Lyndon

An Oral Biography

By: Merle Miller

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

Length: 32 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

Best-selling presidential biographer Merle Miller has crafted a candid portrait of one of the most complex, fascinating, difficult, and colorful figures in American history.

From his birth in 1908 to his death in 1973, the story of Lyndon B. Johnson is told with no sparing his personal excesses and contentious public image - while also highlighting the strength of his greatest accomplishments in Washington.

Interlaced with interviews from Lady Bird Johnson, John Kenneth Galbraith, J. William Fulbright, Larry O'Brien, Hubert Humphrey, and hundreds of others, Miller provides an extensive and objective image of the life of LBJ.

©1980 Merle Miller (P)2018 Audible, Inc.

Excellent Work!

Best one volume presidential biography I’ve listened to. There’s not much in Caro’s 4 volumes on LBJ that’s not here.

A must read about the most influential president

LBJ is one our most facinating presidents in
American history. Chapter one was boring, but wow, the rest is a page turner. A primer for any politician who would like to make the world a better place. This is not a puffery piece but a gritty part of what makes this a great nation.

Flawless

Grover Gardner brought Lyndon Baines Johnson to life. Merle Millers book was awesome but Gardner just made you feel like you were literally talking and walking with the President. Great job!!!!!

Must read!!

Very interesting, informative and well narrated by Mr Gardner as usual. I love history and the author did a fantastic job of holding my attention through the entire book!

Man, we sure could use an LBJ around here

This is a substantial telling of the life and times of the man. The multiple perspectives of the oral biography style works well in this audiobook format. It has the authoritativeness of many first hand accounts of LBJ all flowing along like an extended conversation. You come away feeling as if you'd just missed meeting the man. As if he was just here a few minutes ago. This oral biography really does make it quite clear that LBJ's legacy was so much more than the Vietnam debacle. (Did you know he almost concluded the peace agreement?) It is hard to understate the breadth of his accomplishments in such turbulent times. His genius for bipartisanship and fostering relationships with rivals, even enemies, sounds strange, even unrealistic. And yet, it was during this very time that the pendulum had begun to swing to the right in electoral politics. Without the burden of the war in Vietnam, what would the Great Society have become....?

So Well Done

It’s easy to dismiss Lyndon Johnson and his failures in Vietnam. But he was much more the JFK’s Vice President. He truly got things done. His war on poverty programs continues to help the poor today. His greatest accomplishment of course was the Civil Right Act of 1964. In many ways Lyndon Johnson was the last President to accomplish anything of substance. This is a very good book about a very good President. The narration was excellent.

Surprised I enjoyed it so much.

I was not a fan of Lyndon Johnson as president so I really wasn’t looking forward to his biography. However I had committed to doing all of the presidents of the 20th century in order and his was next. So I was stuck. I am still not a fan of LBJ as president but I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

Gripping Oral History

Everyone from all walks of Lyndon's life gets to share a piece of him. It feels like the reader has orchestra seats to the life of Lyndon Johnson. I can't wait to read the next Merle Miller oral history. I would have loved to hear more about Johnson's decision to put Thurgood Marshall on the bench. I would have also liked to hear of the fate of Johnson's cabinet and family members after his death.

Well told tale of a fascinating man

I find Lyndon Johnson to be perhaps the most interesting president this country has had. This audio biography humanizes him with all his faults and passions. Johnson was a man of his time and so is the writer of this book, and so there are times when what comes across is a bit cringey. Still all the way till the end there were things I learned and admired. Hearing Johnson’s final public address about racism saddened me because so much of what he said in 1971 could still be said today.

Good old boy in White House

I listened to the whole 32 hours. I kept waiting for the story to get interesting. Of a Texas country boy goes to Washington, becomes the most powerful man In the Senate. Then Vice President to President. Civil rights act of 64 and 68. Too me it was boring. I would not recommend .