Master Of The Senate: The Years of Lyndon Johnson

A great history series. So much detail. I wanted to like president Johnson. He tried to do great things but was brought down by the war. I enjoyed the story of his time in the Senate. I grew up during that time. The corruption was so open and so little reported. By the end of the series I felt like I knew the man. A great man even with his flaws. A tragic story.

Fascinating Inside view of US Senate dynamics in general and particularly during Eisenhower years when LBJ was Majority Leader; years characterized by overt racism of Senators from the States of the Old Confederacy clashing with Northern Senators' efforts to enact civil rights legislation for African-Americans.

The entire 4 volume set should be required reading for every high school history or government class. What a manipulator, sometimes for the best, sometimes for the worst, but a study in what the head of the Senate is supposed to be.

A page-turner. Brilliant portrait of a fascinating man and a great lesson in how politics and the US Senate work. I can't recommend this book more highly. Even after 1000+ pages, I was sad to see it end.

DELIVERED AS ADVERTISED- GREAT CONDITION- I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT CONDITION SINCE IT SAID POSSIBLE YELLOW HIGHLIGHT- BUT NO PROBLEMS-I WAS MORE EXCITED ABOUT FINDING THE BOOK, DELIVERY & CONDITION THAN THE ACTUAL BOOK- BUT IT WAS JUST WHAT MY HUSBAND WANTED!

If you want to know how politics really works and the real story of american history and how the nation was deeply divided between the confederate south and the north through the 60's .Robert caro is A must for all political and history buffs

This book is utterly fascinating, beautifully written, and well worth reading. Details of Johnson's machinations in the House of Representatives and the Senate are placed in a wonderfully realized historical view of Congress. The author is dispassionate about Johnson's strengths and multiple defects. Despite his heroic legislative achievements, Johnson's quest for power and motivating exaggerated fear of failing, is quite difficult to see up close. Read this book to understand the nature of ambition.

Robert Caro's account of Johnson reveals him to be a determined and politically savvy person but equally fascinating is the portrayal of the Seante itself, firmly entrenched against social change in the pre-1950's years (at least, as Caro describes it).
But Caro doesn't stop there. He does an excellent job of creating an in-depth analysis of Johnson, of society in those years and, finally, the Civil Rights Act. For sheer depth of research and enlightening tidbits about Johnson and his years in the Senate, this one is hard to top!

I learned much about the functioning of the Senate. An image of Johnson was created by Mr Caro; however, the image is altered based on reporting by Mr Stone. I suggest one reads The Man who Killed Kennedy by Roger Stone to obtain a more nearly complete feeling toward Johnson

I have looked forward to this book since the moment I closed Means of Accent, the second volume in Caro's biography of Lyndon Johnson.
I have no particular interest in Johnson, but Caro weaves an enthralling tell of his life and times that the pages turn themselves.
Master of the Senate delivers on every level.

Caro's analysis of the history of the United States Senate is absolutely masterful. He makes abundantly clear that the greatest obstacle to productive change in this country, almost since its founding, has been the Senate. This in turn is because of its structure and its rules, which turn it into an institution dominated by what we today call the one percent, and which guarantee that it is the Senate, more than anyone else, who actually decides what life will be like for the people of the country. I wish I could get this section of the book into every high school history curriculum. If we truly need a Constitutional amendment, it should address the structure of the Senate: the iceberg in the way of the Ship of State.

Lengthy book, but worth reading. Gave me a better look of the American political system and the whys of existence of the Houses. Specially important considering the current state of affairs in Brazil, my home country.

This, the third of Robert Caro's series on Lyndon Johnson is a revelation, In his exhaustive way, he tells you far more about Johnson, and about other important personalities like Sam Rayburn, Richard Russell and Coke Stevenson, than you even imagined. And for sure, warts and all.

Compelling character study of LBJ and the body Senate. Left me anxious to read more about LBJ as I found myself alternately loving and hating this political figure. Can't wait to see if he was able to change the traditional role of the Vice Presidency as he did the role of the Senate Majority Leader, and if not, how he suffered through his tenure as VP.

The epic quality of Caro's works on Johnson makes them a particularly satisfying listening experience. The only negative here is the usual with talking books: neither the author, nor the publisher (in this instance Random House), not to speak of the producer of the recording paid much attention to getting pronunciation spot on. For example: Uvalde, home of Vice President John Nance "Cactus Jack" Garner is rendered as "U-vald"... in lieu of the correct "U-vald-ee".

The book was a little difficult to engage with at the beginning, but the second half finishes strong, with a detailed analysis of both the psyche and the tactics of LBJ. Recommended for anyone who wants to understand playing the long game in politics.

The scope of this work is awe inspiring. Not only do you become familiar with the details of Johnson's life, but you learn about the history of the senate, how the senate works, the key senators of the era, the civil rights era and much, much more. Amazing!

Robert Caro has done an excellent job of informing his reader on the background and politics of the senate and Lyndon Johnson's role in it. This is my fourth book by Caro and all have displayed his thorough research into his subject matter. I recommend all of Caro's books that I have read. They include three on Lyndon Johnson and one on Robert Moses.

I have read quite a few political history books and this one is my second favorite. Strangely, Caro's Power Broker is my favorite and is the blueprint for how modern government bureaucracies work. The narrative revolves around Johnson's time in the Senate (60% of the book), the fight for civil rights in the 50's (30% of the book), and the historical role of the Senate.

What I found amazing was how Johnson had noticed how much power the Senate Majority Leader had when nobody before him ever had. First term Senators usually keep their mouth shut and do what they are told because of the seniority system in the Senate. He used that discovery to become one of the most powerful members of the Senate even though he was in his first term.

Although a little long winded at times (1300 pages) it is easy to read and tells a great story. It paints a vivid picture of Johnson. The man was devil and angel, but I still can't figure out in what degrees. I am not sure if he was an advocate of civil rights because he believed in them or if he thought it would make a great legacy. Maybe it was some of both.

This book features meticulously researched history written in a way that is absolutely exciting! I'm in the process of reading the whole series on Lyndon Johnson. Every one of the books is excellent. Having lived through the Vietnam protests against him, I had some ideas about him, but I am amazed by the details -- the good, the bad, and the ugly.

This book features meticulously researched history written in a way that is absolutely exciting! I'm in the process of reading the whole series on Lyndon Johnson. Every one of the books is excellent. Having lived through the Vietnam protests against him, I had some ideas about him, but I am amazed by the details -- the good, the bad, and the ugly.

I bought this book because Caro's biography of LBJ is masterful. But if I had zero interest in LBJ, I'd have been thrilled with the understanding it provides of the Senate.

And, if you are a partisan, be prepared - this book shows the failings of both parties in the 20th century US Senate. It won't help you "prove" one party is better than another.

Along with learning about how Lyndon gained power and controlled the Senate, you get an education on the history of the U.S. Senate and why it operates as it does. It's instructional for today's political climate.

An extremely detailed insight into the life of this leader. So much information about important political events in the 40's and 50's. Changes one's opinions about the altruism of politics in America. A fascinating story.

I have read from vol. 1 straight through. This means I reread dozens of pages because the author repeats vast tracts of earlier volumes. would it not be possible to offer an e-version (which I bought) edited for people who read the whole work and don't need long summaries of the first volumes?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If you are not someone who enjoys how the Senate is run, or more specfically run by one person, then please do not waste your valuable time and read this book. It was amazing to see how LBJ could control all of those around him just by the force of his nature and his knowledge.

If you are going into public service, do yourself a favor and read this book. Even all these years later, you'll learn something valuable.

This book is fascinating! You can read it without having read the two books that Caro wrote that tell Lyndon Johnson's story before his Senate days, but you'll want to read all the Johnson volumes once you get hooked on Caro!

Caro is a brilliant writer dealing with fascinating material. It is more than a biography of Lyndon Johnson--it is the best explication of politics in America that I have ever read. I could"t put it down