Rating: 
Summary: Listening to the tapes is truly compelling and interesting!
Review: After having thoroughly enjoyed the previous tapes and book in Reaching for Glory, Michael Beschloss again delivers an amzaing account of President Lyndon Johnson's years during the continuing entanglement of Vietnam and the Civil Rights years. Also featured are the interesting relationships he had with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Jackie Kennedy, and a horde of other notables that characterized the 60s. The tapes leave little out- to LBJ's private worries about Vietnam, the behind-the-scenes arm twisting and politicking, and the issues of elections and affairs. Michael Beschloss' book itself is good reading, but for the true feeling of the subject material, listening to these tapes of his many secretly recorded conversations is much more revealing a look.
Rating:
Summary: A Treasure Trove of Important History
Review: Beschloss is a superior historian, and the interest he developed in Lyndon Johnson has made "Reaching For Glory" an outstanding book. Anybody who grew up in the turbulent 1960s will find this book invaluable in reconciling that difficult period. Lyndon Johnson, warts and all, was the hardest working president in modern history-- and perhaps the most conscientious, too-- and these two factors undoubtedly contributed to his early passing at age 65. Johnson's life changed after his 1956 heart attack, and the early opportunist yielded to the more thoughtful man who would inherit the presidency following the tragedy of JFK's assassination. It is that thoughtful (yet still savvy) figure we see in Beschloss' book.Historian Beschloss, who was fortunate to study with the master of masters, James MacGregor Burns, has carefully organized the dictabelt recordings of LBJ with the cooperation of Harry Middleton, adroit keeper of the Johnson memories. The tapes are unsanitized, a testament to Middleton and the Johnson family. The tapes alone, however, would be uninteresting to many-- and lacking perspective-- without Beschloss' keen awareness and knowledge of the meaning of the many conversations and figures with whom Johnson inexhaustibly communicated, and of the zeitgeist of 1964-65. He provides the necessary perspective in an objective manner. This was an enormous task. James MacGregor Burns warned his pupil many years ago that studying LBJ might be difficult. Burns believed the 36th president to be uninteresting, even boring, a thought the great Burns has undoubtedly recanted over the past 20 years. Johnson was one of the two or three most fascinating presidents of the 20th century. To completely understand Lyndon Johnson, one's bookshelf need include only the better six or seven books about the 36th president: Robert Caro's first two volumes ("Path to Power" and "Means of Ascent"), Joseph Califano's "The Triumph and Tragedy of Lyndon Johnson," Jack Valenti's "A Very Human President, and Beschloss' first two volumes of his trilogy of LBJ tapes books. Throw in Robert Dallek and you have the entire gamut of essential LBJ. From these books alone, one can make a very independent assessment of Johnson. (Parts of David Halberstam's books on the period, "The Powers That Be" and "The Fifties," are terrific in setting the stage, especially concerning LBJ's relationship with Frank Stanton of CBS.) Me, I cannot wait for the third volume of Beschloss. Bravo!
Rating: 
Summary: Finally! the story is told!
Review: 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 refreshing presence in these tapes. Johnson apparently looked to her as his best critic (in the best sense of the word); she is heard giving him feedback about many speeches. In an era where we tend to think of Hilary Clinton as the first "co-president", it is interesting to learn how much Johnson relied on his wife. Although it might not be a CD set to take to the beach, I still recommend the audio version of this work (not the written version; Johnson's delivery is an indivisible component of his personality). These annotated tape excerpts are nothing less than a piece of history.
Rating:
Summary: Finally! the story is told!
Review: 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 refreshing presence in these tapes. Johnson apparently looked to her as his best critic (in the best sense of the word); she is heard giving him feedback about many speeches. In an era where we tend to think of Hilary Clinton as the first "co-president", it is interesting to learn how much Johnson relied on his wife. Although it might not be a CD set to take to the beach, I still recommend the audio version of this work (not the written version; Johnson's delivery is an indivisible component of his personality). These annotated tape excerpts are nothing less than a piece of history.
Rating:
Summary: Enough of LBJ already
Review: I have to confess I was really looking forward to reading this book, especially on the heels of Richard Reeves book of nixon tapes called Alone at the White House. I had read the prequel, Taking Charge, which I enjoyed immensely. But being locked in a book with a President who by 1965 was so pathetic, depressed, suicidal, self-pitying, pessimistic, and personally resigned to the point where he described himself as being the pilot of a plane he knew was goign to crash but he lacked the kuhunas to do anything about it, is not a pleasant experience. He's nowhere near as complex or interesting as Nixon. The most interesting parts are the heretofore secret tapes of Lady Bird. The best part of a book like this should be the footnotes, but I found them redundant and mundane. Some things didnt seem to be explained. I apologize if I just missed it but there is one long conversatoin about Luci become Catholic, but I didn't see any explanation for it. MY recollection is she got married, but it didnt mention to whom or maybe that was later. On the other hand Beschloss must mention six times that she bought a green sting ray. There is ultimately nothing new or surprising in this volume. This is really the LBJ we have come to realize occupied the oval office, everything is pretty much known by now. The only thing that continues to surprise- it was in the previous volume [Taking Charge} is that ga. Senator Richard Russell was an antiwar closet liberal. I think the next political book should be about Russell. As for LBJ, there are really no surprises left at this point. His own premonitions ended up to be correct about being unable to stop his failing flight as captain of state. I don't want to read another word about him and I hope Beschloss moves on to something else. A third expected volume of this self pity and insecurity is going to be more than I can bear. Lets just hope there was a taping system i n the Clinton White House.
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Summary: a must for LBJ enthusiasts!
Review: I listened to the cassette versions of "Taking Charge" and "Reaching for Glory" when they first appeared. I listened to "Reaching for Glory" again after two LBJ bios and LBJ does indeed come alive. LBJ was, in the words of Robert Dalleck, a flawed giant. So many contradictions, so much hypocrisy - but yet - not... he was just LBJ. The tape system which proved to be Nixon's downfall was also used by LBJ and JFK. Luckily for us 40 years later, we have wonderful insight into LBJ and the operation of his administration. The cassette versions are abridged, but getting to hear the actual recordings is fantastic. I anxiously await the third volume of the trilogy.
Rating:
Summary: Completely riviting history
Review: I read this book in one weekend, completely unable to put it down. Of all the books recently published about former presidents, this is the best. Lyndon Johnson's unvarnished tapes coupled with Michael Beschloss's superb comentary give a direct window into one of America's most turbulent eras. Having lived as a young adult through the time covered in this book--1964-1965, I feel that I have lived it again--this time with more complete knowledge of what was really going on. The Lyndon Johnson that I met in this book is truly unforgetable. His angst over the war in Viet Nam takes on the patina of Greek tragedy, especially in his inability to do anything about what he knows is going to happen. I was so taken with this book that I ordered the previous volume 'Taking Charge', and can't wait for the third one to be published.
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Summary: LBJ dwarfs those that followed him.
Review: I was stunned at the power of this six CD, six hour version read by the author. LBJ's immediate instincts on the Gulf of Tonkin incident and his mistrust -- "admirals hung with braid walk into a room and think they have been attacked." FBI Director Hoover of all people telling LBJ how to spot male "homosexual tendencies." How LBJ fought to forge his Great Society programs during the course of a war that he thought was unwinnable. His torture at sending "his boys" to death made him feel as though he was piloting an aircraft on fire and had no parachute. The effectiveness of his crude and colorful language. His powers of persuation. All this and more brought out in the voices of the key players of the day carry a power that no printed page could begin to bring to bear. Without a doubt the greatest bargain I've ever encountered.
Rating:
Summary: LBJ dwarfs those that followed him.
Review: I was stunned at the power of this six CD, six hour version read by the author. LBJ's immediate instincts on the Gulf of Tonkin incident and his mistrust -- "admirals hung with braid walk into a room and think they have been attacked." FBI Director Hoover of all people telling LBJ how to spot male "homosexual tendencies." How LBJ fought to forge his Great Society programs during the course of a war that he thought was unwinnable. His torture at sending "his boys" to death made him feel as though he was piloting an aircraft on fire and had no parachute. The effectiveness of his crude and colorful language. His powers of persuation. All this and more brought out in the voices of the key players of the day carry a power that no printed page could begin to bring to bear. Without a doubt the greatest bargain I've ever encountered.
Rating:
Summary: NEW APPRECIATION OF JOHNSON
Review: In rating a book I feel I am usually rating the author as well. However, in books such as this that is based upon transcripts it is hard to truly rate the author. Mr. Beschloss' contribution was limited to doing research to explain the circumstances of the transcripts, choosing the transcripts to use, and the tedious task of transcribing. Original thought, though, is not part of the book. The actual content was provided by Lyndon Johnson and many of the major government movers and shakers of the mid-1960s. I was a little disappointed and surprised at how "sanitized" the tapes were. I had always thought Johnson's vocabulary was one of the more profane and obscene of all presidents but in both this book and in "Taking Charge" you do not see much evidence of this. As I read the transcripts I gained a new appreciation for the man. Although I inherited a dislike for the Kennedys and LBJ from my parents, I found myself impressed with many aspects of LBJ. Unlike many others then and now, he was not awed by the Kennedys -- he feared them but was not awed by them. I thought the transcripts of his conversations with Jackie Kennedy in the weeks after the assassination (left out of "Taking Charge" at the request of the Kennedy family) were interesting and even flirtatious as he tried to woo her and keep her friendly while Bobby was becoming less friendly. I was impressed with the progression into that nightmare in southeast Asia as the President, his senior staff, and Congressional leaders all saw little good coming out of the Vietnam adventure, yet despite their misgivings could not avoid it. There were too many factors that made the decision to escalate that conflict the right choice in the mid-1960s although the risks were well known and the suspicions about the Joint Chiefs of Staff were apparent. Many are critical of President Johnson for publicly proclaiming the conflict as winnable while privately proclaiming the conflict as unwinnable -- yet sending many brave men there anyway. I still recall how the liberal news media proclaiming men such as Senators Church, McGovern, Fulbright, etc as being courageous for being critical of the administration's decision to escalate, but the decision to escalate was in itself was courageous. I also know that Bobby Kennedy was critical of LBJ and that many of President Kennedy's aides and supporters have proclaimed that if JFK had been allowed to serve two full terms we would have pulled out and avoided the problems that LBJ put us through. However, JFK was a politician too. JFK was going to delay any major withdrawals until after the 1964 elections so as to avoid the specter of losing Vietnam during an election campaign. After winning re-election, though, he may have felt compelled to maintain and escalate our involvement because the public was still supportive and to avoid the specter of losing Vietnam during the 1966 mid-term election campaign. After 1966 he may have felt compelled to maintain and escalate our involvement because the public was still supportive and to avoid the specter of losing Vietnam during the 1968 election campaign to choose his successor. And so it goes... This book covers a short period of the Johnson years. It covers the 1964 campaign and election, the Walter Jenkins sex scandal of October 1964, the crisis in the Dominican Republic in spring 1965, the gradual escalation of forces in Vietnam, etc. I understand Mr. Beschloss is limiting this series to three books so the next book will have a lot to address including the 1966 mid-term elections, the continued escalation of Vietnam and increasing demonstrations against his policies there, race riots, the Pueblo incident, the TET offensive, his decision not to seek re-election, the campaign within the Democratic party to succeed him, the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy, the Chicago convention, the 1968 campaign, the transition to Richard Nixon, etc. Wow! That will be a lot to cover for one book!
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