Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream: The Most Revealing Portrait of a President and Presidential Power Ever Written

by Doris Kearns Goodwin and Doris Kearns

Book Overview

An engrossing biography of President Lyndon Johnson from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Team of Rivals Hailed by the New York Times as "the most penetrating, fascinating political biography I... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312060270
• Release Date: June 1991
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
• Length: 448 Pages
• Weight: 1.28 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.1" x 1.2" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

One Odd Dream

Whatever your political views might be about this political party or another, there is no arguing that Lyndon Johnson had a long and productive political career. There is also no arguing that his personality was almost as large as the events that he took part in. All of this is covered by this very engaging and interesting one volume look into this presidents life. The author gives the reader a nice overview of LBJ's up bringing, takes you through his political life right to the presidential years. There is a constant battle within the book as to what was more interesting, the odd, ego driven and larger then life personality of LBJ or the significant issues that he covered especially during the presidential years. What I found most interesting about this book was the view into LBJ's personality. It is surprising to me about just much of an egomaniac LBJ was. You have to wonder if it was the massive "me first" view of the world that gave him the ability to pass through the legislation he did or was his political skill such that it exaggerated his ego. Overall I found the book very enjoyable. There was a lot of great bits of info tossed in and the book did not get bogged down into legislative details. I did think that the authors admiration for LBJ seeped into the reporting, but overall it did seem fair. What I was left with was not a better view of his accomplishments, but just how unique a man he was. If you are interesting in LBJ, American Presidents or just the twentieth century, then I would recommend this book.

Well written tribute of a great President

A great biography of one of the greatest Presidents of the twentieth century. Lyndon Johnson, whether people like it or not, has left an indelible mark on American society with his programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, his tough and admirable stance on civil rights, and, in a very different way - his war in Vietnam. Doris Kearns Goodwin, who first met Johnson while a student at Harvard, and became close to him in his later life, has written a book that is much a memoir of her times with the man as it is a general overview of his life. Other reviewers have complained that her study of Johnson is too psychological, and places too much importance on linking his childhood experiences to his later life. I strongly disagree. Too many biographies of important people seem to gloss over their childhood, but understanding a person's childhood is paramount in understanding how it shaped their outlook on life. Another common complaint of this book is that Goodwin is not critical enough of Johnson, but again, anyone who has read this book properly will know this is simply not true. Goodwin time and time again highlights Johnson's flaws - his tendency to withdraw from competition if he felt there was the slightest chance of him losing, his childlike love of power, and his inability to admit where he went wrong. If anything, I believe the author does not praise Johnson high enough. Vietnam of course was a mistake, no one in their right mind would claim otherwise, but domestically, Johnson was an undeniably outstanding President. People have time and time again claimed that Vietnam was the main factor that undermined Johnson's Presidency, which I agree with, but I also think the other big mistake Johnson made was becoming President after Kennedy. Lacking his predecessor's good looks, charm and charisma, Johnson was never going to win over the American people in the way that Kennedy did. But his ingenious negotiating skills, his concern for the country's poor, and his stance on civil rights that saw him do more for African Americans than any other President in history barring Lincoln, means that Johnson was more than a worthy successor. His Great Society programs, while not as successful as he would have hoped, still helped in the fight against poverty. Even with Vietnam, many contemporary historians contend he had fewer options than was believed at the time, and the way Nixon initially handled the war before pulling out shows that Johnson should not be judged so harshly on the subject as he has been. A beautifully written tribute to a great President and an equally fascinating character.

LBJ was, or tried to be, a good compassionate man. But not

always. Doris Kearns does a find job exploring the psyche of this most complex, conflicted man. She had a unique opportunity, spending unlimited time with LBJ at his ranch after he had retired from public life. She is in fact his very personalbiographer, this being a task he didn't want to do himself. There is great reliance on his dreams & the interpertation of what they mean. The answers are simple & so pat that it is doubtful they were dreams at all but merely a vehicle for LBJ to explain his actions . To her credit Ms. Kearns does not dwell on Vietnam. Important to be sure but this was a whole life biography & she did cover the war adequately. Cultivation of mentors was a method used by LBJ throughout his life to better himself & led to his sucesses. However, by the time he became vice president he was own his own, isolated for maybe the first time in his life. Like presidents before him & since LBJ labored in the shadow of FDR. Few presidents, Jefferson & T. Roosevelt excepted, have attained greatness without winning a major war. This sad fact was apparent to LBJ even as we got caught in the quagmire of Vietnam with no honorable way out. Vietnam is how LBJ will be defined in the future.[...]

An extremely interesting and inspiring biography

Goodwin's writing style is fluid and lyrical. She tells a story of a great president with a great deal of compassion and interesting criticism. Her personal experiences as an aid on Johnson's staff make this a unique account about him. Johnson allowed Goodwin close contact with his personality, political style, and drive to improve this country. The book has a great assortment of personal and public history with plenty of anecdotes thrown into the mix. This biography brings Johnson's inner character to life as well as details some of many policy decisions of his illustrious political career.

A tragic look at a grand and yet tragic American giant

For those wanting to see the tragedy which is Lyndon Baines Johnson, this book, as well as the new release by Robert Dallek("Fallen Giant"), is a perfect buy. LBJ's Presidency was, indeed, a horrible tragedy. LBJ had the greatest of intentions in regard to civil rights, social welfare and fighting Communism. Yet, all ended up as a disaster. Civil rights, though surely the greatest aspect of his Presidency, has been regressed recently due to the fact that the action taken by Democrats and Liberals during the 1960's. The "white backlash" has resulted in a right of center national attitude on the subject. The Social Welfare policies taken by the Administration were quite succesful on some parts, such as Medicare, Medicaid, federal aid to K-12 public schools and Head Start, and horrible in others, such as the welfare crisis explosions and Model Cities. Yet, the overall assessment of these programs has been, unfairly I think, negative. In regard to fighting Communism, history all too tragically tells the story. Goodwin, I think, draws a fair picture of LBJ's legacy here. She does not progress the view that he is a great President, but a would-be great President who deserves to be known as a 'good' one. He was a good one. He passed into law great programs, such as Medicare, Head Start, Minimum Wage increases, consumer protection, environmental protection and labor law reform. He pushed through 3 grant and giant civil rights laws. He is THE civil rights President, in my view. He pushed through the brand of legislation which no other President could pass through. Yet, Vietnam ruined it all. This sounds rather Clintonian! Yes, he did great things domestically, but his lies and 'credibility gap' only worsened the coming crisis in public confidence in government. For that, he deserves some rebuke. This is also a great book for the grand human side of LBJ. Here you see LBJ as not only the great Presidential leader, but as the human. After all, we can not forget that this 'fallen giant' was indeed nothing but a human with the greatest of intentions. Unfortunately, public opinion is against LBJ to this day, as are some historians. That is a tragedy for I believe we will never have a leader who would have enough guts to say to the American people that 'we shall overcome.' May the good aspect of LBJ's legacy and works live on and be appreciated and may we simply understand his failings as only a part of the man and his vision.