The Passage of Power

This multi-volume biography is impressive for the way Robert Caro is able to convey the heroic qualities of Lyndon Johnson without for a minute whitewashing what an appalling bully he was. I have also enjoyed the finely detailed attention to background–people who had significant interaction with Johnson, historical context of events (what they meant to people at the time), explanations of congressional procedures and tactics. Each volume is large and long, telling its portion of Johnson's tale at a leisurely pace.

This volume covers the lead-up to the 1960 presidential election, the Kennedy presidency and assassination, and the transition to the Johnson presidency before the 1964 elections. One of the main themes is the antagonistic relationship between LBJ and Robert Kennedy, which is both fascinating and sad. I have to admit that I was glad to put the book down for the last time. I am thankful that I can contemplate LBJ from a safe distance, but after a 600 pages, even the horrified fascination gets tiring.