Taking Charge: The Johnson White House Tapes, 1963-1964 [Hardcover]

Michael R. Beschloss (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 17, 1997

The only US President to record his private conversations from his first day in office, Lyndon Johnson ordered that the tapes be locked in a vault until at least the year 2023. But now they have been unsealed to provide a close look at a President taking power, from John F. Kennedy's murder to Johnson's campaign for a landslide victory. Here transcribed, edited, set in context and annotated by a professional historian, the tapes offer insight into how Johnston used power by flattering, provoking and twisting the arms of dominant personalities such as Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King. They also illuminate Johnson's changing relationships with his wife and the rest of his family, with Jacqueline Kennedy, with ex-Presidents Truman and Eisenhower, and with members of the Cabinet and White House staff.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

By the time he suddenly succeeded to the presidency in November 1963, following John Kennedy's assassination, Lyndon Johnson had been secretly recording his private conversations for years--first by having an eavesdropping aide take shorthand notes on telephone calls, and then, as recording technology advanced, by committing conversations to tape. Even on his first night as president, he remembered to make sure that the tape recorder was working. His motives were apparently practical--a kind of hands-free note-taking, and a way to document the commitments he and others had made.

Whatever his reasons (and despite Johnson's desire that the documentation remain sealed until at least 2023), the tapes are a boon to students of politics and history. Masterfully edited and annotated by presidential historian Michael Beschloss, they reveal a quintessential political animal at work. It's fascinating to listen in as Johnson works the levers--cajoling, trading favors, calling in chits, twisting arms, and occasionally playing rough--often in a pungent, earthy Texas patois. The book covers the period from November 1963 through the Democratic convention in August 1964, when Johnson was nominated for reelection. Its biggest single revelation is that Johnson believed Fidel Castro was behind Kennedy's assassination; another, less sensational, is that his reservations about the deepening war in Vietnam were greater than previously known. Most importantly, though, these tapes provide an invaluable, uncensored look into a complex presidency--and president.

From Library Journal

Beschloss edits the first of several volumes of LBJ's audio archives.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 592 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; White House Tapes 1963-64 edition (October 17, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684804077
• ISBN-13: 978-0684804071
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,201,550 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #69 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( J ) > Johnson, Lyndon

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars LBJ's tapes do us a favor for history, November 17, 2001

By 

David Traill (Stuart, FL United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Taking Charge: The Johnson White House Tapes, 1963-1964 (Hardcover)

President Lyndon Johnson's tapes are exactly why modern presidents might want to leave the recorders off. We can read all kinds of conversations here- from his domestic problems with civil rights, to his election, to the war in Vietnam. We also can see how tender he was towards his wife, while still having affairs with other women. Michael Beschloss does us all a favor by providing transcripts of the tapes' key moments in the first two years of LBJ's presidency, with background material to explain all of their significance. Vietnam War researchers and U.S. history buffs will need to make this book a guaranteed spot on their shelves. Please note, too, that the auditapes are also available- but not all of the material in the book is found on the tapes.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book's a knockout; tape's even better., January 16, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Taking Charge: The Johnson White House Tapes, 1963-1964 (Hardcover)

I imagine folks' response to this book/tape will be dependent on their age, how well they remember the days depicted. I remember them well, found both the book and the less comprehensive tape to be excellent. This is The Good Lyndon at his best - when the 'threat' of the impending 1964 election kept him (relatively) honest. No taking it away from the man, he was one awesome character, one who *filled* the space he occupied. Vietnam moments in these conversations - esp. those in the tape version, which gives the feel of being a wiretapper on the president's private line - are heart-rending. It all mightn't have happened. Johnson foresaw the consequnces of escalating the war, and yet he proceeded. We'll have to await Beschloss's *next* book/tape to understand why. A great read and an even better listen. Pick up the tape version for drive-time.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Special opportunity to hear history as it actually happened!, January 12, 2000

By 

Page Turner (Hays, Kansas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Taking Charge: The Johnson White House Tapes 1963 1964 (Audio Cassette)

Found this audio tape absolutely mesmerizing. To hear actual conversations related to hisorical events immediately following President Kennedy's assassnation was both fascinating and enlightening. Gave me an entirely new perspective of LBJ, his character and accomplishments. Also an excellent insight into what really goes on behind the scenes in our nation's capital. A strong reminder that what we read and hear via the news media is often 'less than accurate'. For me, this tape debunked many concepts I held related to LBJ and other political figures, especially Robert Kennedy. I was particularly surprised to hear the amount of respect and warm feelings that LBJ and Jackie Kennedy apparently held for each other. I reccomend this book and/or audio tape to anyone interested in better understanding the nature of our political system. A real eye opener for me. I will never accept the images that our news medial creates about our political leaders again.