Lady Bird: A Biography of Mrs. Johnson
by Jan Jarboe Russell
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Description
A revealing biography of Lady Bird Johnson with startling new insights into her marriage to Lyndon Baines Johnson and her unexpectedly strong impact on his presidency. Long obscured by her husband's shadow, Claudia "Lady Bird" Johnson emerges in this first comprehensive biography as a figure of surprising influence and the centering force for LBJ, a man who suffered from extreme mood swings and desperately needed someone to help control his darker impulses. Expertly researched and written, show more Lady Bird draws from rare conversations with the former First Lady and from interviews with key members of Johnson's inner circle of friends, family, and advisers. With chapters such as "Motherless Child," "A Ten-Week Affair," and "LBJ's Midlife Crisis," Lady Bird sheds new light on Mrs. Johnson's childhood, on her amazing acumen as a businesswoman, and on the central role she played in her husband's life and political career. A vital link to the Kennedys during LBJ's uneasy tenure as vice president and a voice of conscience on civil rights, Lady Bird is portrayed here as a political force, strikingly different from the somewhat minor figure depicted in previous works on LBJ. Especially fascinating today, in light of the enormous attention now focused on the private lives of our leaders, are the personal details about her marriage to a man whose extramarital affairs were widely discussed. In this intimate portrait, Russell shows us the private Lady Bird -- not only a passionate conservationist but a remarkable woman who greatly influenced her husband, his administration, and the country. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
Very interesting biography of a US first lady.
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Presidents and First Ladies
25 works; 6 members
Author Information
4+ Works 561 Members
Jan Jarboe Russell a former Nieman fellow, is a writer at large for Texas Monthly and has written for the San Antonio Express-News, The flew York Times, Slate, and other publications. She is the author of Lady Bird: A Biography of Mrs. Johnson and has also compiled and edited They Lived to Tell the Tale. She lives in San Antonio, Texas, with her show more husband, Dr. Lewis F. Russell, Jr. show less
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Lady Bird: A Biography of Mrs. Johnson
- People/Characters
- Lady Bird Johnson; Lyndon Baines Johnson
- Important places
- Texas, USA; Washington, D.C., USA
Classifications
- Genres
- Biography & Memoir, Nonfiction, History, General Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 973.923 — History & geography History of North America United States 1901- Cold War, Vietnam War, Digital Age (1953-2001) John F. Kennedy (1961-1963) Cuban Missile Crisis, Bay of Pigs, Apollo Program
- LCC
- E848 .J64 .R87 — History of the United States United States Later twentieth century, 1961-2000 Johnson's administrations, November 22, 1963-1969
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 132
- Popularity
- 247,757
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (3.88)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 10
- ASINs
- 2
