My oldest daughter recently finished the book Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream by Doris Kearns Goodwin.
She has a goal to read a nonfiction book for every U.S. President.
This is a goal that she gave herself in high school. She got off to a great start and then slowed down once college started. Now that she is out of college she has more time for reading books that she wants to read.
I am so glad that I was able to convince her to share some thoughts on the book about Lyndon Johnson by Doris Kearns Goodwin.
Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream
So many people focus on President Lyndon B. Johnson and his poor handling of the Vietnam War.
However, his political career did yield some good results. Both in Congress and as president, Johnson furthered the Civil Rights movement.
He was also the first Congressman to enlist after Pearl Harbor. He served in the Navy for a year before President Franklin Roosevelt recalled all Congressmen in the military back to the Capitol. However, Johnson’s short military career was not lackluster. He was awarded the Silver Star by General MacArthur.
Although Johnson’s political career was full of controversy, it was not without important progress.
Doris Kearns Goodwin worked for President Johnson both during his presidency as well as afterward while he wrote his memoir. As a result, she provides unique stories, especially during his childhood.
However, she admits that not all of his stories were accurate. She does provide psychological reasoning for much of Lyndon Johnson’s decisions, especially during the Vietnam War.
Although interesting, she often focused so much on it that the psychological aspect detracted from the overall narrative.
However, due to Goodwin’s personal connection, this was far from a dry read.
She did a great job of bringing Lyndon B. Johnson to life in the book Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Have you any good books on Lyndon B. Johnson?