Robert Caro and Lyndon Johnson

I want to tell you about a series of books, and overall, an author that have made a tremendous impact on my life. At Hardin-Simmons, I majored in History, with an emphasis on modern US history. I love learning more, and reading about topics in US history.

It was, I think, three summers ago when I finally picked up a book recommended to me by one of my professors. It was The Path to Power, by Robert Caro. I knew that if I enjoyed the first volume, I would be undertaking a mighty reading task – the series will eventually include four volumes, and well over 2,000 pages. So, with this knowledge in mind, I went to Indiana to visit my grandparents and plow through the first novel to see if it was worth a major commitment of my reading time.

The first volume was engrossing and powerful – more so than any other biography I have ever read. The book drew me in with its descriptions of the extremely difficult life that Texans in the rural Hill Country faced. (As a matter of fact, it led me to have a series of wonderful conversations with my 90-year-old grandmother about growing up on a farm much like the Johnson farm.) Not only is the book, and the series as a whole, about the life of Lyndon Johnson, it is also a study of political power in the United States. Caro shows that Johnson is a master at finding, and using, this power.

This series, and the life of Lyndon Johnson, is a major inspiration to me. Let me qualify this, though – Johnson was ruthless, and was willing to go to any means to gain the power he desired, even if it meant stealing the senate race of 1948 from one of the finest Texans I know of, Coke Stevenson. Johnson also regularly engaged in extramarital affairs, and treated people who worked with him with disdain. However, he was willing to do anything he could to improve life for Americans, specifically for those who were less than fortunate. That is the Johnson I admire – improving American society as a whole. Before I read these books, I knew he was a very “dirty” politician, but after reading these books, I could see these actions through some sort of understanding – I believe Johnson wanted to improve the lives of Americans, and was willing to go to any lengths to make sure he could do this.

As I feel sure you have inferred from what I said above, the next two books in the series, Means of Ascent, and Master of the Senate were also wonderful. Master of the Senate is one of the finest non-fiction books I have ever read, but you cannot really appreciate it unless you have read the two preceding books in the series. Allow me to give this series my hearty recommendation, with some qualifications. First, be prepared to invest a good deal of time reading these books – it took me three summers to finish them. Second, know that you will be exposed to both the great aspects, and the very dirty secrets of political power in Texas, as well as in the United States. Third, you might actually end up with a great deal of respect for both the subject of these books, as well as the author.

Before I close, allow me to say a few words about the author, Robert Caro. Mr. Caro writes from an office in New York City, aided only by his wife, Ina. (If you get a chance and have a bit, view the video below, and listen to the way he talks about his wife. Wonderful!) Ina is his only research assistant, and has moved with him when Caro was researching these books. They moved first to the hill country, to research Johnson’s family, and talk to people who knew the Johnsons. Then, they moved to Austin, to research Johnson’s time there. Afterwards, they moved to Washington, DC, to better learn about Johnson’s time in the senate. For the fourth and final volume of the Johnson series, the Caro’s are planning to move to Vietnam to better research the impact of the Vietnamese War on the people of Vietnam. And, finally, Caro’s work was initially met with criticism from Johnson’s friends, but it is now widely accepted as the defining biography of the life of Lyndon Johnson, by scholars, critics, and Johnson’s friends alike.

Once again, I would highly recommend these books to you. If you are so inclined, I have attached an illuminating interview with the author below:

- Jason Dean

PS – I sent off my copies of his books to be signed last week – he was very kind and I am excited to get them back!

PPS - Jen and I are off to London next week, so there will be no new posts all next week.