The Passage of Power

The Years of Lyndon Johnson, Book 4

By: Robert A. Caro

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

Length: 32 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

National Book Critics Circle Award, Biography, 2013

The Passage of Power follows Lyndon Johnson through both the most frustrating and the most triumphant periods of his career - 1958 to 1964. It is a time that would see him trade the extraordinary power he had created for himself as Senate Majority Leader for what became the wretched powerlessness of a Vice President in an administration that disdained and distrusted him. Yet it was, as well, the time in which the presidency, the goal he had always pursued, would be thrust upon him in the moment it took an assassin’s bullet to reach its mark.

For the first time, we see the Kennedy assassination through Lyndon Johnson’s eyes. We watch Johnson step into the presidency, inheriting a staff fiercely loyal to his slain predecessor; a Congress determined to retain its power over the executive branch; and a nation in shock and mourning. We see how within weeks - grasping the reins of the presidency with supreme mastery - he propels through Congress essential legislation that at the time of Kennedy’s death seemed hopelessly logjammed and seizes on a dormant Kennedy program to create the revolutionary War on Poverty.

Caro makes clear how the political genius with which Johnson had ruled the Senate now enabled him to make the presidency wholly his own. This was without doubt Johnson’s finest hour, before his aspirations and accomplishments were overshadowed and eroded by the trap of Vietnam.

It is an epic story told with a depth of detail possible only through the peerless research that forms the foundation of Robert Caro’s work, confirming Nicholas von Hoffman’s verdict that “Caro has changed the art of political biography.”

©2012 Robert A. Caro (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Masterful and Heroic

Volume 4 has no doubt been one of the best yet. though Volume 3 is still my favorite.

Outstanding history

Book 4 of Caro’s biography covers the 1960 election through the assassination of JFK and transition to LBJ. Many details superbly woven into a very interesting narrative and what seems to be a fair and comprehensive overview.

Fantastic

An riveting account of an unexpected transfer of power and the President who was up for the task.

Excellent

This is the fourth in the four book series. Each is unique, and are all filled with interesting insight and anecdotes in the life, and presidency of LBJ.

The many miles of LBJ

LBJ and Biden
The parallels between Biden and LBJ are amazing. From their shared backgrounds, both grew up poor sons to smart fathers who had failed, they both entered the Senate as very young men. To the nature of the presidents which they served as VP m, Kennedy and Obama a Catholic and a black man, both deemed unelectable because of those aspects of those incredible political forces, both rhetorical geniuses, both with very short experience in the senate which may have left them unprepared to joust with the likes of masters like McConnell and Rick Russell. The circumstances which both men took office. LBJ taking the oath in shadow of a blood stained Jackie Kennedy and a shaken nation. Biden amongst a barricaded Capitol while a shaken nation looked to him. Both men growing in their first presidential addresses, confirming their deepest convictions. Both men with the deep knowledge of the senate, from the cloakroom to the floor. LBJ, the greatest salesman one on one to ever live. Biden a man who has suffered so much personal tragedy to be able to convince anyone of his sincerity. I want to dig deeper. The Civil Rights Act, Medicare, The Great Society. Infrastructure, CHIPS, American Rescue Act, Gun safety for the first time in 30 years.

Dynamic overview of LBJ and other politicians in the 1960’s

The way the interpersonal relationships of politicians and personalities of key figures played out during the Kennedy presidency and then with the LBJ succession
is detailed in such a fascinating way. Very interesting. Having it played at 1.3 speed was perfect with this narrator.

LBJ vs Bobby Kennedy

What made the experience of listening to The Passage of Power the most enjoyable?

LBJ is a charismatic character whether he is liked or not.

What did you like best about this story?

The deep hatred between Lyndon Johnson and Bobby Kennedy was shocking in its depth, intensity, and bitterness.

Which scene was your favorite?

Several scenes at the Los Angeles Democratic convention in 1960 between then Presidential nominee John Kennedy and Johnson. Kennedy wanted Johnson whether to help carry Texas or simply to have Johnson removed as senate majority leader. Was the choice Kennedy's dad? Bobby Kennedy was appalled by the choice trying his best to removed Colonel Cornpone from the ticket.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, if it were at all possible I would have.

Any additional comments?

Robert Caro has me anxiously awaiting the future LBJ vollume(s).

It's Just a Shot Away.

I would recommend reading the first 3 volumes of LBJ's senate years and then The Passage of Power. This volume describes his transition from the most powerful man in the Senate to the powerless Vice President of JFK.

Living History, marvelously told.

If you could sum up The Passage of Power in three words, what would they be?

Insightful, empathic, riveting account of one of this country's most critical periods. Meticulously researched, yet never bogs down, each detail richly informing character and the turn of history. LBJ's finest moments retold, and the narrator is simply outstanding.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Passage of Power?

The passage of the Civil Rights bil.

What about Grover Gardner’s performance did you like?

The emphasis is always right, he never flags in giving details, yet it is nuanced and passionate.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Cried at times.

Any additional comments?

Robert Caro is a genius.

Caro's magnificent biography continues

Grover Gardner has been the perfect narrator throughout this series and this volume is no exception. This book covers Johnson's ambivalent attempt at running for the Presidency in 1960, his years of frustration as Vice President (going from the second most powerful man in Washington to being mocked by Kennedy staffers as "Rufus Cornpone"), and then his remarkable success in the months following Kennedy's assassination. For those who have followed Johnson through over two thousand pages of Caro's biography up to this point, the last two hundred pages serve as testament to the fact that this truly was a great man, if also a greatly flawed one. I listened to this immediately after finishing Caro's "The Power Broker," and one can see how Caro has matured as a writer. Both books are richly detailed portraits, but now Caro's viewpoint is far more nuanced and balanced. Even his sketches of John and Robert Kennedy demonstrate that Caro's greatest strength is his ability to reveal a man's character in depth--the good and the bad--without giving into the temptation to reduce it to a simplistic summary judgment. Yes, this is a long book that requires patience and commitment from a reader or listener, but I consider it one of those books that has profoundly enriched my life. May Caro live to finish this masterpiece!