Synopses & Reviews
Born in a farmhouse in the Texas Hill Country, Lyndon Baines Johnson brought a western sensibility to the White House. Building on recent studies that have delved into Johnsonand#8217;s Texas roots, Kevin J. Fernlund has written a brief, lively biography of the thirty-sixth president that better shows how his home state molded his early yearsand#151;and how the one-time Houston schoolteacher eventually became a Texas tornado twisting across the stateand#8217;s and soon the nationand#8217;s political landscape.
Lyndon B. Johnson and Modern America offers a concise look at LBJ that shows how his career coincided with the ascendancy of American liberalism within a Cold War context. In particular, Fernlund extends recent observations regarding Johnsonand#8217;s important role in regional transformation at a time when the South and West became full partners in the American economy. In examining LBJand#8217;s promotion of the space program and his disastrous decision to escalate the war in Vietnam, Fernlund shows how these and other Johnson administration policies affected the American West. He describes how Johnsonand#8217;s liberal agenda for the West became subverted by illiberal wars with enemies foreign and domestic, exposing the limits of liberalism and fostering the regionand#8217;s nascent conservatism. He also compares Johnsonand#8217;s commitment to social justice with that of his arch nemesis Ho Chi Minh, providing new insight for readers and an intriguing springboard for classroom discussion.
Although subsequent presidents also hailed from the West, Fernlund argues that Johnson was our last truly western chief executive. This new approach to LBJ offers a novel reading of an important Texan, his huge circles of influence, and his lasting impact on the American scene.
Synopsis
A new biography of LBU links his liberal agenda to the West
Synopsis
Born in the Texas Hill Country, Lyndon B. Johnson brought a western sensibility to the White House. Building on recent studies that have delved into Johnson's Texas roots, Fernlund has written a lively biography that shows how Johnson's home state molded his early years.
Synopsis
Born in a farmhouse in the Texas Hill Country, Lyndon Baines Johnson brought a western sensibility to the White House. Building on recent studies that have delved into Johnsonandrsquo;s Texas roots, Kevin J. Fernlund has written a brief, lively biography of the thirty-sixth president that better shows how his home state molded his early yearsandmdash;and how the one-time Houston schoolteacher eventually became a Texas tornado twisting across the stateandrsquo;s and soon the nationandrsquo;s political landscape.
About the Author
Kevin J. Fernlund is Associate Professor of History and Education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, author of William Henry Holmes and the Rediscovery of the American West, and editor of The Cold War American West, 1945-1989. He also serves as Executive Director of the Western History Association.