Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream

Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream | Doris Kearns Goodwin

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Doris Kearns Goodwin writes history in a conversational way. As I read her I hear her voice in my head telling me and only me her story. In this case her story is of a powerful man of heroic proportions who accomplished great things whose Achilles‘ heel was Viet Nam. This flaw will forever tarnish his place in history.

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Ericalambbrown

Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream | Doris Kearns Goodwin

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I have seen this book criticized for the author‘s analysis of LBJ‘s psychological and personality traits. That was one of my favorite things about this book - especially since she worked so closely and personally with him during his presidency and the last years of his life. I find her insight a valuable perspective into the considerable strengths and limitations of LBJ, who so longed to be loved and revered. Good book if you are POTUS nerd.

Bookwormjillk I really liked this one too, and appreciated her insights 4y

Ericalambbrown @Bookwormjillk I really liked how she called out his stories that were *ahem* less than true. š‚ But those sort of things show so much about who he was in his insecurities. It was fascinating! 4y

Ericalambbrown @fredthemoose Ooooh! I forgot about this one. Last one, I swear! One of my fave presidential biographies written by someone who actually knew their subject. 1y

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fredthemoose @Ericalambbrown I liked this one, too! I like Doris Kearns Goodwin a lot. I‘m working my way through Robert Caro‘s LBJ books. Slowly. 1y

Ericalambbrown @fredthemoose I have not done the Caro books yet! 1y

fredthemoose @Ericalambbrown they are very good, and there is so much of them! The Power Broker was great, too! 1y

Ericalambbrown @fredthemoose I hadn‘t heard of that! I just looked it up and stacked it. Thank you!! 1y

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mdbstar12

Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream | Doris Kearns Goodwin

so-so

I was interested to learn more about LBJ and make my way through Doris Kearns Goodwin's books and this one (her first) was a good intro but not the most captivating read. She includes a lot of psychoanalytical and Freudian commentary which seems kind of overreaching for a biography
Honestly the most interesting part was the forward, which she wrote almost 40 years later, so if you're interested maybe just read that part.

mdbstar12 To be fair I might have enjoyed it more if i had read it instead of listening to it as the narrator had an annoyingly nostalgic tone that drove me nuts 7y

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