A Political Education: A Washington Memoir

by Harry McPherson

Book Overview

This insider's view of Washington in the 1950s and 1960s, of the tumultuous presidency of Lyndon Johnson, and of the conflicts and factions of the president's staff has become a political classic since its original publication in 1972. In this reissue, Harry McPherson adds a new preface in which he reflects on changes in Washington since the Johnson era and on the lessons Bill Clinton could learn from the presidency of Lyndon Johnson.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0292751818
• ISBN13: 9780292751811
• Release Date: March 1995
• Publisher: University of Texas Press
• Length: 515 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.5" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Excellent

This is an excellent look at how D.C. works from the inside. If you ever wanted to know why passing a bill isn't as simple as what you learned in high school govt., this is the best description of the human element in politics that I have ever read. The author vividly describes how the people and pressures in Washington create the practical (rather than ideal) government which leads the U.S. I would recommend this book to anyone with even the slightest interest in US politics. It is slightly dated (and thus a good history book for the 50's and 60's), but that doesn't hurt its value to the current reader.