The Walls of Jericho : Lyndon Johnson, Hubert Humphrey, Richard Russell and the Struggle for Civil Rights

by Robert T. Mann

Drawing on rich archival materials and on interviews with participants and witnesses, a dramatic, behind-the-scenes story of the legislative battles to legally establish American civil and voting rights presents the intrigue, compromises, friendships, and rivalries of three powerful men.

Genres: History, Politics, American History, Nonfiction

609 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1996

Reviews

[Christopher Saunders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert T. Mann's The Walls of Jericho charts the legislative battles over civil rights and racial equality in the postwar Senate. Mann focuses on three central figures: Hubert Humphrey, the progressive Minnesota liberal who spent decades urging his party to embrace civil rights; Richard Russell, the genteel Georgian who became segregation's most articulate defender; Lyndon Johnson, the domineering Majority Leader-turned-President who finally passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Mann's book predates Robert Caro's Master of the Senate, which covers much of the same ground; if Mann lacks Caro's epic scope and literary prose, he's adept at sharp portraiture and compelling recreations of political conventions, congressional debates and backroom dealings. Mann has immense admiration for Humphrey, spotlighting his 1948 speech to the Democratic convention and his role as LBJ's point man in the Senate (Johnson showed his appreciation by making Humphrey his Vice President, then constantly humiliating him); Johnson emerges, unsurprisingly, as a tough-minded operator redeemed by sincere idealism. As for Russell, Mann deconstructs his image as the Senate's courtly segregationist; for all the Georgian's high-flown constitutional rhetoric and political skills, Mann peels back the mask to reveal the ambitious (he constantly nominated himself as President), perpetually frustrated bigot underneath. Mann's book is so locked into political details that, unfortunately, he only affords the actual Civil Rights Movement occasional sidelong glances; other figures outside the main trio are thinly sketched, at best. But it's still a solid narrative of a legendary legislative (and moral) battle.

[Paul Von hippel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging, well written narrative history of the 16-year legislative chess game that climaxed with the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Especially interesting because the architects of resistance, especially Richard Russell, are described as thoroughly as the proponents of change.

[Eric Hudson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very muscular book written by a southerner about some very southern white men and a few northerners back in the time when southern white men ruled the United State's Congress. Still Mann shows poise in detailing complicated relations between the powered political elite as the civil rights struggle lead by Black folks forced them to separate from each other in choosing sides.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting. It is the history of the civil rights legislation between 1948 and 1965 as filtered through the interactions of Johnson, Humphrey and Senator Richard Russell of Georgia, who led the opposition to desegregation in the Senate and served as a mentor to Johnson when he first arrived in the chamber.

The reader should not expect much in the way of coverage for the civil rights struggle outside of the Senate, although Mann dutifully records the highlights. Mann is superb in describing the intricate, Byzantine politics of Congress. He is thankfully less interested in Johnson (read Caro's biography for that) than Humphrey and Russell. It is clear that he wants to sympathize with Russell as a man of honor despite his horrendous racial views, but by the end Mann has painted a portrait of a tragic figure whom time passes by without a nod. Russell broke with Johnson over Johnson's support for desegregation and the Civil Rights Bill, although he did manage to remain friends with Humphrey, arguably the man most responsible for its passage.

It is Hubert Humphrey who emerges from the book as the hero, although Mann is impressed by Johnson's principled (albeit pragmatic) support for equal rights. But Humphrey came to the table much earlier, demanding a muscular plank for the Democratic Party as early as the 1948 convention. Mann piles on anecdotes of Humphrey's essential decency. It is therefore doubly sad when he has to describe Humphrey's inexplicable support for LBJ's Vietnam policy. Mann suggests that Humphrey had been frozen out of Johnson's inner circle shortly after the 1964 election. In February, 1965, Humphrey suggested that we not escalate our involvement. Johnson was enraged, and dropped Humphrey as a policy adviser. One year later the Vice-President went to Vietnam and endorsed American efforts to prop up South Vietnam. The result was that he couldn't escape Johnson's shadow during the 1968 campaign. Best line in the book: Humphrey, admitting how hard he took the defeat. "I know how Adlai Stevenson felt, but at least he lost to Eisenhower. I lost to Nixon!" Mann delicately suggests that Humphrey's ambition may have gotten the better of him when he declared his support for the war efforts.

I remember at least the 1968 election very well. This book was a good reminder of how recently we were tearing ourselves apart as a nation. But at least the men tearing us apart were gigantic figures. This election season, Donald Trump currently leads the Republican field. If there was a comparable figure to him back then, it would have been George Wallace. I wonder if Trump will do as much damage.

[Peter Corrigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly readable account of that pivotal era and the larger than life characters who dominated it. I was familiar with a lot of it from Robert Caro's 'Master of the Senate' which focused on LBJ of course and the 1957 Civil Rights bill and 'The Passage to Power' (1958-64) but kind of blew through the big Civil Rights bills of 1964 and did not even reach the Voting Rights Act, surprisingly. Anyway picked this up in Alabama of all places and it was a solid effort that tells a great and compelling story. Really makes you think how far we have come but at some great cost. Civil rights has become a big-time industry that never seems to run out of victims and stoking the fires of racial, ethnic, sexual, gender, 'you name it', conflict has become the main platform of the Democratic Party. In 1963 'racist' meant something, in 2019 everyone is called a racist who disagrees with the Democrats, plain and simple. A long, long way from the U.S. Senate of the 1950s and 60s where despite profound disagreement on issues there was a collegiality between the parties that one can only imagine today. There is more racial (and other) justice, far more than in 1963 but the polarization of the nation can only be compared to 1859 or so and that is not a comforting thought.

[Robert K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps the best, most well written book I’ve seen on the players leading to passage of the 1964-65 Civil Rights laws. It is particularly insightful into the life of Georgia’s Segregationist Senator Richard Russell. Why that man’s name is allowed to remain on the Russell Senate office building is beyond me. The detailed description of events involving Dwight Eisenhower, Jack Kennedy, Hubert Humphrey Everett Dirksen & Lyndon Johnson are worth reading because Author Mann brings the character of these men to life…one at a time. The book ranks among the best non-fiction books I’ve ever read. One other being Devil in the White City by Eric Larson & the three Volume Set on Churchill by William Manchester.

[Ed Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extremely well-written and documented account of Civil Rights legislation in 50s/60s America, along w/valuable insight into the minds of LBJ (as senator, VP, and Pres), and Senators Hubert Humphrey, Richard Russell, and to a lesser extent, Everett Dirksen. These, and untold others, were passionate in their support of, and opposition, to civil rights. Furthermore, it harkens back to a time in American politics when both parties “reached across the aisle” and worked for the common good.

[Skip · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Civil Rights movement was the greatest event of Twentieth Century in the United States. And no other cause was more just. This book tells that story from the halls of Congress. a fantastic look into the hearts and minds of the the people who shaped it there.

[Craig Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The reader will gain an understanding of the interplay between the covered subjects. In addition, there is also an understanding of the self-preservation methods practiced by the Southern segregationists. Perfect for policy wonks.

[Rick Segers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew of Russell and Johnson's relationship. What was good was the addition of the personality of Hubert Humphrey.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really shows the regional political and partisan dynamics at work in the country and how it impacted the passage of civil rights laws. A very good book.

[Katie]

Shoutout to my own incompetence which resulted in me having to read this heckin chonk of a book in a day so I can write a paper for my class on Thursday.

[Isaac Murtha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Then again, the friend who gave it to me as a birthday present knew I would.

This books vividly paints the portrait of its three protagonists-- Humphrey, Johnson, and Russell, and their decades-long struggle over enacting meaningful civil rights legislation in congress. We begin in 1948, at the Democratic Convention-- where Humphrey spoke, and began to pull the Democratic Party "into the bright sunshine of civil rights." We end almost 2 decades later, after Lyndon Johnson's tilt left, Humphrey's successful efforts to shepherd through a civil rights bill and failed presidential run, and Russell's bigoted refusal to accommodate the dignity of black Americans.

We see legislators at their best and most idealistic, at their most crass and opportunistic, and at their most reactionary. This book is a great lesson in politics-- especially for idealists who still believe in progress, and also want to get things done. The Walls of Jericho is a long book, but one I will happily revisit.

[Patrick]

Recently acquired at the Friends of the Library bookstore at the Laguna Niguel, CA public library.

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read about half of this book. It was fine, but I was feeling the urge to move on to something else.