Description:
Two decades after his presidency, Lyndon Baines Johnson continues to be remembered for the brilliance of his political skills, the sweep of his social vision, and the turbulence produced by his Vietnam policy. This collection of essays offers a variety of interpretations of the Johnson presidency and its legacy. The collection blends scholarly analysis with the insights of people who were once either at the heart of the Johnson administration policy-making system or well-known for their political activism. Lyndon Johnson managed to translate a vision of New Deal liberalism into a domestic program of immense and far-reaching proportions. At the same time, his steadfast support in Vietnam of traditional Cold War assumptions, such as the "domino" theory, though predictable, brought about the unraveling of his presidency. These essays examine the establishment of the Great Society and its programs, the Johnson administration civil rights program and Supreme Court appointments, and the impact of the Vietnam War on the Great Society and the nation's economic health. Introductory and concluding remarks are provided by Tom Wicker and Bill Moyers to complete a unique and fascinating compilation.

Choice:
“In 1986, a conference was held at Hofstra University to discuss the controversial presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson. Various papers were read and panel discussions conducted by both scholars and former members of the Johnson administration. The papers were, by and large, of good quality, but two are worthy of particular attention. Michael Riccards's `Failure of Nerve: How the Liberals Killed Liberalism,' and Robert D. Loevy's `To Write It in the Books of Law: President Lyndon B. Johnson and the Civil Rights Act of 1964' are outstanding and fresh contributions to often debated topics. Riccards argues persuasively that Johnson's Great Society succeeded in ameliorating the conditions of poor people. He asserts that `the lack of nerve' of liberals with their own distrust of governmental action helped contribute to the failure to build on Johnson's legacy in the 1970s. Loevy discusses the subtleties of the Johnson method of moving the Civil Rights bill through Congress. Bill Moyers's epilogue is superb, rich with personal observations on the man he served for many years.”

Journal of American History:
“. . . Editors Bernard J. Firestone and Robert C. Vogt selected for publication seventeen of the original conference papers and three panel discussions, commissioned two new papers, and bound the volume with an introduction by Tom Wicker and an especially sensitive conclusion by Bill Moyers. . . . a useful contribution to the study of this dramatic and tragic presidency.”