Lady Bird and Lyndon on her, so I can't say I'm an expert on that. I will say that a huge perk of the audiobook is that there is a snippet of Lady Bird reading her White House Diary, which--in a way--illuminates Sweig's own book. The tape also bounces around a bit, quite quickly, and it's almost like Sweig's writing began to take on some of those qualities after so much listening. In any event, this is far from a perfect book, but it is enjoyable listening about a woman, often stuck in the shadow of a husband about whom so much is written and there are so many strong feelings, who clearly had a strong personality of her own.
August 4, 2020
I was in elementary school when Lyndon Johnson became president, so I am more familiar with Lady Bird's work on environmental issues than I am with her behind the scenes support of her husband's political ambitions. This book is very thoroughly researched but a bit dry as it doesn't really capture the eccentricities and sense of humor the Johnsons were known for. There are colorful characters that aren't mentioned in the book like Johnson's Jewish supporter Bernard Rapaport or events like Lyndon Johnson's activities as a young Texas congressman where he secretly participated in the illegal rescue of European Jews from Eastern Europe in 1938 and in 1940, before America’s entry into World War II. Having lived in Austin, TX for many years, Lady Bird's legacy is apparent in the city including the KLBJ radio station which financed Johnson's political career, the LBJ Presidential Library, the Town Lake Hike and Bike Trail, and the Johnson Wildflower Center. My favorite story about Lady Bird was her decision to buy a particular home in West Austin was based on a Arbutus tree growing on the property, a tree that is rarely found growing in the city.
February 24, 2021
More than the story of one of America’s most influential First Ladies; this book also provides a behind-the-scenes view of the Johnson presidency and its role in both the Vietnam conflict and the Civil Rights movement. Covering Johnson’s life from birth to death, it largely focuses on her public life which began shortly after she married the man who would become America’s 36th president. Using Lady Bird’s personal diaries, public letters, interviews, oral histories, and contemporary accounts, the book provides important historical context, revealing events and forces that led to the turbulence of the ‘60s, and also addresses the changing political winds that shaped the two major political parties into the entities they are today.
April 12, 2021
Lady Bird Johnson was certainly a woman to be admired; she was an excellent role model for women, people in public life, and for all Americans. Unfortunately, the author has written a book that reads like a textbook too often. I felt as though I should be taking notes for the mid-semester test that counts for 50% of your grade. Having to read about government departments and the minutiae of programs became mind-numbing. Excerpts from Mrs. Johnson's diary were the saving grace in getting to know her thoughts and feelings. In addition, the author's potshots at the Kennedy family grew tiresome, including several that, in my opinion, were in bad taste. I really wanted to like this book.
May 11, 2021
Listening to this biography was like taking a step back in time. This book is based on Lady Bird's diaries and gives you great insight of that time period. A personal First Lady's look into the events of the early 60's. Civil Rights, voting rights, environmental projects, women's rights. Some things got better but sadly we are still fighting these same issues in 2021. If you are a child of this era you remember Lady Bird as someone who wanted to beautify America. But she was so much more than flowers. She had a vision about climate change and revitalizing urban areas. Some of the history in this book was painful to relive, especially the assassinations of JFK, RFK and Dr. King.
December 12, 2023
What a horrible way to become First Lady, and to lead the White House in such tumultuous times. Lady Bird handled it all with grace and panache. We all should know more about her life.
March 28, 2021
This book is marred by a huge lie in the middle, repeated at the end, that undermines Sweig's credibility. It also has other issues. My three-star rating is generous. Well, no, it's now a two-star rating.
Let's skip to the lie in the middle that I was first going to call a willful mistake, but it needs to be called for what it is: a lie.
Richard Nixon did NOT NOT NOT commit treason in late October 1968. He DID violate the Logan Act, and a material violation, not a paper one. But, he did NOT commit treason, which is carefully defined in the Constitution. A former senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations knows this. And, given a sidebar comment in the epilogue, it seems clear to me she's using this as a dig at Trump.
One star lost there out of her possible five. Period.
Next, not a star by itself but an issue? Well, no, it is a star on further thought.
LBJ almost certainly never said "If I've lost Walter Cronkite, I've lost Middle America." Don't care if she's citing Bob Dallek as her source. And, he most certainly did NOT watch Cronkite live. As W. Joseph Campbell has noted, he was at the black-tie affair for Connally in Austin the night of Cronkite's statement. We don't know when he did watch it. AND, we know that Cronkite was not saying anything new or breaking. Besides that, as Campbell notes, Johnson remained hawkish until March 31. (Actually, he remained semi-hawkish for the election and there's some indication he preferred Nixon to Humphrey on Nam.)
OK, this is actually a book about Bird, not LBJ, though.
It's too digressive and too repetitive, especially on DC beautification. Sweig beats this to death. More than half of the portion of the book that covered beautification issues covers DC beautification. Did Bird not tell her diary more about her trips out west, like to Redwoods National Park?
At the same time, one gets the impression that Sweig is trying to "cover" for Bird thinking LBJ was unwarrantedly attacked for riots in cities, not getting enough credit for what he did on civil rights, etc.
The real problem is that Bird, as LBJ's political partner, cared no more for, and was no more informed about, foreign policy issues than he was as of Nov. 22, 1963. She surely knew at least Clark Clifford personally. Dunno about George Ball or Kennan. But, she surely knew that advice besides "send more men to Nam" was available on Vietnam. And, she never encouraged Lyndon to even listen to it more.
And, Sweig knows that, too.
As a result, this seems as much fangrrl history as serious at times.
That's not to mention the lie, the big error about Cronkite, and other things.
The only thing new to me (did I miss this in Caro?) was that already in 1964, both Bird and LBJ were speculating about him not running in 1968.
The result of this is that I can tell you not only is this book not that good, but not to read Sweig in general.
Let's skip to the lie in the middle that I was first going to call a willful mistake, but it needs to be called for what it is: a lie.
Richard Nixon did NOT NOT NOT commit treason in late October 1968. He DID violate the Logan Act, and a material violation, not a paper one. But, he did NOT commit treason, which is carefully defined in the Constitution. A former senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations knows this. And, given a sidebar comment in the epilogue, it seems clear to me she's using this as a dig at Trump.
One star lost there out of her possible five. Period.
Next, not a star by itself but an issue? Well, no, it is a star on further thought.
LBJ almost certainly never said "If I've lost Walter Cronkite, I've lost Middle America." Don't care if she's citing Bob Dallek as her source. And, he most certainly did NOT watch Cronkite live. As W. Joseph Campbell has noted, he was at the black-tie affair for Connally in Austin the night of Cronkite's statement. We don't know when he did watch it. AND, we know that Cronkite was not saying anything new or breaking. Besides that, as Campbell notes, Johnson remained hawkish until March 31. (Actually, he remained semi-hawkish for the election and there's some indication he preferred Nixon to Humphrey on Nam.)
OK, this is actually a book about Bird, not LBJ, though.
It's too digressive and too repetitive, especially on DC beautification. Sweig beats this to death. More than half of the portion of the book that covered beautification issues covers DC beautification. Did Bird not tell her diary more about her trips out west, like to Redwoods National Park?
At the same time, one gets the impression that Sweig is trying to "cover" for Bird thinking LBJ was unwarrantedly attacked for riots in cities, not getting enough credit for what he did on civil rights, etc.
The real problem is that Bird, as LBJ's political partner, cared no more for, and was no more informed about, foreign policy issues than he was as of Nov. 22, 1963. She surely knew at least Clark Clifford personally. Dunno about George Ball or Kennan. But, she surely knew that advice besides "send more men to Nam" was available on Vietnam. And, she never encouraged Lyndon to even listen to it more.
And, Sweig knows that, too.
As a result, this seems as much fangrrl history as serious at times.
That's not to mention the lie, the big error about Cronkite, and other things.
The only thing new to me (did I miss this in Caro?) was that already in 1964, both Bird and LBJ were speculating about him not running in 1968.
The result of this is that I can tell you not only is this book not that good, but not to read Sweig in general.
May 24, 2021
Loved the book as well as the companion podcast. Sweig unleashes Lady Bird from her confinement as an advocate for highway beautification. Even Robert Cato's exhaustive research into the Johnsons fails to reveal the scope of Lady Bird's influence.
Based on hours of audio tapes recorded by Lady Bird, we find a narration of the Johnson Administration where Lady Bird is not only privy to the inner workings of the presidency, but is shaping it. Thank goodness this remarkable woman has finally received the attention and credit she deserves for helping shape The Great Society.
Based on hours of audio tapes recorded by Lady Bird, we find a narration of the Johnson Administration where Lady Bird is not only privy to the inner workings of the presidency, but is shaping it. Thank goodness this remarkable woman has finally received the attention and credit she deserves for helping shape The Great Society.
May 3, 2021
Packed with history and a chronological walk through their time in the White House. I really enjoyed the insight into her relationship with President Johnson, and have gained a new appreciation for Lady Bird as a woman and wife. She was incredible, wielding her own influence, but always finding a way to do it gently and tactfully.
July 12, 2021
I listened to the audio version of this book while working in the yard (my personal neighborhood beautification project!). I did not know much about Lady Bird and wanted to learn about her life and legacy, as well as the interesting time in which she lived. This book delivered! Warning - it is lengthy - about 18 hours, but I was fully engaged every minute. While listening, I was struck by the many parallels that occur between Lady Bird's time at First Lady and today (racial unrest, geopolitical tensions, culture wars, etc.). It is interesting to compare/contrast these times. The book is based upon her voluminous diaries, which she kept faithfully starting well before LBJ became president. Entries often included food that was offered and consumed (melon balls and coffee for breakfast today...). Instead of being annoyed I thought it added quite a bit to the overall setting and times. Lady Bird was truly a force and a partner to LBJ in so many ways. Unfortunately, she is remembered today by most for her "beautification" efforts, a term that she tolerated but which did not begin to capture her vision for and efforts to erase urban blight. I am a new fan of this First Lady and plan on reading more about her!
August 25, 2021
It would be a mistake to pick up this book, as I did, to learn what influence Lady Bird had on her husband’s decisions as President. If held to the standard of Rosalyn Carter, Nancy Reagan, or Hillary Clinton, she didn’t have much, though it was significant when she did. But she was, in her own focused way, relentless in pursuing policies on the environment, city planning and design, expansion of the National Park system, and (though she disliked the word) beautification of the nation’s highways. She was dedicated to making the lives of the less fortunate better through the improvement of the neighborhoods in which they lived. But it was a thankless slog due to the country’s upheaval during the Vietnam War, the white majority’s lash out against the monumental Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts, and the assassinations of two titular human beings - Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy.
Sweig has brought Bird out of hiding in a disciplined style that matches her subject’s demeanor and way of getting things done. But it’s really in the Epilogue that the former First Lady steps out of the shadows and shines in her own right. It’s there where Sweig traces the evolution of things we take for granted today from the seeds (well beyond daffodil bulbs and rose bushes) sown by Lady Bird. Today she is in plain sight and easily the most influential First Lady of the 20th century.
Sweig has brought Bird out of hiding in a disciplined style that matches her subject’s demeanor and way of getting things done. But it’s really in the Epilogue that the former First Lady steps out of the shadows and shines in her own right. It’s there where Sweig traces the evolution of things we take for granted today from the seeds (well beyond daffodil bulbs and rose bushes) sown by Lady Bird. Today she is in plain sight and easily the most influential First Lady of the 20th century.
June 13, 2021
A masterful undertaking. Sweig captured the essence of Lady Bird Johnson. The Johnson presidency started out in rough times, with the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Jackie Kennedy was one of the most exotic first ladies ever, and Lady Bird Johnson came across as a plain Texan who spoke with a twang. Lady Bird did not let that intimidate her or stop her from her own mission, to be a helpmate to Lyndon as well as a scholar in her own right.
As we read Sweig's biography we find that the First Lady was a strong, intelligent, complex, and impressive woman, well able to hold her own with Lyndon B. Johnson and his political cronies. She knew how to do the research on many issues and she was not afraid to pursue leads if she thought those people might be able to give her a more accurate picture of the issues. She was a progressive woman at a time when women were seen as keeping the home fires burning, well-educated and able to articulate her thoughts and ideas.
She became a role model for young women, including her own daughters, who learned to study issues and speak out clearly about those issues. Best known for her environmental work and highway beautification, there was so much more she was able to do. The Voting Rights Act was passed during a time of deep racial divide, and some deep tragedies. Her ongoing campaign to get this signed into law has to remain a high point in any first lady's tenure in the White House. A tireless crusader, she kept journal after journal, recording each day's events, and these became some of the sources that Sweig used in her writing.
I received an e-ARC from NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group, in exchange for a review.
As we read Sweig's biography we find that the First Lady was a strong, intelligent, complex, and impressive woman, well able to hold her own with Lyndon B. Johnson and his political cronies. She knew how to do the research on many issues and she was not afraid to pursue leads if she thought those people might be able to give her a more accurate picture of the issues. She was a progressive woman at a time when women were seen as keeping the home fires burning, well-educated and able to articulate her thoughts and ideas.
She became a role model for young women, including her own daughters, who learned to study issues and speak out clearly about those issues. Best known for her environmental work and highway beautification, there was so much more she was able to do. The Voting Rights Act was passed during a time of deep racial divide, and some deep tragedies. Her ongoing campaign to get this signed into law has to remain a high point in any first lady's tenure in the White House. A tireless crusader, she kept journal after journal, recording each day's events, and these became some of the sources that Sweig used in her writing.
I received an e-ARC from NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group, in exchange for a review.
July 8, 2021
This book was super informative! I had known about the beautification work by Lady Bird Johnson, however, there was so much more to her life. She was an incredibly influential figure in her husband’s life. This book used her diaries to take you into the thoughts of Lady Bird. It was interesting to see the interactions between her and the Kennedy family from her perspective. I think the book did a great job of telling Lady Bird’s story. I highly recommend this book to people wanting to know more about strong, intelligent, influential women. Lady Bird’s beautification project was so very much more than a beautification project. Pick up this book to learn more!
July 30, 2024
I started this book after finishing the Situation Room. It made me realize I knew little about LBJ (who was President during my youngest years) and even less about his wife Lady Bird. Spoiler alert: Lady Bird is a smart, savvy and resilient lady! Interesting to read this at a time when the current White House resident was making similar decisions about a reelection campaign. Great book; definitely recommend.
June 20, 2024
I didn’t know much about Lady Bird previously, but this book was such a fascinating inside look about a woman who played such an integral role in her husband’s presidency and how she also carved out her own agenda as First Lady.
August 1, 2025
I cannot commend this book highly enough. I first came across it as this podcast, https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast..., while walking during Covid in 2020. The book fills in so much more. And the tragedy in reading it in 2025 is hearing about the NEA and NEH and the Kennedy Center and Medicare and Medicaid being ripped apart.
April 6, 2021
Lady bird’s hiding in plain sight was a great book. I took you through her role as First Lady from 1963-1968. A must read for anyone who likes a political memoir
May 8, 2021
I enjoyed learning about the partnership between Lady Bird and LBJ. Lady Bird was an asset to his political career. Her beautification projects, her support for strong women, and her voice in LBJ’s decisions are part of her accomplishments. Sadly, the Vietnam war overshadowed LBJ’s monumental domestic achievements.
July 7, 2021
I watched a piece about this book on CBS Sunday Morning, which got me interested in this book. But as I was waiting to listen to it I thought, eh, do I really care about a Lady Bird Johnson biography? The answer is yes — and “Hiding in Plain Sight” is a perfect name for this book.
Lady Bird recorded audio diaries, so the author really pulled from those diaries. She was forced into the role of First Lady after JFK’s death and its interesting to see these southern Democrats lead the way in creating lasting progress in terms of civil rights, through the voting rights act, appointing Thurgood Marshall to the Supreme Court and helping DC get a local government and improving DC with its beautification efforts — and Lady Bird Johnson had an effort in this.
Of course the Johnsons were not perfect with racial justice. There was an interesting scene in the book, where the actress Eartha Kitt takes aim directly at Lady Bird for not understanding the Black experience, and Lady Bird had an empathetic response but the Johnson administration basically investigated her and the comments made it hard for her to get work.
But, this is an interesting book and Lady Bird Johnson may have been born in the wrong era because she’s clearly a natural born politician and she was all about helping the environment before it was cool. The author has a podcast that’s a sister to this book with actual recordings of Lady Bird Johnson’s diary - I would be interested in eventually listening to that podcast.
Lady Bird recorded audio diaries, so the author really pulled from those diaries. She was forced into the role of First Lady after JFK’s death and its interesting to see these southern Democrats lead the way in creating lasting progress in terms of civil rights, through the voting rights act, appointing Thurgood Marshall to the Supreme Court and helping DC get a local government and improving DC with its beautification efforts — and Lady Bird Johnson had an effort in this.
Of course the Johnsons were not perfect with racial justice. There was an interesting scene in the book, where the actress Eartha Kitt takes aim directly at Lady Bird for not understanding the Black experience, and Lady Bird had an empathetic response but the Johnson administration basically investigated her and the comments made it hard for her to get work.
But, this is an interesting book and Lady Bird Johnson may have been born in the wrong era because she’s clearly a natural born politician and she was all about helping the environment before it was cool. The author has a podcast that’s a sister to this book with actual recordings of Lady Bird Johnson’s diary - I would be interested in eventually listening to that podcast.
June 8, 2021
Lady Bird is my favorite First Lady, not an easy choice given many others who have been in that role. I wanted to read a book about her because I've read so many about her husband, and I wanted to know how she could put up with him.
This biography utilized previously unused resources from her tapes and diaries to give us insights into the partnership she and Lyndon had. It gives us insight into the depth and dimensions of their relationship that are unseen when we tend to be distracted by some of his appalling and unfaithful behavior. The more we learn about Lyndon, the more we realize what a tremendous story his life is, for good and bad. And the more we learn about Lady Bird, the more we realize that she was just as grand, in her own way, as him.
In this book we get glimpses of her intelligence, strength, and savvy. The book goes on at some length about her efforts to bring racial and environment change to Washington D.C. It also reveals the sophisticated understanding and effort she put into conserving the environment. It reveals her grace and courage in standing firm for racial justice. And it also shows her blind spots: the ways that racism early in her life left her blind to certain dynamics of it. The writer also shows how Lady Bird, like Lyndon, was trapped in a mindset about Viet Nam. They both understood the evil of it, but could find no way out in their own thinking... and thus offered the nation no way out.
This biography utilized previously unused resources from her tapes and diaries to give us insights into the partnership she and Lyndon had. It gives us insight into the depth and dimensions of their relationship that are unseen when we tend to be distracted by some of his appalling and unfaithful behavior. The more we learn about Lyndon, the more we realize what a tremendous story his life is, for good and bad. And the more we learn about Lady Bird, the more we realize that she was just as grand, in her own way, as him.
In this book we get glimpses of her intelligence, strength, and savvy. The book goes on at some length about her efforts to bring racial and environment change to Washington D.C. It also reveals the sophisticated understanding and effort she put into conserving the environment. It reveals her grace and courage in standing firm for racial justice. And it also shows her blind spots: the ways that racism early in her life left her blind to certain dynamics of it. The writer also shows how Lady Bird, like Lyndon, was trapped in a mindset about Viet Nam. They both understood the evil of it, but could find no way out in their own thinking... and thus offered the nation no way out.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 229 reviews