Lyndon B. Johnson and American Liberalism: A Brief Biography with Documents (Bedford Series in History & Culture (Paperback)) 0th Edition, Kindle Edition

An interesting book about American Liberalism during the Johnson era. Showed insight about a lot of the behind the scenes events as well as the ideas behind the social programs that took place during this time. Good read.

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Like the book. It easy read

Arrived quickly and was exactly what I was expecting thank you

Very informative

I've had the honor of taking two courses with Professor Schulman at Boston University and, as an American History major, I find him to be one of the most astute commentators of post-World War Two American society. Though Professor Schulman never assigns his own works in his courses, many of his students often read his books at their leisure and are never disappointed. His concise biography of President Johnson is an impressive feat and is my personal favorite of his works. Schulman's critique of Johnson's presidency, and it's role in America liberalism, is pleasantly surprising relative to its moderate length; it is enourmously informative and offers a refreshing perspective on a topic that historians have spilled much ink evaluating. Professor Schulman is a renowned professor, closing out his classes of over four hundred students, and is an equally engaging author. Those who read this book will undoubtably hold similar sentiments.

The writings that Schulman has gathered together in this book take on new piognancy in these years, as the US is bogged down in Iraq. Roaming through the various essays that deal with the Vietnam War, an American reader might be unable to avoid gleaming unsettling parallels from 40 years ago. The alternatives confronting Johnson, of escalating or de-escalating the war, were both unpleasant. Especially as a withdrawl was feared to lead to the fall of other dominoes in south east Asia. Just as some suggest that a withdrawl from Iraq would destabilise its neighbours; an argument put forth most recently in Bush's 2007 State of the Union address.To be sure, not all the documents are about Vietnam. Many pertain to American society, and to the so-called Great Society that Kennedy and Johnson sought to build. There are still pertinant discussions on civil rights, including the Watts riot.

This is a fine and targeted work on LBJ. For anyone who is looking to find a quick read on LBJ, this one is a winner. Also, for anyone looking for a quick read on LBJ who already has a great deal of knowledge about him, this one is still a winner.The text itself by the author is great. Yet, what really shines are the essays and documents which come later. They provide for a truly non-partisan insight into the career and Presidency of LBJ. They show a flawed man who gave us Medicare, Medicaid, 3 civil rights laws, Head Start, labor law reform, environmental protection and other renewal programs, but also gave us the Vietnam War. What comes out is a great paradox of power and a strange view on political compassion.