Overview

President Lyndon Johnson was bigger than life--and no one who worked for him or was subjected to the Johnson treatment ever forgot it. As Johnson's Deputy President of Domestic Affairs, Joseph A. Califano's unique relationship with the president greatly enriches our understanding of our thirty-sixth president. Califano shows listeners LBJ's commitment to economic and social revolution, and his willingness to do whatever it took to achieve his goals. He uncorks LBJ's legislative genius and reveals the political guile it took to pass laws in civil rights, poverty, immigration reform, health, education, environmental protection, consumer protection, the arts, and communications. A no-holds-barred account of Johnson's presidency, The Triumph and Tragedy of Lyndon Johnson is an intimate portrait of a president whose towering ambition for his country and himself reshaped America--and ultimately led to his decision to withdraw from the political arena in which he fought so hard.

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Reviews

"Califano, who went on to become secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, has written an intimate, balanced and basically sympathetic portrait of the 36th president.-- ""Publishers Weekly"" ""A joy to read. A walk through the [most tumultuous] half-decade from 1964 to 1969...Oh what anecdotes. Johnson leaves you breathless, disbelieving, aghast...Recommended without reservation."" -- ""Washington Post Book World"" ""A revealing anecdote-laden work...Califano...can really write. Four stars."" -- ""USA Today"" ""As close as we'll ever come to seeing Johnson in action with our mind's eye, thanks to Califano's descriptions and care... Not many will give you a better tour of political Washington or such an intimate look at the big, flawed man who was Lyndon B. Johnson."" -- ""Los Angeles Times"" ""Califano's fascinating peek behind the screen at LBJ's presidency is filled with delicious detail about one of the most controversial political figures of the last century. Narrator Norman Dietz uses clear diction and a measured pace...This is a worthwhile listen with broad audience appeal, especially given today's social changes and political climate -- ""AudioFile"" ""New light is shed on the deterioration of the president's relationship with vice-president Hubert Humphrey, his folly in nominating crony Abe Fortas as Supreme Court Justice, his contempt for Richard Nixon and Robert Kennedy, and his turning to religion in crises. One of the better White House 'palace guard' memoirs of late--a compassionate, blessedly self-effacing tribute to a president who 'put the thumb of government on the scale for the vulnerable among us.'"" -- ""Kirkus Reviews"" ""Wonderful book...What makes this memoir of...his Presidency stand out is its vividness. Johnson leaps out of the pages in all his raw and earthy glory."" -- ""New York Times Book Review"""

Author Information

"Joseph A. Califano, Jr., is the author of several books, including How to Raise a Drug-Free Kid: The Straight Dope for Parents and High Society: How Substance Abuse Ravages America and What to Do About It. He has written articles for numerous publications, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, Reader's Digest, the New Republic, the Journal of the American Medical Association, and the New England Journal of Medicine. He is the founder and chair emeritus of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA), an independent, nonprofit research center in New York City. Joseph served as President Lyndon B. Johnson's top White House domestic aide from 1965 to 1969. From 1977 to 1979, he served as U.S. secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare under President Carter. He has been an adjunct professor of public health at Columbia University's Medical School and School of Public Health and a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. In 2010, he received the Gustav O. Lienhard Award, the Institute's highest honor, for his contributions to improving public health, his leadership in catalyzing federal action to curb smoking, and his broader efforts to reduce the toll of addiction and substance abuse. Joseph resides in Westport, Connecticut. Norman Dietz is a writer, voice-over artist, and audiobook narrator. He has won numerous Earphones Awards and was named one of the fifty ""Best Voices of the Century"" by AudioFile magazine. He and his late wife, Sandra, transformed an abandoned ice-cream parlor into a playhouse, which served ""the world's best hot fudge sundaes"" before and after performances. The founder of Theatre in the Works, he lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania."

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