A majestic big-picture account of the Great Society and the forces that shaped it, from Lyndon Johnson and members of Congress to the civil rights movement and the media
Between November 1963, when he became president, and November 1966, when his party was routed in the midterm elections, Lyndon Johnson spearheaded the most transformative agenda in American political history since the New Deal, one whose...

Takes us through the vast landscape of Johnson's political and personal life: from his childhood, dominated by an indulgent mother and a hell-raising politico father, through his early political victories and the ideals that inspired them; from the Washington system that trained him, through his election as Vice President and the transitional year, 1964, when JFK's assassination brought him to the highest office in the land; from the remarkable talents...

Examines the decisions made between 1963 and 1965 in regards to escalating United States involvement in the Vietnam War and looks at how early mistakes in policy formation were constantly repeated throughout the Johnson administration.

Many books have been written on the tragic decisions regarding Vietnam made by the young stars of the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. Yet despite millions of words of analysis and reflection, no historian has been able to explain why such decent, brilliant, and previously successful men stumbled so badly, until now.

"A work that exposes the twisted origins of affirmative action" --

"This biography introduces readers to the life of Lyndon B. Johnson including his military service, early political career, and key events from Johnson's administration including the Civil Rights Act, the Vietnam War, and the Voting Rights Act. Information about his childhood, family, personal life, and retirement years is included." -- Publisher's website

A single-volume, abridged edition of the two-volume portrait offers insight into the president's ambitious and demanding personality, his achievements in the White House, and his personal reflections on the challenges of the Vietnam War.