LBJ, Vol. IV

[+ WilliamM]

I just learned that Robert Caro, arguably the greatest living political biographer, will publish Volume Four of his extremely impressive LBJ biography, "The Years of Lyndon Johnson: The Passage of Power" on May 1, 2012. This second last volume covers the years 1958-1964.

 

Caro's books, which also include the equally highly praised, "The Power Broker: Robert Moses and The Fall of New York" are usually excerpted in The New Yorker in the weeks before publication. I am not sure that will happen with this book, but it's the reason I am mentioning actual publication six weeks early.

 

Since many of us do an end of the year 'best books I have read,' (thanks, Lucky), I hope that this post is on topic.

 

Caro is seventy-seven years old, and took nine years to write this book. I hope he lives long enough to write and publish the final Johnson book on additional important domestic legislation, Vietnam and LBJ's four years after the White House. To spent thirty to forty years on one president, and not write about his greatest error, Vietnam, would be horrible.

 

 

http://www.amazon.com/The-Passage-Power-Lyndon-Johnson/dp/0679405070/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1331943493&sr=1-1

[+ Charlie]

"The Power Broker" was one of the best books I have ever read.

[+ WilliamM]

This week's New Yorker has the first excerpt from Robert Caro's new LBJ book mentioned above.

 

The Title of the article is as follow, "The Transition: Lyndon Johnson and the Events in Dallas"

 

Will the excerpt convince conspiracy theorists? Answer: Unlikely