Means of Ascent: The Years of Lyndon Johnson (Volume 2)

This is the second book in Robert Caro's Magnus Opus 4 volume biography of President Lyndon Johnson (LBJ). Although not as long as his first weighty tome it focuses on LBJ's life from America's eventual entry into the Second World War leading up to and including his second run for a Texas Senate seat in 1948.I believe that Caro added an introduction where he recounts LBJ's conversion to civil rights to remind the reader that he did do some good as this book provides no redeeming features to a corrupt distasteful character.Despite his tub thumbing attitude regarding `serving with the boys' in the coming war, he tried to wrangle out active service and managed to serve on the front line in California, partying and continuing one of his affairs whilst his wife worried about where he was. His one day as an observer on a bombing raid amazingly led to an award of a medal by MacArthur, who no doubt was trying to curry favour with one of Roosevelt's favourite congressman (the pilot et. al. did not win anything!). In later life LBJ elaborated this one day into a distinguish war time career. Through his long-suffering wife he built a radio business through abusing his government contacts and influence, but the focus of the book was his senate race against Coke Stevenson.Carro depicts Coke Stevenson as the ideal cowboy all American/Texas hero. Although you know the outcome you cannot help rooting for this fellow. LBJ eventually won through throwing the money at the campaign which was funded through the Texas business interests he had garnered massive public sector contracts during the New Deal. When this did not work he won through blatant outright corruption.Coke did try to fight the outcome through the courts but failed. As Carro used the introduction to remind us of some good LBJ did, I was relieved that he did relate what eventually happened to Coke which was a sort of happy ending.LBJ's story is Shakespearian in its depth and I don't know why Hollywood has not made a film about this? Possibly it does not show American democracy in particularly good light!

Caro's book opens with a look forward to Lyndon Johnson as President - the plus side on civil rights and the minus side on Vietnam - and certainly made me hope he'll live long enough to write the chronicle of those years of LBJ as president.Readers of other volumes of this biography - I have read volumes 4 and 1 - will know what to expect. Painstaking research over many years; and flowing narrative; convincing judgements about Johnson, good and bad. And much to give the reader pause for thought.If I feel just slightly less enthusiastic about this volume it is because ultimately not quite enough happens. The first part of the book documents Johnson's record in the war years and his becoming a millionaire. The second part his race for the Senate in 1948. Having lost in 1941 through corrupt practices, this time he exploits corrupt practices to make sure he wins - going the extra mile in corruption as necessary to achieve his goal.As with other volumes, this book doesn't just tell us about Johnson. I found particularly rewarding the story of Coke Stevenson, Johnson's opponent in the 1948 race and the true victor of it, a genuinely heroic figure for whose 'happy ending' I felt very grateful. And at one point Robert Hamer, who comes out of retirement briefly to help Coke Stevenson try to prove electoral fraud. He has been wounded 17 times in his life as a Texas lawman, and twice left for dead. He has also killed 53 men. And in his later 60s still clearly much large than life - and much larger than John Wayne.I look forward to reading volume 3.

Simply magnificent. This is part of an extraordinary magnum opus on the enigma that was Lyndon Johnson, a political genius and a ruthlessly ambitious man. He was not without high principles but they were always overridden by his determination to get to the top. Read all these volumes and you well get up the the very start of his presidency and just hope the author, now in his 80s lives, to complete one of the great political biographies of all time. It is not a page too long.Volume 1 traces his upbringing and early adult years. He was brought up in the most degrading conditions of poverty and shame and survived through sheer grit and the ability to manipulate, humiliate and ingratiate. Great men do not have to be good men. This depiction of power is mesmerizing.

buy it for the sheer brilliance of reading Caro's seminal work.

A must read series if you're interested in political biography. Hell, if you're interested in fantastic storytelling! A lifetime of work has gone into these books and it really shows. Spectacular.

Lyndon Johnson was an extremely complex person and his life reads like fiction!However Robert Caro writes so brilliantly that he brings out the human side of Johnson as well as the mind blowing dark side of the man.I cannot wait to receive the next part.

thought this would be dull but worthy, but was absolutely gripping - not interested in LBJ but his rival Coke Stevenson who should have been senator vp and pres was a much more interesting guy as the book shows.

Magesterial, comprehensive, and compelling. The biography packs a punch, and pulls none. a breadth of scholarship few would ever seek to surpass.