Synopses & Reviews
Long obscured by her husband's shadow, Claudia "Lady Bird" Johnson emerges in this first comprehensive biography as a figure of surprising influence and the centering force for her husband, LBJ, a man who suffered from extreme mood swings and who desperately needed someone to help control his darker impulses.
Expertly researched and written, Jan Jarboe Russell draws from rare conversations with the former First Lady and from interviews with key members of her inner circle of friends, family, and advisers. She sheds new light on Mrs. Johnson's childhood, on her amazing acumen as a businesswoman, and on the central role she played in her husband's life and political career. Avital link to the Kennedys during LBJ's uneasy tenure as vice president and a voice of conscience on civil rights, Lady Bird is portrayed here as a political force, strikingly different from the somewhat minor figure depicted in previous works on LBJ. Especially fascinating today, in light of the enormous attention now focused on the private lives of our leaders, are the personal details about her marriage to a man whose extramarital affairs were widely discussed.
In this intimate portrait, Russell shows us the private Lady Bird not only a passionate conservationist but a remarkable woman who greatly influenced her husband, his administration, and the country.
Review
"This engaging biography sympathizes with Lady Bird as an 'eternal girl' of the 1950s, also admiring her dedication to conservation." Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
After three years of cooperation with the author, Claudia Lady Bird Johnson ended her participation in this biography after an essay Russel published about LBJ's infidelities. Lady Bird covers the full spectrum of Mrs. Johnson's life, career, and ultimately her multi-layers, seldom-documented relationship with LBJ.
About the Author
Russell is a contributing editor at Texas Monthly, and has covered Texas politics and culture for 25 years.