Reaching for Glory

Description

Transcribing, editing, and explaining the most powerful moments from hundreds of hours of newly released LBJ tapes, Michael Beschloss has added another lasting treasure to the American historical record. Reaching for Glory exposes the inner workings of the Johnson presidency from the summer of 1964 through the summer of 1965. From behind the scenes, you will hear Johnson pulling the strings of his presidential campaign against Barry Goldwater and pursuing his feud with the new senator Robert Kennedy. He agonizes over Martin Luther King, Jr., and the bloody march on Selma, Alabama, and twists arms on Capitol Hill to pass voting rights, Medicare, and more basic laws than any American president before or since. Above all, you will hear him sending young Americans off to Vietnam while privately insisting that the war can never be won. Winding Johnson's voice and exclusive excerpts from Lady Bird Johnson's private diaries into a gripping narrative, Michael Beschloss provides context and historical insights, showing how profoundly LBJ changed the presidency and the country. Reaching for Glory allows us to live at Lyndon Johnson's side, day by day, through the dramatic, triumphant, and catastrophic year of a turbulent presidency that continues to affect us all.

First Sentence

"A week from now, Johnson will begin his campaign for a full term as President against Barry Goldwater."

Subjects

Other Editions

• Reaching for Glory: Lyndon Johnson's Secret White House Tapes, 1964-1965HardcoverSimon & Schuster2001-10-29
• Reaching for GloryPaperbackSimon & Schuster2002-10-22
• Reaching for GloryAudio CDSimon & Schuster Audio2001-11-01
• Reaching for GloryAudio CassetteSimon & Schuster Audio2001-11-01