Lyndon B. Johnson: The American Presidents Series: The 36th President 1963-1969

The towering figure who sought to transform America into a Great Society but whose ambitions and presidency collapsed in the tragedy of the Vietnam WarFew figures in American history are as compelling and complex as Lyndon Baines Johnson who established himself as the master of the U.S. Senate in the 1950s and succeeded John F. Kennedy in the White House after Kennedys assassination on November 22 1963.Charles Peters a keen observer of Washington politics for more than five decades tells the story of Johnsons presidency as the tale of an immensely talented politician driven by ambition and desire. As part of the Kennedy-Johnson administration from 1961 to 1968 Peters knew key players including Johnsons aides giving him inside knowledge of the legislative wizardry that led to historic triumphs like the Voting Rights Act and the personal insecurities that led to the tragedy of Vietnam.Peterss experiences have given him unique insight into the poisonous rivalry between Johnson and Robert F. Kennedy showing how their misunderstanding of each other exacerbated Johnsons self-doubt and led him into the morass of Vietnam which crippled his presidency and finally drove this larger-than-life man from the office that was his lifelong ambition.