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Lyndon Baines Johnson was a horrible person. Yet there are certain aspects of his life that make Johnson a pitiable figure. He was abrasive, a cheat, and most definitely a bully. Yet, he made certain achievements in the history of the United States that is the work of a giant of a man.

Robert Caro’s massive biography of Johnson (this is volume four of at least five, one yet to be published; this is the only one I've read) is a wonder. Caro takes what is otherwise a stodgy, boring subject and turns out a thriller. First, Caro covers the history of Johnson's childhood, which left a lasting impact on his fears and his political policies. Then, his iron first control of the senate in which he was alternately both thrall and master, depending on the need. Johnson's fears of failure as a presidential candidate led to Kennedy's nomination and subsequent election in 1960. A lonely three years followed for Johnson, as the vice presidency suffers only fools. However, after the tragedy of Kennedy's assassination, Johnson proved himself as anything but a fool. A masterful transition allowed him to pass not just an amazing tax cut and budget reduction, but civil rights legislation that was unprecedented.

And so the book ends. In it, a portrait is painted of a man who could only just barely keep his anger tapped down, yet when he entered the pressure cooker himself he responded like only a few people could. Lyndon Johnson was supremely human. Angry, but gentle. A cheat, a liar, and a bully, but also a man that gave so many Americans the lives and hope that they'd always deserved. Caro cuts through not only the political machine to find the substances and explanations of machinations, but also through the myth to see the intricate president inside. ( )

Every volume in this series has been fantastic. I cannot wait for the fifth and purported final edition. ( )

I began my journey through Caro's four volumes of "The Years of Lyndon Johnson" on June 10, 2018. Today is September 6, 2018. So for almost three months I've plowed through the 2,500 pages ... and relished every page. The series is a monumental achievement, and as Caro says, what began as a planned 3-volume work, later stretched to four volumes and, now, he said to Brian Lamb of C-Span, he hopes he can finish a fifth volume: "Well, I've done almost all of the research already. I've written about 400 typed pages of it. I have one more big thing of research to do" ... and that is to visit Vietnam.

I hope so too. And I can't wait to get my hands on it. ( )

Caro's narrative is absolutely astonishing in its detail, in this and previous volumes, describing in sufficient depth the people and contextual details that make sense of and provide a framework for understanding not only what LBJ did, but why, how, and importantly with or against whom. This book charts the political battles that led to his surprising acceptance of the vice president nomination and ultimate election, and his subsequent sidelining in the Kennedy administration. Only in this volume did I realize that an as yet unpublished 5th book is forthcoming. Given the amazing transformation of LBJ from an all but discarded and humiliated vice president to a masterful, decisive, and effective President, the denouement of this known saga will inevitably be sad and dispiriting. Can't wait! ( )