Legacy To Power: Senator Russell Long of Louisiana [Paperback]

Robert Mann (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 26, 2003

Russell Long of Louisiana towered over the U.S. Senate for almost four decades as one of the most powerful men in Washington and the nation. He was a politician's politician, always operating behind the scenes, masterfully pulling the levers of the legislative process in a unique and colorful way.Legacy To Power tells Russell Long's story and the larger story to which it belongs - the fascinating tale of the Longs of Louisiana, one of America's greatest political dynasties. This fast-paced and sharply written biography is full of political intrigue, personal insight, and colorful anecdotes of Washington life.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Noting that this authorized biography was subject to minor editorial control by its subject, Mann, Long's former press secretary, provides a detailed though subjective chronicle of an eventful political career. Son of the flamboyant Louisiana senator "Kingfish" Huey Long, who was assassinated in 1935, Russell Long served as U.S. Senator from 1948 to 1987, exercising enormous power as head of the Finance Committee. A congressional wheeler dealer in the manner of Lyndon Johnson, the shrewd Long knew how to use his influence and when to compromise. Although he favored segregation and initially opposed the 1964 Civil Rights Bill, he eventually moderated his stance. The author presents Long's regressive position on tax and energy reform in a kindly light in a readable political biography that is regrettably devoid of meaningful analysis. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

Long's decision not to seek reelection to the Senate from Louisiana in 1986 brought an end to almost four decades of service in that body. The son of former Louisiana governor and senator Huey Long, and the nephew of another former governor, Earl Long, Russell lacks the flamboyant, populist style of his father and uncle. But he was one of the masters of the rules and folkways of the Senate--using his position as chair of the Finance Committee and his coalition-building skills to shape numerous major pieces of legislation. Biographer Mann, a former press secretary of Long, examines Long's career from a favorable but not entirely uncritical perspective. The book will be a useful addition to collections emphasizing modern American politics. Other recent books on Louisiana's First Family are William Ivy Hair's The Kingfish and His Realm: The Life and Times of Huey Long ( LJ 9/15/91) and Michael L. Kurtz and Morgan D. Peoples's Earl K. Long: The Saga of Uncle Earl and Louisiana Politics ( LJ 3/1/90).
- Thomas H. Ferrell, Univ. of Southwestern Louisiana, Lafayette
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 498 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (February 26, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595270190
• ISBN-13: 978-0595270194
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,654,106 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

A journalist and historian, Robert Mann has written critically acclaimed political histories of the Vietnam War and the U.S. civil rights movement.

Mann holds the Manship Chair in Mass Communication at Louisiana State University's Manship School of Mass Communication.

Mann spent more than 20 years working in national and Louisiana state politics. Prior to joining the Manship School in 2006, he served as communications director to Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco. He joined the governor's staff in 2004 after serving 17 years as state director and press secretary to U.S. Senator John Breaux of Louisiana. He was also press secretary to U.S. Senator Russell Long of Louisiana and press secretary for the 1990 re-election campaign of U.S. Senator J. Bennett Johnston of Louisiana.

In the early 1980s, he covered Louisiana politics as a reporter for the Shreveport Journal and the Monroe News-Star. His essays and book reviews have appeared in numerous publications, including the New York Times and the Boston Globe.

He is director of LSU's Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs and editor of the Center's Media & Public Affairs Book Series, a series sponsored by the Reilly Center and LSU Press.