Book Description

Deirdre Bair has written about some of the most influential figures in 20th century culture--Samuel Beckett, Simone de Beauvoir, and AnaÔs Nin. Now she turns her expert eye to the one person whose teachings and writings are the most influential of all: psychoanalyst Carl Gustav Jung. The founder of analytical psychology, Jung became the first president of the International Psychoanalytic Association in 1910. Jung had a professional relationship with Sigmund Freud until he broke with the elder father of psychoanalysis over his emphasis on infantile sexuality and the Oedipus complex. As Freud's influence has waned over the years, Jung's ideas--the collective unconscious, the archetypal myths underpinning all societies, synchronicity, "new age" spirituality, and much more--have achieved an overwhelming ascendancy. Bair addresses the myths about Jung--accusations that he was an anti-Semite and a misogynist, and that he falsified data--with evidence from his own writings and from those of his colleagues and former patients. The result is a groundbreaking and accessible work that promises to be the definitive life of Carl Jung. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Jung at Heart
Having been a Jung devotee since my college days in the 70s, I was enthralled to pick up the latest entry on the subject of the great Master. However, I must say to D. Bair what the emperor said to Mozart in the movie, Amadeus; TOO MANY NOTES. In this case, footnotes. There are 202 PAGES of them. One chapter had 171, another 168. My only wish here is that the writer herself would be forced to read the book, having to flip time and time and time again, from the text to the footnotes. If this had been a PHD dissertation, then maybe one could get away with the neverending notes, but to the general reader and buyer, it was overkill. And even sadder was that you HAD to read them, because occasionally one would be vital to ones understanding. In addition, this was a book sadly in need of a proofreader and an editor. Typos, misinformation, sentences that were incomplete or made no sense; all of these abounded in the book. But most important of ALL, and this is a CONDEMNATION of the whole publishing industry: IF THE BOOK IS PUBLISHED IN ENGLISH THEN YOU MUST PRINT IN ENGLISH ALL QUOTES IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE !! Which this book doesnt do at all! Now having said all of that, I did plod through to the end and I was glad I did, because the bottom line is I do know more now about the man that I did before hand and aint that what reading is all about.

wonderful, definitive life of Jung
I agree with Louis Jaffe, that this a great contribution to an
understanding of Jung. Here is no 'saint', but in an strange and
wonderful way, the man emerges despite all the shadows, as the rich, profound and complex man we have come to know. Bair starts
out rather unsure of her subject's "likeableness", yet by the end of the story, she grows in respect for this great man, despite her intense objectivity (unlike the review of the NewYork Times, or Publishers Weekly, which says more about the reviewrs' agenda, than it does about Jung!) In this regard, she is a master of fairness, incredible research and new information; and even his very-'Swissness', (which is not always positive) sheds new light on his psychic backgound.
Like all circles around agreat personality, the infighting is
legendary, and gives a fascinating insiders view. Her detail is
amazing, and sometimes threatens to overwhelm the reader, but those who persist will be amply rewarded.

A Complete Biography of Carl Gustav Jung
I picked up Deirdre Bair's book "Jung: A Biography" because of my long held interest in 20th century European history, particularly the halcyon years before World War I. Certainly Carl Gustav Jung made a significant impact on European intellectual culture over is long life (1875-1961). Our very language is enriched by terms derived from his work: "archetype", "collective unconscious", "introvert" and "anima". The impact of psychoanalysis extended so far beyond the clinical interpretation and treatment of mental disorders that by 1935 "Politicians were being psychoanalyzed by reporters in the daily newspapers, the literary world was entranced with the possibilities the new science offered for individual creativity, and critics in every field were busy applying and misapplying its doctrines to many disparate genres and disciplines".

Deirdre Bair's book is masterful historical biography. Anyone with a serious interest in the evolution of psychological theory, treatment, and philosophy will benefit from this work. She explains the man and the people around him, his peers - particularly his relationship with Sigmund Freud -- , his travels, and professional activities. The book is monumentally detailed as evidenced by the 200 pages of notes and is a great source for understanding the publication and translation issues in bringing his major works to publication. The World War II period was particularly interesting, when Jung who was suspected as a Swiss German of being a Nazi sympathizer, actually was providing analysis of the German leadership to Allen Dulles.

The definitive treatment so far
Some have knocked this latest bio of C.G. Jung for not explicating his philosophy. But that is precisely one of its strengths! There are innumerable books that try to explain Jung's thought. Bair's focus is on Jung's life, told objectively, with particular attention to the many controversies about him that persist to this day. She doesn't flinch from such tough issues as his rumored womanizing or his alleged support for the Nazis. (On which point she reveals, among other surprises, that Jung actually worked as a special agent for the U.S. in Switzerland during WWII, reporting to Allen Dulles, future head of the CIA.) Unlike such writers as Richard Noll in "The Jung Cult," her goal isn't to vilify her subject. Ultimately she pictures a man who was far from perfect but deserved his place among the great thinkers. A must for anyone interested in Jung.

Fascinating & Well Written
This book is clearly the definitive biography of Carl Jung. Ms. Bair has carefully researched the details of Jung's life and provides the reader with an unvarished but quite balanced view of this profoundly important psychologist. The book focuses on Jung's life and the people who were important to him and not on his theoretical and practical contributions to Psychology. As a scholar in the field I learned much and am grateful to the author for her work. ... Read more

Book Description

Robert Dallek's brilliant two-volume biography of Lyndon Johnson has received an avalanche of praise. Michael Beschloss, in The Los Angeles Times, said that it "succeeds brilliantly." The New York Times called it "rock solid" and The Washington Post hailed it as "invaluable." And Sidney Blumenthal in The Boston Globe wrote that it was "dense with astonishing incidents." Now Dallek has condensed his two-volume masterpiece into what is surely the finest one-volume biography of Johnson available. Based on years of research in over 450 manuscript collections and oral histories, as well as numerous personal interviews, this biography follows Johnson, the "human dynamo," from the Texas hill country to the White House. We see LBJ, in the House and the Senate, whirl his way through sixteen- and eighteen-hour days, talking, urging, demanding, reaching for influence and power, in an uncommonly successful congressional career.Then, in the White House, we see Johnson as the visionary leader who worked his will on Congress like no president before or since, enacting a range of crucial legislation, from Medicare and environmental protection to the most significant advances in civil rights for black Americans ever achieved. And we see the depth of Johnson's private anguish as he became increasingly ensnared in Vietnam. In these pages Johnson emerges as a man of towering intensity and anguished insecurity, of grandiose ambition and grave self-doubt, a man who was brilliant, crude, intimidating, compassionate, overbearing, driven: "A tornado in pants." Gracefully written and delicately balanced, this singular biography reveals both the greatness and the tangled complexities of one of the most extravagant characters ever to step onto the presidential stage. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great Biography
This is the best book out there on LBJ. Dallek covers his entire life from start to finish. Lyndon Johnson was a towering and caring man. This book really tells his story.

fascinating biography that paints a complete picture
Professor Robert Dallek provides an incredible biography of one of the most complex presidents of the twentieth century, LBJ. Readers obtain insight into a compassionate yet deceitful individual who believed in his populist social reforms; Professor Dallek believes LBJ was motivated by an impoverish childhood. Of most interest is how LBJ anguished over the Nam War that just seemed to get worse everyday and he finding no way out of the quicksand. Also interesting is the self comparison to JFK and RFK.

Well written and easy to read, LYNDON B. JOHNSON: PORTRAIT OF A PRESIDENT is a fantastic bio of an individual who wielded power like an emperor yet had a fragile ego. His legacy includes Medicare, environmental protection, and noteworthy improvements in civil rights but is often overshadowed by Viet Nam. Many of LBJ's accomplishments still impact Americans today thirty-five years after he left office. Professor Dallek provides the complete picture of the man in a fascinating biography that paints an interesting picture (pros and cons), not the anecdotal generalizing spin that is seen too often today. This is a great bio worth reading by everyone especially historical and political science fans.

Harriet Klausner ... Read more

Book Description

This lively, entertaining text beckons the reader with simple explanations of Jung's major concepts and light-hearted exercises of self-discovery. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

"Must" reading for all students of Jungian psychology.
Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961) is an amazing man whose personal researches and inquiries into the mystical traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Zen, Taoism, Protestant and Catholic Christianity, Gnosticism, mythology, and psychology, created a profound influence on succeeding generations of truth seekers is presented and surveyed in a single volume that does full and complete justice to the man and his thoughts. Jung: A Journey Of Transformation will enable the student of metaphysical, spiritual, and psychological insight to fully grasp this original thinker's manifold observations, insights, ideas, and findings. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This brief biography focuses more on the political career of Andrew Jackson than on his military heroism at the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812. It nevertheless provides an overview of the martial events that made Jackson's rise to the presidency possible. Robert Remini is widely touted as one of the great historians of the Jacksonian era, and Andrew Jackson is hismost accessible book on the period's most intriguing figure. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

A Concise Biography
This book concentrates on Jackson's skill as a politician and his building of the presidential office. It touches on the significant events of his life. Andrew's father died before he was born. He and his older brothers fought in the Revolution; his older brothers died. Andrew's mother died while caring for prisoners (cholera). The orphan lived with an uncle, tried teaching school, then studied law and was admitted to the bar. When a friend became Judge, Andrew was appointed Prosecutor. Legal fees let him become a large landowner. He met Rachel, the youngest daughter of the Donelsons, one of the most important families in the territory. When Tennessee became a state in 1796, Jackson was elected to Congress, then the Senate. Jackson was appointed Major-General when the War of 1812 began, and was sent to New Orleans. Jackson did not want the help of the local pirates, but the leading businessmen pleaded for their inclusion (experienced artillery). Jackson accepted the support of free men of color. The Battle of New Orleans was an overwhelming victory for America! The excellent marksmanship of American soldiers ("a well-regulated militia"), and Jackson's luck, helped. Jackson showed his high-handed ways by arresting a Federal judge for issuing a writ of habeas corpus to free a local legislator who wrote a newspaper article!

Jackson was appointed Governor of newly acquired Florida. He was incensed by the attempts of the rich and powerful to trample on the rights of the poor and weak (p.89). His policies proved practical and worthwhile; his popularity and political connections made him a likely presidential candidate. But popularity meant little to those who controlled the government. Jackson's well-organized, well-financed, and well-directed campaign was revolutionary. A Central Committee corresponded with other committees around the country, a cadre of Congressmen caucused on strategy. Jackson took positions to straddle the differences among his supporters. This group became the Democratic party, and had rallies, parades, barbecues, dinners. His election was considered the end of government by the large landowners and commercial aristocracy! The Eaton affair caused problems. Jackson was the first strong executive acting to benefit all the people.

The two big problems were the Tariff and Nullification. They were ended by the Compromise Tariff. Jackson then toured the country to popular applause. He was the first President to use the veto for political reasons. Jackson rallied the people for their support, appealed to the public interest. His biggest achievement was the destruction of the Second Bank of the United States, which centralized political and economic power under private control, and was an unregulated monopoly with special privileges. This Bank was resented by state bankers, freeholding farmers, urban wage earners, lawyers, small planters, merchants, and manufacturers. Jackson vetoed its charter renewal. "There are no necessary evils in government. Its evils exist only in its abuses."

The Anti-Masonic Party, the first third party in American history, opposed both Jackson and Henry Clay. Jackson won through party organization. He shuffled his Cabinet, then ordered future government deposits to selected state banks. The Bank curtailed loans and created an economic panic. Some Democrats with National Republicans and others formed the Whig Party. Jackson believed he represented the people against aristocracy and privilege. This doctrine of equality was followed by a wide assortment of reform groups: public education, abolishing debtor's prisons, women's rights, care for the poor, world peace, temperance, improved prisons and insane asylums, and the abolition of slavery. If he did not agree with them, Jackson set these forces into motion by his examples (the first Liberal Democrat?). Jackson was the first to suffer an assassination attempt (a lone gunman). He made Roger Taney Chief Justice (who upheld the right of popular legislators to regulate corporations and property rights). This struck down monopolies and aided the rapid development of industry. Jackson eliminated the national debt through tariffs and land sales. To prevent buying public lands with any kind of paper money, the Specie Circular was passed. The collapse of this speculative bubble was followed by a depression. The Treasury surplus was solved by "depositing" excess funds to state governments (the first tax rebate?). Jackson's Farewell Address warned against the increasing danger of sectionalism, an that eternal vigilance by the people is the price of liberty.

Definitive yet concise!
Professor Remini's book, Andrew Jackson, is a well written and interesting biography of one of our greatest presidents. This well written, smooth reading book reads as if it were a novel. It draws on the main points of Jackson's life and times, and does it concisely. It is just over 200 pages therefore it should not scare off the casual reader, whith overwhelming size. Check out Remnini's other Jacksonian books because he is the eminent Jacksonian historian.

A First-Class Jackson Primer
Author Robert Remini's 3-volume biography of Andrew Jackson is acknowledged to be one of the best. However, for someone - like me - for whom Jackson has long been an object of fascination but, regretfully, not someone that I was taught about in school or have had time to research on my own, I found the slender book detailed here the perfect introduction to "Sharp Knife" (the Indian nickname for Jackson.)

Mr. Remini hits the high points (Jackson's origins, his role in the Revolutionary War, his courtship/marriage to Rachel Robards, his role in Indian affairs and the battle of New Orleans, as well as his two terms as President) in an efficient, informal manner. Stylistically, the book's contents are a broad brush-stroke, designed to provide a "jumping-off point" for the reader who is little-or-unacquainted with Jackson.

Once you complete this book, if you still don't feel up to the challenge of the 3-volume work, I recommend the one-volume abridgement of same, entitled "The Life Of Andrew Jackson" (ISBN No. 0060937351), which gives even more detail and background than this "introductory" Jackson biography.

By the time you read both of these, you'll be well ready to jump feet-first into Mr. Remini's classic multi-volume masterpiece and further indulge what will surely have become an even greater fascination with the Hero of New Orleans.

Short, Informative, and Entertaining
This may not be the most thorough of biographies but it is very good. Although Mr. Remini does seem to admire Andrew Jackson, he doesn't gloss over his failings: his treatment of the Cherokee Nation, his inability to see the need for some sort of central bank, his brutal treatment of just about everybody during the Indian wars. I felt the author's refering to Andrew Jackson as 'the hero' was done more for artistic flourish rather than concrete evaluation.

The book is an easy read and Mr. Remini is an entertaining writer. He packs an amazing amount of information into the 200 pages of this book. I am looking forward to reading his three volume biography of Andrew Jackson.

A Glowing Portrait
From the beginning, it is obvious that Remini is fascinated by Jackson. Every description of Jackson fawns over his political acumen, his skills, his bravery, etc. And, as mentioned in another review, as soon as Jackson wins the Battle of New Orleans, "the Hero" becomes a synonym for "Jackson" for the rest of the book. Setting aside how brightly the portrait of Jackson glows, Remini's biography is an excellent introduction to the man and the age he ushered in. From the tales (some of which are duly noted as apocryphal) of his youth to his battles with Congress and foreign powers and, of course, the showdown with South Carolina over tariffs during the Nullification Crisis, Remini manages to hit an ideal balance between surface details and analysis for a popular biography. And while Remini does act the apologist at times, he does little to sugarcoat some of Jackson's more unsavory ideas and traits. All in all, a solid, quick introduction to life of Jackson. ... Read more

Book Description

When Thomas Jefferson was young, Virginia was still a colony of England. Jefferson thought that many English laws and taxes were unfair, so he studied hard to become a lawyer and help make better laws. Soon he and others came to believe that the colonies should become a new country, and Jefferson was chosen to write the Declaration of Independence. As the third president of the United States, he focused on exploring the country and making it grow. His fairness and love of learning made him one of the most beloved presidents of all time.
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Reviews (2)

Easy-to-read history book
This is a great book for older remedial students as well as grades 1-4. The primary facts are here with some illustrations. The text is simple and easily understood.

Not What I Was Looking For
This book was not what I was looking for. My teacher assigned us a Biography/Autobiography book report (like every month), and I checked this book out in the library. Yeah, maybe its ok for 4-8 year olds, this book is really boring for children like me. This book had stuff I already knew about, and I didn't learn anything. It was really boring and had no interesting facts. So, if you are looking for a book with a detailed scope about Thomas Jefferson, read another book. ... Read more

Book Description

As one of the greatest, most celebrated athletes in history, Michael Jordan conquered professional basketball as no one had before. Powered by a potent mix of charisma, nearly superhuman abilities, and a ferocious need to dominate the game, he won six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls and captured every basketball award and accolade conceivable before retiring and taking a top executive post with the Washington Wizards. But retirement didn't suit the man who was once king, and at the advanced age of thirty-eight Michael Jordan set out to reclaim the court that had been his dominion.

When Nothing Else Matters is the definitive account of Jordan's equally spectacular and disastrous return to basketball. Having gone on the road to chronicle Jordan's final two seasons, award-winning Washington Post writer Michael Leahy draws a riveting portrait of a deeply complex man waylaid by his impulses and impatience, frequently hampered by injuries, assaulted by younger players eager to usurp his throne, and ultimately done in by his presumption. Encouraged for two decades by his sport's magnates to believe that he had no limits or superiors, Jordan could not see his influence and power fading as his Wizards days ticked down and his team's losses and dissension grew. For teammates and outsiders alike, the star emerged as a relentlessly driven, at times unapproachable personality. Leahy reveals the striking contrast between Jordan's public image and the man who couldn't stand not "bein' it."

Hell-bent on transforming the mediocre Wizards into championship contenders, Jordan controlled every facet of his new team, dispensing orders behind the scenes to coaches and players. As his anger and bitterness over Washington's on-court setbacks became increasingly public, his teammates' resentment of him stoked already burgeoning tensions between Jordan and the Wizards' top brass. Leahy unmasks the myths and unravels the deeper lessons behind the highs and lows of the two seasons, illuminating the excruciating reality Jordan was forced to accept after the Wizards' failed playoff bid in his final season. When Nothing Else Matters is about nothing less than a man struggling to come to grips with the end of a career, and the uncertainty of his life ahead. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

When Nothing Else Matters: The REAL Michael Jordon
I wanted to tell everyone how much this book rocked. This is so revealing about what Michael Jordon thought, did, and wished he could of done, over the 2 seasons that he came back into the NBA. This is a quick read, and it tells an amazing story. This is a 100x what you get from any other sports book, and especially from anything you could ever see on NBC. Michael Leahy is an amazing writer who has a nack for getting the stuff that people really want to read. You want to know the real Michael Jordon? Then read "When Nothing Else Matters", by the acclaimed Wasington Post writer, Michael Leahy. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Jefferson the " American Mind"
This study is a wonderful compilation of the life and writings of Thomas Jefferson. The introduction by Koch and Peden of Jefferson's long and fruitful life is rich and complete. Jefferson's greatness shines forth in the pages of this volume. His Anas, Autobiography, Essay of the Anglo Saxon language, Notes on Virginia, And his numerous public papers and letters show the reader the depth of this great man. Koch and Peden clearly admire Jefferon which is a welcome respite from the sad and anti-intellectual deconstructionist philosophy of modern historians. No PC here. For a student of Jefferson, or someone attempting to familiarize themselves with his ideals, this is a great buy!

A excellent anthology for your library
We added this book to our library when I was doing research for a doctoral project on Racism. In one volume, is Jefferson's autobiography, travel journals, essays, biographies of other historical figures, notes and correspondence. It is a wealth of material into a foundation stone personality of our American identity.

Lately Jefferson has drawn fire because of his position on slavery and his philandering activities as a plantation owner. Still, within this volume you can observe the full story historical context provides.

In my favorite passage in connection with the slavery issue he writes,

"And can the liberties of a nation be though secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of thepeople that these liberties are the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that his justice cannot sleep forever; that considering numbers,nature and natural means only, a revolution of the wheel of fortune, an exchange of situation is among possible events; that it may become probably by supernatural interference! The Almighty has no attribute which can take side with us in such a contest." (Notes on Virginia, Query XVIII; p. 278 Modern Library Edition)

I think every family should have a copy of this volume in their library. It is enlightening, powerful and life changing material. ... Read more

Book Description

The words of the Declaration of Independence, so familiar to us and so important to our country, were those of Thomas Jefferson. He was a primary force behind United States independence. Without his influence, our country would be vastly different from the nation we know today. Jefferson initiated public education, established a national library, and paved the way for the abolishment of slavery. Although he was not a power-hungry or even ambitious politician, Jefferson served in many different offices, including president, in order to help his fledgling country remain on its feet. His faith and dedication to the idea of self-government never wavered, even in the face of many personal hardships. John B. Severance traces Jefferson's life from his plantation boyhood to his two terms as president and his last days preparing for the opening of the University of Virginia, weaving details of both Jefferson's political career and his rich personal life together to create a thoughtful and well-researched biography.Jefferson quotes, bibliography, index. ... Read more

Book Description

Since the publication of Richard Ellmann's James Joyce in 1959, Joyce has received remarkably little biographical attention. Scholars have chipped away at various aspects of Ellmann's impressive edifice but have failed to construct anything that might stand alongside it. The Years of Bloom is arguably the most important work of Joyce biography since Ellmann. Based on extensive scrutiny of previously unused Italian sources and informed by the author's intimate knowledge of the culture and dialect of Trieste, The Years of Bloom documents a fertile period in Joyce's life.

While living in Trieste, Joyce wrote most of the stories in Dubliners, turned Stephen Hero into A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, and began Ulysses. Echoes and influences of Trieste are rife throughout Ulysses and Finnegans Wake. Though Trieste had become a sleepy backwater by the time Ellmann visited there in the 1950s, McCourt shows that the city was a teeming imperial port, intensely cosmopolitan and polyglot, during the approximately twelve years Joyce lived there in the waning years of the Habsburg Empire.It was there that Joyce experienced the various cultures of central Europe and the eastern Mediterranean. He met many Jews, who collectively provided much of the material for the character of Leopold Bloom. He encountered continental socialism, Italian Irredentism, Futurism, and various other political and artistic forces whose subtle influences McCourt traces with literary grace and scholarly rigour. The Years of Bloom, a rare landmark in the crowded terrain of Joyce studies, will instantly take its place as a standard work.

"This book changes our entire view of Joyce's Trieste. It establishes the city as a vibrant microcosm of three cultures. Joyce was born in Dublin, but as John McCourt shows, he grew up in Trieste."-Colm Toíbín ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A terrific resource, and a good read too
Like many other readers of Joyce, I considered Trieste to be merely "anywhere but Dublin" -- i.e., it was significant to the author only because it was where he began his self-imposed exile from Ireland. In his writings, I felt, Joyce never really left Dublin, and he could as well have been in Mombasa or Ulan Bator for all the effect that his city of residence had on his work. So this book was a revelation to me: although Joyce originally landed in Trieste by happenstance, he quickly grew to feel at home there, and the city provided a cosmopolitan, ethnically diverse, and culturally rich environment in which his art grew to maturity.

McCourt provides ample and convincing evidence of the degree to which Joyce's experiences in Trieste influenced his most important works, from the Triestine puns in "Finnegans Wake" to the main characters of "Ulysses," and how productive he was as a writer during his years there. What I found especially fascinating were the details McCourt unearthed about the rest of Joyce's life: in his perennially unsuccessful pursuit of financial stability, he was (inter alia) a partner in a cinema, a bank clerk, and a would-be exporter of Irish woolens; his domestic life was continually in uproar (Nora lacked his facility at learning languages, and was marooned at home with a series of babies and, from time to time, Joyce's transplanted siblings); but he was a good English teacher, and, through his private tutoring, he became acquainted with many financially and intellectually influential members of Triestine society. (The influence went both ways: the writer/businessman Ettore Schmidt was on the verge of giving up his literary ambitions when Joyce convinced him not to, and he went on to write several classic novels under his pen name, Italo Svevo.)

This book was originally a doctoral dissertation, and it suffers at times from the graduate-student tendency to include Absolutely Every Detail relevant to one's subject (I sympathize: been there, done that). But, in general, it's readable, clearly written, well organized, and, although the basic structure is chronological, the author gives each chapter enough of a thematic focus to make it more than a mere recitation of dates and events. I found the book entertaining as well as informative, and I feel it's a valuable resource for anyone interested in Joyce or, for that matter, in early 20th century European literary history.

Superbly researched, documented and accessibly written.
John McCourt's The Years Of Bloom: James Joyce In Trieste, 1904-1920 is a remarkable and original contribution to Joycean studies. McCourt was able to acquire information never before published about Joyce's activities in the years he resided in Trieste, and which influenced his career as one of the truly great writers in the English language. Superbly researched, accessibly written, thoroughly documented, and impressively presented, The Years Of Bloom is a major work of outstanding scholarship and a welcome, enduring, seminal contribution which will be part of every college and university reading list and reference collections on the life and writings of James Joyce. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

This new biography of Carl Jung, the groundbreaking psychologist who introduced the world to the concepts of individuation, archetypes, and the collective unconscious, is less an outward chronicle of the events in his life than it is a look into the mind and heart of a 20th-century genius. Chronicling Jung's life from a childhood filled with terrifying visions to his early adulthood in which he pursued outer, material goals and, finally, to his midlife return to the realm of inner transformation, this book portrays Jung's down-to-earth, human side, with all the strengths and frailties that accompany the human condition. What emerges is a cohesive portrait of a healer whose skills arose from having first attended to the wounds in his own soul. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A lovely life, beautifully pictured
This is a beautiful book. I expected that, but there isn't an index, so it is difficult for me to see at a glance what else I might learn from this book. The notes are extremely brief, mainly to give page numbers in MEMORIES, DREAMS, REFLECTIONS by C. G. Jung much more than any of his other works, or to give page numbers in the two volumes of his letters, plus THE FREUD/JUNG LETTERS, and the compilation published by The Analytical Psychology Club of San Francisco, Inc. in 1982, C. G. JUNG, EMMA JUNG, TONI WOLFF. In the contents at the beginning, we find that in Part 1, Wounded, there are two pages for "Toni," and in Part 2, Healer, pages 101-05 for "Helpers: Emma, Toni," and in Part 3, Of the Soul, pages 141-47 for "Answer to Job" and pages 169-172 for "Toni," who died suddenly in her sleep at the age of 65. The caption of the picture on page 170 states, "Although Jung tried to get Toni Wolff's scientific writings published after her death in 1953, as yet they remain unpublished." But sometimes things change faster than photo captions, and Jung managed to write an introduction "When Toni's STUDIES IN JUNGIAN PSYCHOLOGY was published." (p. 171). Jung destroyed "Toni's letters to him and his to her."

Shortly before Walter Kaufmann died in September, 1980, he finished work on the third volume of DISCOVERING THE MIND, which he called FREUD VERSUS ADLER AND JUNG. As a philosophy professor, Kaufmann sought sound scholarship, innovative science, a well-organized writing style, and the sort of penetrating self-knowledge that he was used to from all the work he did on Nietzsche. The first page of section 70 of his book, page 397, explains how Jung achieved success without being particularly profound, by failing in ways that enhanced his popularity, a strategy that ultimately might be considered more professional than scientists can claim to be. He quotes Jung as someone who, "much more even than Adler, became a guru" to a group that expects professionalism above all: "About a third of my cases are not suffering from any clinically definable neurosis, but from the senselessness and aimlessness of their lives. . . . Over two thirds of my patients are in the second half of life."

As a mere philosophy professor, Kaufmann never benefited from having a consistent publisher for his own work, though coming out in paperback made it possible for his translations of Nietzsche to be fully successful. Most of his page 397 is about books. "Among Jung's patients were wealthy American women, eager to do something for the cause. Eventually, the publication of his collected works, in English and German, was subsidized, and the volumes were produced very beautifully and underpriced, and then also made available in extremely attractive paperbacks." Though CARL JUNG: WOUNDED HEALER OF THE SOUL/ AN ILLUSTRATED BIOGRAPHY by Claire Dunne (who was born in Ireland, lived in Australia, and founded two Australian multicultural radio stations) is not entirely the work of women, it is as attractive as any that could describe itself as "--the book is itself a work of art, the kind of enduring tome which is picked up again and again for the pleasure of the eyes as well as that of the mind." (back cover, Olivier Bernier, "who directs the Van Waveren Foundation, was the first to acknowledge the manuscript with a publication development grant." Acknowledgments, p. 218).

The picture on page 104 which shows Freud and C. G. Jung standing, with Emma Jung and Toni Wolff seated in front of them at the Third International Psychoanalytic Congress, 1911, also shows an arm of Lou Andreas-Salome at the edge of the picture by Freud, as more of the same picture is displayed on page 136 in JUNG A BIOGRAPHY by Gerhard Wehr, translated from the German by David M. Weeks. The latter, hefty biography of Jung, for whom "the superindividual was paramount" (Wehr, p. 4) has an index of names on pages 539-549, with the number of listings for Toni Wolff taking 2 lines as only a few names, like Alfred Adler, Jesus Christ, and Friedrich Nietzsche do. Sigmund Freud and Aniela Jaffe each need 3 lines in the index of Wehr's book, which seems to devote much more to Jung's work than to his life. People who are more interested in what kept Jung motivated should see the picture of Toni Wolff on page 50 of Claire Dunne's book, dated December 1930. I'll bet she was about 44 years old then, when Jung was 55, and thought she was only 42. Some people aren't good with numbers, at that age, but people who are likely to buy this book don't have to be adept at math.

A penetrating examination of the man and his ideas
This wonderfully illustrated, spiritual biography of one of psychology's most original thinkers will be welcomed with enthusiasm by Jungian scholars and students. This penetrating examination of the man and his ideas which helped revolutionize psychology and our understanding of the mind is multidimensional and highly recommended.

A Work of Art
With 150 color and B&W illustrations, including some never before seen paintings from Jung's "Red Book," this biography is extremely reader-friendly and gorgeous. It's written in succinct chapters, and the artwork is stuff I'd like to frame. It's available in hardcover and softcover. Jung LIVES in this book as a human being struggling to become who he is meant to be at the deepest level...just like us. ... Read more

Book Description

Like other great figures of 20th-century American politics, Lyndon Johnson defies easy understanding.An unrivaled master of vote swapping, back room deals, and election-day skulduggery, he was nevertheless an outspoken New Dealer with a genuine commitment to the poor and the underprivileged.And he was also a representative figure. Johnson's career speaks volumes about American politics, foreign policy, and business in the forty years after 1930. As Charles de Gaulle said when he came to JFK's funeral: Kennedy was America's mask, but this man Johnson is the country's real face.

In Lone Star Rising, Robert Dallek, winner of the prestigious Bancroft Prize for his study of Franklin D. Roosevelt, turns to this fascinating "sinner and saint" to offer a brilliant, definitive portrait of a great American politician. Based on seven years of research in over 450 manuscript collections and oral histories, as well as numerous personal interviews, this first book in a two-volume biography follows Johnson's life from his childhood to his election as vice-president under Kennedy. We see Johnson, the twenty-three-year-old aide to a pampered millionaire Representative, become a de facto Congressman, and at age twenty-eight the country's best state director of the National Youth Administration. We see Johnson, the "human dynamo," first in the House and then in the Senate, whirl his way through sixteen- and eighteen-hour days, talking, urging, demanding, reaching for influence and power, in an uncommonly successful congressional career.

Dallek pays full due to Johnson's failings--his obsession with being top dog, his willingness to cut corners, and worse, to get there--but he also illuminates Johnson's sheer brilliance as a politician, the high regard in which key members of the New Deal, including FDR, held him, and his genuine concern for minorities and the downtrodden.

No president in American history is currently less admired than Lyndon Johnson. Bitter memories of Vietnam have sent Johnson's reputation into free fall, and recent biographies have painted him as a scoundrel who did more harm than good. Lone Star Rising attempts to strike a balance. It does not neglect the tawdry side of Johnson's political career, including much that is revealed for the first time. But it also reminds us that Lyndon Johnson was a man of exceptional vision, who from early in his career worked to bring the South into the mainstream of American economic and political life, to give the disadvantaged a decent chance, and to end racial segregation for the well-being of the nation. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Not Enough Personality
Robert Dallek has the right idea about LBJ. In his forward, he addresses the problems with villifying him, and sets out to do him justice. In this he succeeds. But LBJ does not come alive in Dallek's work, as he does in Caro's. Despite good intentions, Dallek disappoints.

Presenting the good Lyndon
Dallek's biography has the virtue of being written by someone who clearly admires Johnson. As such, it is somewhat of a counterweight to Robert Caro and I suggest both be read for balance.

Nevertheless, in presenting the "good Lyndon", Dallek downplays the worst of Johnson. There is nothing particularly wrong with this (Dallek certainly doesn't ignore the flaws, just tends to gloss over them a little), but it does lead to a fairly tepid book, one that is nowhere near as much fun to read as Caro's. Thus, if I could only read one (which of course many readers will do considering the length of both Caro's and Dallek's presentations), I would read Caro's. Caro's second and third volumes (covering the 40's and 50's, roughly the second half of the Dallek volume being discussed here) are possibly the best political biography ever written. It is against that "competition" that Dallek's book must be weighed and I found, in the balance, that Dallek's work is merely ordinary.

The Landmark LBJ Biography
Dallek's two-volume examination of LBJ is a dramatic and nuanced examination of one the most complex figures in 20th century American history. Even almost three decades after his death, there are no shortage of people who see LBJ as the ultimate villan of American politics. Many people of this camp dislike Dallek's work, because he puts his subject in his context.

While Dallek does not excuse the sort of election fraud in which LBJ engaged, he does explain that it was wide spread. Some find this an unacceptable defense, but one should note that the sorts of tricks he describes have been wide spread in the US for most of the 19th and early 20th century. To dismiss LBJ for engaging in such activities who require similar condemnation of every US president from Adams to FDR.

Dallek in fact, is unflinching in discussing LBJ's negative side. His pension for strong arming opponents, his abuse of his staff, his womanizing and drinking, and his dirty tricks are all layed bare. At the same time, Dallek reviews how crucial LBJ was as part of the New Deal and his brave role as a champion of civil rights.

The other major LBJ biography by Caro is far less balanced in its approach to this complex and ultimately tragic figure. For a truly great and complete biography of LBJ, I suggest that you read this one.

The soft focus version ...
If you are a postmodern thinker and a fan of Lyndon Johnson, this is the biography for you.

Dallek attempts to create the image the Johnson was pretty much like any other Texas politician of the times who came from hardscrabble poverty to politics. However, Johnson is the only one who became majority leader of the senate and later president, so one tires quickly of almost all differentiations being on the positive side. It gives the impression that Johnson prevailed because he was two dimensional (good and bad) and the rest were just evil.

This is Lyndon Johnson Lite.

I gave it three stars because basicly its a good read for children and adults who don't want to know negative details about their icons.

Fascinating Look at a Public Man
John Connally, former Secretary of the Treasury and Governor of Texas, who was very close to LBJ for many years once said that Johnson was a "strange and complex man who could be whatever he wanted to be", cruel or compassionate, crude or charming, selfish or generous. These traits are illustrated well in Robert Dallek's two volume biography of Lyndon Johnson. Fortunately, recent years have shown a more realistic view of Johnson as this complex man and not just the warmongering fiend the anti-Vietnam War people perceived more than 30 years ago. One of the most important points that Dallek brings out is that LBJ learned lessons from Franklin Roosevelt's deceptive policies of trying to bring the US into war with Nazi Germany, against American public opinion (which the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor ultimately proved unnecessary) and applied them to his almost surrepitious effort to engage American troops in South Vietnam. I highly recommend these 2 books for anyone interested in American History or the study of political leadership. ... Read more

Book Description

This offering, written by a historian who has a son with Asperger's Syndrome, examines Thomas Jefferson, one of the United States' most brilliant Presidents and his many behaviors that match the Asperger's Syndrome diagnosis. The book gives fascinating insight into Jefferson as well as documenting the multiple factors that contribute to this diagnosis. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Mr. See is somewhat short-sighted.
The Harrisonburg, Va., reviewer Randall See's statements about the author of Diagnosing Jefferson don't match the facts. First, Norm Ledgin was frank to admit at the start of his book that he was drawing on secondary sources (the works of respected historians) for all observations about Thomas Jefferson's idiosyncrasies, which Mr. Ledgin said match no other explanation but Asperger's Syndrome.

Second, I learned by interviewing Mr. Ledgin several years ago that his book was contracted for publication by Carol Publishing, a mainstream New York area trade publisher, and that it had been edited by one of the most respected editors in the business, Hillel Black. Carol went belly-up while preparing Diagnosing Jefferson for print. Rather than start the process of recontacting other trade houses, Mr. Ledgin turned to the specialty publisher, Future Horizons, whose president, Wayne Gilpin, had previously expressed very strong interest.

What has bothered a few people about Mr. Ledgin's book deep-down is his ready acceptance of the Sally Hemings liaison as a 38-year love affair. That acceptance is seemingly understandable to Mr. Ledgin (and now, it appears, to the Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello) on the strength of known facts, but to others it is the basis for a mental and emotional block.

To understand what made Jefferson tick, this is the book.
I've read Mr. Ledgin's book, and I've read several Jefferson biographies. Obviously the critics of this author have not read Diagnosing Jefferson through, and they have admitted as much. Intellectual integrity requires more.

The author has examined and exploited helpfully something all other biographers have missed--the opportunity to identify whatever the basis may have been for Jefferson's many idiosyncrasies and so-called contradictions. Had the biographers simply assembled the quirks puzzling them and discussed them with a neuroscientist or developmental pediatrician or psychologist, they would have arrived at the same conclusion Mr. Ledgin has given us.

A staff member for the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Dianne Swann-Wright, admitted on the Today show last year, "there was a personal side of Thomas Jefferson that many of us just simply haven't been able to understand." Mr. Ledgin explains that personal side in order to help us understand. Does intellectual curiosity extend only so far as scratching one's head, or are historians ready to listen to well-reasoned answers based in careful research?

I heard Mr. Ledgin speak in Charlottesville, Va., at the Festival of the Book this year. He is more knowledgeable about the very personal side of Thomas Jefferson than most, if not all, the biographers whose works I've read. It should be obvious to a reader of his entire work, including his bibliography and footnotes, that he has examined the Jefferson literature thoroughly, which is what he wrote was the basis for his assembling the eccentricities. His placing of Jefferson on the autism/Asperger's continuum as a result has been backed by at least four experts in that field and another in the behavioral sciences.

This is a landmark work. We must understand that autism and its high-functioning feature, Asperger's Syndrome, are parts of a spectrum condition; some people are disabled by it, some are enhanced by it. The author explains all of that extraordinarily well. One can be both productively brilliant and a high-functioning autistic--like Jefferson, quirky as can be, but a great achiever and mental giant nonetheless.

The reader can learn as much about Asperger's from this book as he or she can about Jefferson. For understanding what made Jefferson tick, this is the book to read.

Interesting
This was an interesting book. Did Jefferson have special needs? He may have, if he would have been diagnosed with some if he lived in our times. GREAT insight about Aspergers as well. Highly recommended!

Jeffrey McAndrew
author of "Our Brown-Eyed Boy"

Personally Inspiring
This book has meant a lot to me as a teenager with an Asperger condition.

My Dad called my attention to it and said jokingly, "Maybe you'll learn a little history." But I also learned about myself, reading about so many things that bothered Tom Jefferson that also bothered me. Thanks to this book, they don't bother me anywhere near as much as they used to.

I'm proud we shared many of the same "quirks."

Flat-earth critics?
I don't understand where some of the critics of Mr. Ledgin's work are coming from. They overlook that he confessed at the outset he was dealing with secondary sources--principally because so many biographers seemed mystified by Jefferson's eccentric behavior.

Mr. Ledgin took their observations and summed them up in the only credible way that authoritative scientific literature supports Jefferson's range of quirks--an observational conclusion of the presence of Asperger's Syndrome, which is on the autism spectrum.

What seems to bother his critics most is the reference to autism, and that's because they're also overlooking the oddities of the Randolph family (Jefferson's mother's family) and failing to understand the high-to-low functioning spectrum of autism.

Are they also implying autism didn't exist until modern scientists isolated and defined it, therefore Jefferson couldn't have had it? That's like accepting that the planet Earth was flat until it was proven to be round. ... Read more

Book Description

Available in paperback for the first time, these three volumes represent the definitive biography of Andrew Jackson. Volume One covers the role Jackson played in America's territorial expansion, bringing to life a complex character who has often been seen simply as a rough-hewn country general. Volume Two traces Jackson's senatorial career, his presidential campaigns, and his first administration as President. The third volume covers Jackson's reelection to the presidency and the weighty issues with which he was faced: the nullification crisis, the tragic removal of the Indians beyond the Mississippi River, the mounting violence throughout the country over slavery, and the tortuous efforts to win the annexation of Texas. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Middle volume of a magisterial trilogy
The second volume of Remini's celebrated biography is inevitably rather less intriguing than the first. While it's predecessor was largely about military campaigns and duels, this volume is more focussed on such dynamic topics as debt repayment and, especially, the controversy over renewing the charter of the US Bank.

The controversial election of 1824 is covered in detail and well explained. Remini also shows how the aftermath of that election reshaped American politics - the parties became far more organized. Although the Democratic Party is spoken of as having been created by Jefferson, Jefferson was the leader of a group or faction more than a true party. In a real sense it was created as a party when Calhoun and Van Buren agreed to unite their factions behind Jackson for the election of 1828. The new era of national parties was illustrated in 1831-32, when, for the first time, national conventions were held to nominate presidential candidates. (The Democrats were so firmly Jackson's party that they didn't bother to formally nominate him, meeting mainly to ratify his desire that Van Buren replace Calhoun as the Vice Presidential candidate.)

Also covered at length is the bizarre 'War of the Petticoats', when Jackson's cabinet was torn apart over the fact that some officials and their wives, spreading lascivious rumors about Peggy Eaton, wife of the Secretary of War, refused to appear at social events to which the Eatons were invited. However absurd the incident sounds, the consequences were significant.

Along the way, I learned quite a few things ranging from remarkable to trivial. For instance, I had never suspected that Jackson was the first President to veto a bill with a veto message that centered on what he believed to be the faults of the bill. All prior vetos (there were only a few over 40 years) had been based on arguments that the bills vetoed were unconstitutional. Vetoing partially on the merits (Jacvkson also thought the bill unconstitutional) was considered at the time a shocking extension of executive power. I also learned that Jackson had the first 'kitchen cabinet', a term that dates from the tensions in the cabinet over the Petticoat War. The kitchen cabinet, those friends who Jackson trusted more than many of the men in his official cabinet (also called the 'parlor cabinet' at the time) was so called because they supposedly used a back staircase from the White House kitchen to meet Jackson in his study.

Overall, a strong history with clear writing, a remarkable central character, and intriguing glimpses at the period covered.

Detailed and in-depth examination
This is the second book in Remini's trilogy and it's an extremely detailed, well-researched book. So many biographers bury their subject and forget that most readers what to know who their subject *was*, not merely what they *did.* Remini doesn't fall into this trap. He gives the reader a well-grounded and detailed look at Andrew Jackson as a man: his foibles, passions and prejudices, as well as his extreme ambition and vacillating brilliance.

Remini strikes a beautiful balance when examining Jackson's private life and military/political life. His examination of Jackson's personal life is exceptional, and he weaves Jackson in and out of the narrative with rare poise and skill. The reader can actually picture Jackson in the midst of his political battles, feel his emotions and understand the decisions he made. When a biographer can paint such a vivid picture, the reader will always be rewarded.

This is an excellent book for the entire spectrum of people interested in Jackson. Whether you are a neophyte or an established Jacksonian historian, there is much to enjoy, as well as new material. The footnotes and bibliography are excellent resources and lead to additional sources for the reader. Highly recommended.

Jackson's back!
When we last left Andrew Jackson, he had just quit his job as governor of the Florida territory. Having built his reputation on his military actions against Indians and his rout over the British in the Battle of New Orleans, Jackson now had two goals: first, recovering his precarious health, and second, becoming president.

In this second volume of Remini's biography of the seventh president, Jackson rises to the pinnacle of his power, though it is by no means easy. First, there is his health: having abused his body over the years in war and duels, Jackson was not in good shape and probably spent the last decades of his life in constant pain which only his vast willpower could overcome.

In 1824, Jackson ran for president and despite getting a plurality of the popular and electoral votes, wound up losing to John Quincy Adams that makes the 2000 election seem non-controversial in comparison. Getting cheated (as many felt) would lead to a second, successful campaign in 1828, but even this had a high price, as the slander he was subjected to due to the dubious circumstances of his marriage would emotionally wreck and eventually lead to the death of his wife.

The second half of the book focuses on Jackson's first presidential term, ending with his election to a second term. In many ways the first populist president, Jackson redefined the role of the presidency by expanding the power of the veto (rarely used previously and only in limited circumstances) and attempted to clean up the corruption left over from the so-called "Era of Good Feelings."

Remini is a great biographer and this book is every bit as great as the first volume. He holds back few punches when it comes to Jackson's negatives, especially his treatment of Indians and his tendency to dwell incessantly on little things (such as the Eaton affair). Nonetheless, this is a generally positive biography, as Remini demonstrates that despite the view that Jackson was an ignorant backwoodsman manipulated by his aides such as Van Buren, Jackson was both intelligent and independent.

This is the definitive biography of Jackson. If you want to learn of the man or the era, this is a must-read.

The "Corrupt Bargain" and its Aftermath
In this, the second (and shortest) installation of three volumes on the life of Andrew Jackson, Robert Remini covers the decade between Jackson's ostensible retirement from public life after serving a short ' and miserable ' term as governor of the newly acquired Florida territory to the culmination of his first presidential term.

The central issue covered in this volume ' indeed, the central issue in Jackson's political life, as Remini later concludes in Volume III ' is the presidential election of 1824 and the so-called 'corrupt bargain' between John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay to deprive Jackson of the presidency despite his commanding lead in the popular vote. For Jackson, it was conspiracy of the wealthy elites against a commoner, and it proved that the American republic itself was in mortal jeopardy. The defeat served as a catalyst for Jackson's passionate, almost obsessive commitment to 'reform and retrenchment,' which Remini weaves together with the character developed in Volume I. It was his quest to avenge the loss of 1824 (and the honor of the American people who had been swindled) and sweep the 'augean stables' of corruption and graft in Washington that led to the great democratic movement that bears his name. (It should be noted that Harry Ammon and other leading historians of the Monroe and Adams administrations stridently contest Remini's assertion that the Era of Good Feelings was actually the 'Era of Corruption.')

For those of you who puzzled over Washington's obsession with the Monica Lewinsky affair, you will be amused to read that the dominating issue of Jackson's first term was the reportedly lascivious nature of Peggy Eaton, the wife of Jackson's old friend and secretary of war. This so-called 'Petticoat War,' which saw the wives of other cabinet members and senior officials ' mostly notably vice president Calhoun's wife, Floride ' shunning social interaction with Peggy, literally ripped the cabinet asunder and very nearly toppled the government. Remini tells the story with verve and wit, which at times reads more like a Sidney Sheldon novel than a volume in a definitive presidential biography.

The "Corrupt Bargain" and its Affects
In this, the second (and shortest) installation of three volumes on the life of Andrew Jackson, Robert Remini covers the decade between Jackson's ostensible retirement from public life after serving a short - and miserable - term as governor of the newly acquired Florida territory to the culmination of his first presidential term.

The central issue covered in this volume - indeed, the central issue in Jackson's political life, as Remini later concludes in Volume III - is the presidential election of 1824 and the so-called "corrupt bargain" between John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay to deprive Jackson of the presidency despite his commanding lead in the popular vote. For Jackson, it was conspiracy of the wealthy elites against a commoner, and it proved that the American republic itself was in mortal jeopardy. The defeat served as a catalyst for Jackson's passionate, almost obsessive commitment to "reform and retrenchment," which Remini weaves together with the character developed in Volume I. It was his quest to avenge the loss of 1824 (and the honor of the American people who had been swindled) and sweep the "augean stables" of corruption and graft in Washington that led to the great democratic movement that bears his name. (It should be noted that Harry Ammon and other leading historians of the Monroe and Adams administrations stridently contest Remini's assertion that the Era of Good Feelings was actually the "Era of Corruption.")

For those of you who puzzled over Washington's obsession with the Monica Lewinsky affair, you will be amused to read that the dominating issue of Jackson's first term was the reportedly lascivious nature of his secretary of war and old friend John Eaton's wife, Peggy. This so-called "Petticoat War," which saw the wives of other cabinet members and senior officials - mostly notably vice president Calhoun's wife - shunning social interaction with Peggy Eaton, literally ripped the cabinet asunder and very nearly toppled the government. Remini tells the story with verve and wit, which at times reads more like a Sidney Sheldon novel than a volume in a definitive presidential biography. ... Read more

Book Description

Transcribing, editing, and explaining the most powerful moments from hundreds of hours of newly released LBJ tapes, Michael Beschloss has added another lasting treasure to the American historical record. Reaching for Glory exposes the inner workings of the Johnson presidency from the summer of 1964 through the summer of 1965.

From behind the scenes, you will hear Johnson pulling the strings of his presidential campaign against Barry Goldwater and pursuing his feud with the new senator Robert Kennedy. He agonizes over Martin Luther King, Jr., and the bloody march on Selma, Alabama, and twists arms on Capitol Hill to pass voting rights, Medicare, and more basic laws than any American president before or since. Above all, you will hear him sending young Americans off to Vietnam while privately insisting that the war can never be won.

Winding Johnson's voice and exclusive excerpts from Lady Bird Johnson's private diaries into a gripping narrative, Michael Beschloss provides context and historical insights, showing how profoundly LBJ changed the presidency and the country. Reaching for Glory allows us to live at Lyndon Johnson's side, day by day, through the dramatic, triumphant, and catastrophic year of a turbulent presidency that continues to affect us all. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

As GRIPPING as a movie...reveavling LBJ's true SECRET
This is truly an astounding book. Now, years later, we finally know the truth: Lyndon B. Johnson was not merely a tragic president who stuck to his guns and fought a war he mistakenly believed he could win (with various political restrictions on the military).
He was, this book proves beyond a shadow of a doubt in its lively transcripts of his secretly taped phone conversations, a tragic president who stuck to his guns and fought a war he firmly believed would be LOST no matter WHAT.
He didn't want to lose, but he didn't want to be the one to pull out, so he got in deeper and deeper, losing sleep and agonizing all the way -- and the consequences to his administration and the country were catastrophic.
There are a slew of reasons why you should read (or gift) this amazing book.
The main one: true, it does give you perhaps more than you wanted to know about LBJ (but I don't care WHAT some reviewers have said: I LOVE the sections where he is flirting with Jackie Kennedy)...but if you read it you get a clear idea of how a president operated -- and many parts of this book are so dramatic and gripping, they read like a movie script. In fact, I can see the Oliver Stone movie now..
Historian Michael Beschloss makes it seem easy when you read it, but transcribing and annotating (so you know through footnotes what LBJ is referring to when he talks and get some historical context..and know when LBJ is spinning) these conversations taped between 1974 and 1965 could not have been easy. Yet, he gives you the meat and you get to "know" how LBJ thinks and, politically, works.
It shows Johnson, warts and all, as a man who could have been one of the very best presidents because of his skills, will and sincere desire to serve. But it shows a highly conflicted, contradictory, at times paranoid and highly depressed man. On the night of his monster landslide 1964 election he is angry and "down," steaming over Bobby Kennedy's influence and possible future machinations. As he presses and manipulates to get his Great Society legislation passed, he's leaking info on election opponent Barry Goldwater, keeping the lid on information regarding his number one aide's role in a sex scandal. He talks of victory in Vietnam, but repeatedly tells politicos and his wife that there is absolutely no way the U.S. can ever win, and he is tormented by his terrible choice and unwanted role. He wants to help the poor and the blacks, but will talk a little more "southern" if he has to while talking to someone who doesn't quite agree with him to make them think he's on their wavelength.
The famous Gulf of Tonkin resolution? Even Johnson believed it may not have happened. But he took the resolution in Congress and ran with it -- using it to justify the war he knew he the U.S. could not win.
In Feb. 1965 he told a Senator "a man can fight if he can see daylight down the road somewhere. But there ain't no daylight in Vietnam. Not a bit."
If you went back and contrasted his public pronouncements with what he was saying privately, it would be shocking indeed: pep talks to the country (and troops) to the contrary, he never felt we could win. Meanwhile, he kissed J. Edgar Hoover's you-know-what to keep hoover on his side (actually, they had been neighbors in Washington and Johnson had carefully kept Hoover on his side for years) in his battle against Goldwater, Kennedy and others.
Not all of the book is about the sad, deceitful slide into Vietnam. Many of the transcripts deal with his election campaign, domestic legislation...but by the end of the volume Vietnam is devouring LBJ alive as it did the country and the innocence and joy of the early 60s.
I read this book rather quickly. It was an INCREDIBLE experience. Read it and you're a fly on the wall in the White House.

Finally! the story is told!
I don't mean LBJ's real thoughts about the Vietnam war, although obviously that is a great revelation. I mean that I know why it took Michael Beschloss so long to finish this follow-up to "Taking Charge"....these tapes are tough to listen to. They are not the entertaining excerpts of the previous volume. The '64-'65 excerpts show more of LBJ's warts, and cover painful ground, primarily concerning the war in Vietnam. Also, there is so much material that, unlike with the first volume, I found myself getting bored at times. Surely Beschloss himself must have found putting this volume together more difficult.

Of course, the fact that negative and humdrum things characterized part of the Johnson's presidency during the two years covered was not Beschluss's fault. But I felt some material, most notably some of the well-wishing calls made by the President and Lady Bird to friends, could have been left out or shortened.

Speaking of Lady Bird, however, she becomes a larger and ref