Flawed Giant: Lyndon Johnson and His Times, 1961-1973 (Paperback)

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Amazon.com Review

In the opening pages of Flawed Giant, readers meet a downtrodden politician whose greatest ambition--the presidency--is tantalizingly close but seemingly out of reach. JFK's elder by almost 20 years, Johnson was a reluctant and unenthusiastic vice president. When he finally realized the office, his satisfaction there was marred by his difficulty in reconciling his deeply held beliefs and political expediency. In this sequel to the critically acclaimed Lone Star Rising, biographer Robert Dallek concentrates on Johnson's White House years. In addition to expertly covering the major events of Johnson's presidency, Dallek probes lower-profile episodes that help expose Johnson's character. His agonizing search for a vice president in 1964 is one such example--in order to salve his ego, Johnson was adamant that he should win reelection without a Kennedy on the ticket and resisted both the Democratic party and Robert Kennedy right up until the convention.

Dallek is skilled at laying bare the man's complicated and even contradictory nature. At diplomacy, Johnson often seemed like a loud, brash American, yet successful trips to Southeast Asia and Africa as vice president prove his occasional adroitness in this area. One of Johnson's Achilles' heels, it seems, was paranoia; a firm believer in the fact that knowledge is power, Johnson rarely communicated his true intentions or feelings, even to his closest confidants or cabinet members, until the last. And he secretly tape-recorded thousands of conversations with people at all levels of government. Dallek avers that Johnson's impenetrability is the reason why much of his action on Vietnam defies explanation. And the dark cloud of the war now largely obfuscates Johnson's impressive congressional record. Careful to neither vilify nor deify his subject, Dallek devotes large sections of the book to both Vietnam and Johnson's major accomplishments in the area of reform and funding for programs such as civil rights, Medicare, clean air and water, the NEA, public broadcasting, and food stamps.

This engrossing biography is peppered throughout with snippets of its subject's trademark: colorfully idiomatic speech that brings him vibrantly to life. Based upon exclusive interviews with Lady Bird Johnson and Bill Moyers, as well as recently released papers and transcripts, Dallek's biography is a major contribution to the collective understanding of this man whose passions had a major impact on American society. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

In his sequel to Lone Star Rising, Lyndon Johnson & His Times, 1908-1960, Boston University historian Dallek draws from recently released presidential papers and transcripts, as well as interviews with Johnson proteges such as Bill Moyers, to vividly depict LBJ's tumultuous years as vice-president and president. If not as engaging or evocative as other biographers, Dallek is always objective, chasing the facts whether they lead to the detriment or to the advantage of his troubled protagonist. The book is particularly strong in juxtaposing the magisterial, single-handed architect of sweeping domestic reform in the Great Society with the public-school-educated, provincial legislator from the Texas hill country who felt inadequate when it came to matters of international relations. As Dallek shows, Johnson yielded too often (sometimes against his better instincts, almost always against his own best interests) to Ivy-educated advisers on such problems as Vietnam. Then we have Johnson's private war with Bobby Kennedy, of whom he said: "[Bobby] skipped the grades where you learn the rules of life. He never liked me, and that's nothing compared to what I think of him." All told, Flawed Giant provides a complex yet elegantly rendered portrait of Lyndon Johnson as vice-president, president and man. 32 halftones not seen by PW. $50,000 ad/promo; cover feature in Atlantic Monthly; History Book Club and BOMC alternates; 6-city author tour.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 784 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (October 21, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195132386
• ISBN-13: 978-0195132380
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #258,126 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

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17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing after a splendid first volume, June 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Flawed Giant: Lyndon B. Johnson, 1960-1973 (Hardcover)

I strongly preferred Dallek's first volume, Lone Star Rising, over the two Caro books that cover most of the same period, because Dallek presented a detailed and human portrait, while Caro seemed to have so completely turned against his subject he couldn't see anything good about him. So I looked forward to Dallek's treatment of his Vice Presidency and Presidency with as much anticipation as I can recall.

I was frankly disappointed in this volume. The entire Vice Presidency is handled in a single chapter and contains no insight greater than that LBJ was frustrated in the job, hardly a revelation. And the treatment of the Presidency, while providing a good general treatment, gives far less insight into his thinking and the way he made decisions, than the first volume. One can get far more insight from reading Michael Beschloss's edited transcripts in "Taking Charge".

One cogent example: in discussing the reaction to the 1967 Detroit riots, he quotes LBJ reacting to criticism by saying his statement was drafted by the best constitutional lawyer in the U.S. Yet one has to look at the footnotes to discover that this "lawyer" is Abe Fortas, who was then on the Supreme Court. That the president was consulting a justice about a domestic policy statement is an important issue, but one Dallek doesn't bother to tell us about. Yet it is that kind of insight that one looked forward to seeing in this volume. It's a shame it's not there.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as volume one, August 1, 2000

By	Candace Scott (Lake Arrowhead, CA, USA) - See all my reviews

I admire Dalleck and think he's an able historian, but volume two is leagues inferior to volume one, "Lone Star Rising." Dalleck glosses over LBJ's Vice Presidential years in twenty pages and reveals little new material from the early 1960's. His treatment of the JFJ-LBJ political and personal relationship also is lacking.

Robert Caro is writing the definitive treatment of LBJ and Caro is a more accomplished writer, but Dalleck at least cuts Johnson a break and sees the good in this flawed giant. Dalleck is particularly good at illuminating the Great Society and Johnson's sweeping social programs. His military treatment of Vietnam is hardly penetrating.

This is an adequate book on Johnson as President, but not as gripping as the initial volume.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Fine Sequel, October 27, 2001

By	J Keistler "[e-mail]" (Lake Jackson, Texas USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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Unlike some other reviewers, I was not disappointed by this sequel to Lone Star Rising. LBJ was so complex, and so was his Presidency. I've read many books on him and often get the impression given by the parable of the elephant and the three blind men: each writer gives a part of the description of the 'elephant' that was Johnson, but no real complete picture. Mr. Dallek comes closer, in my opinion, to representing the complete picture of Johnson and his Presidency, than others. I've always viewed Johnson in the same mold as FDR, in terms of scope of personality and ability to place a personal stamp on his Presidency. Both mean had such great assets and achievements, and both had great shortcomings. The difference that comes to mind immediately is Johnson's lack of confidence in many judgments and life-long lack of self-confidence; this is well-illustrated in this book. Unlike Roosevelt, Johnson lacked the ability to disguise his motives and emotions in an ongoing manner.

Like other reviewers, I only wish there had been greater coverage of Johnson's Vice-Presidential years. I've never read any detailed history of this period in Johnson's life, other than the feuding with the Kennedy clan. There's probably a book here for someone willing to spend the time and effort.

Dallek's writing is much more balanced than the books by Caro, and I think history will prove them of greater value.