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Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream
Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream | Doris Kearns Goodwin
4 posts | 9 read | 5 to read
An engrossing biography of President Lyndon Johnson from the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Team of Rivals Hailed by the New York Times as “the most penetrating, fascinating political biography I have ever read,” Doris Kearns Goodwin’s extraordinary and insightful book draws from meticulous research in addition to the author’s time spent working at the White House from 1967 to 1969. After Lyndon Johnson’s term ended, Goodwin remained his confidante and assisted in the preparation of his memoir. In Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream she traces the 36th president’s life from childhood to his early days in politics, and from his leadership of the Senate to his presidency, analyzing his dramatic years in the White House, including both his historic domestic triumphs and his failures in Vietnam. Drawn from personal anecdotes and candid conversation with Johnson, Goodwin paints a rich and complicated portrait of one of our nation’s most compelling politicians.
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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
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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. 😂 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
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Mehso-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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Christy2318
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LBJ Library and Museum - When my 12 yo saw the archives, he said "These are your people Mom." #librarylove