Lyndon: An Oral Biography

Merle Miller spent more than five years compiling Johnson's oral history. The miles he put in, literally and figuratively, are astounding. Lyndon B. Johnson was a complicated man living in the time of the greatest society. Known for his aw-shucks attitude, he started out being a good 'ole boy who voted against antilynching and antidiscrimination laws but ended his career as an instrumental advocate for federal aid to education, the creation of Medicare, changes in voter rights, and stronger civil rights. The death of Texas Congressman James P. Buchanan was a turning point in Johnson's political trajectory. His campaigns were memorable - arriving by helicopter when running for senator. By the end of his political career Lyndon had show more weathered a tumultuous era: the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr., the march in Selma, Alabama, the Vietnam War.
As with any oral history, the chronology jumps around a bit. Case in point: the birth of Lyndon's first child came before the purchase of the radio station, KTBC.
Miller provides an intimate primer on the inner workings of the United States government. Probably the most fascinating section was the hour by hour, behind the scenes account of the Kennedy assassination and the transition of power to Lyndon B. Johnson. He also peeled back the curtain on Lady Bird Johnson's life as well. Just as Lyndon was thrust into presidency, Lady Bird became the First Lady overnight. There was no time for preparation but she acclimated to her position with grace. As an aside, her note of encouragement to her husband was beautiful. show less

I thought that this "Oral Biography" style of presentation was going to be a bit difficult to read and digest. After about the 5th page I changed my mind.
I started to like it. Even though the biographer chooses which quotes he wants to use, he doesn't choose the words or the emotions. Therefore, I believe this book carries an accurate account of who Lyndon Johnson was. I found myself liking the raw reality of the man but, not until the very end did I really believe that he was an all-out democrat who actually cared a great deal about social justice for all Americans. Yes, he taught and enjoyed little Latino kids in south Texas and yes, he rammed through two Civil Rights bills at propitious moments in his presidency but my impression was show more that the bills were more about aggrandizement than deep-rooted belief. His speech and rebuttal at his library in December 1972 made me a believer. show less

GREAT CONDITION!