Lyndon B. Johnson and American Liberalism: A Brief Biography With Documents

by Bruce J. Schulman

"Lyndon B. Johnson and American Liberalism "is a treatment of the major events of Lyndon Johnson's career with a central focus on his role as the emblematic figure in the rise and fall of postwar American liberalism. The volume contains 15 documents - Johnson's own speeches and assessments of the president and his programmes by contemporaries and later scholars - that give students the opportunity to read about LBJ's career and to evaluate his impact.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, American History, Historical

269 pages, Hardcover

First published November 15, 1994

About the author

Bruce J. Schulman is an American historian specializing in 20th-century U.S. political and economic history. He is the William E. Huntington Professor at Boston University and served as the Harmsworth Professor of American History at The Queen’s College, Oxford, from 2022 to 2023. Schulman is currently writing the volume covering 1896–1929 for the Oxford History of the United States.
A graduate of Yale University (BA, 1981) and Stanford University (MA, 1982; PhD, 1987), Schulman began his academic career at UCLA before joining Boston University in 1994. He has held leadership roles, including directing the American and New England Studies program and chairing the History Department. He currently leads the Institute for American Political History at BU.
Schulman has authored three books and written for The Washington Post and Politico. His teaching has been recognized with awards such as UCLA’s Luckman Distinguished Teaching Award (1993) and the American Historical Association’s Nancy Lyman Roelker Mentorship Award (2006).

Reviews

[Joseph Stieb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating this a 5 less because it is gripping or uniquely brilliant but because it is an excellent model for writing biographies/primary source readers. This is the kind of book I would definitely assign for an upper level class on modern US politics. The biography section captures LBJ's personality, accomplishments, and failures while giving a rich sense of the man in just 160 pages. The book is balanced in tone, and it explains the rise and decline of American liberalism with LBJ as the main character in that story. The documents are well chosen, especially the Vietnam ones, and they give a sense of liberal thought as well as conservative and leftist critiques. Schulman did a great job with this! Recommended for people who want to know more about LBJ but don't want to read something as huge as Caro. Also recommended for teachers.

[Jessica Cote · Rating 4 out of 5]

Less a biography of LBJ than an analysis of the impact of LBJ in Washington, spending almost as much time on his 30 years in Congress as with his time in the White House. Provides an interesting look into the mechanisms of the legislative branch as well, focusing on civil rights and social reform legislature. While Schulman takes a more sympathetic look at LBJ's motives (a deep belief in the 'Great Society') he does not absolve him completely of the duplicity and secrecy that came to define his administration. The primary sources, however, are the best learning tool in this book, as Schulman will include a paranthetical direction to read a primary source featured in the back of the book.

[Daniel Laufer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic look into the career of LBJ.

[Kimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a phenomenal commentary on Lyndon B. Johnson’s life. It is short and to the point while still being filled with information, analysis, and guiding primary sources. My one real complaint with this biography was that it wasn’t really a biography of President Johnson but more a commentary on his time in office, his failures and successes, and his legacies, both positive and negative, left on American society. While this seems like a big critique, it is not meant to be. There were brief pre-political and post-political life summaries, but the bulk of the book was focused on the impacts he made while holding various offices. For being such a short biography, it covered the largest obstacles in Johnson’s life as well as his biggest accomplishments exceptionally.

[Beth Borzone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice brief book that gives an insightful understanding to Lyndon B. Johnson, the man, and his presidency.

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly long read especially with the last few documents. Otherwise, totally fine.

[Kyra]

why am i writing anything if BRUCE has already written a book on the topic?... what the hell. (it's okay, i'm still cool, BRUCE didn't focus on the civil rights movement.)

[Kirby McDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

honestly an enjoyable read!
Schulmann has the funniest metaphors and little quips throughout the book (pay attention)
Overall very informative, especially about liberalism

[Gena Lott · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting treatise on Johnson, his politics, his White House and the beginnings of liberal government we have today.

[Caleb Gustavson · Rating 4 out of 5]

"This man Kennedy is America's mask,' de Gaulle understood. "But this man Johnson, he is the country's real face."

[Burrito von Ska · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's it quite a biography, it's not quite a political history, but somewhere in that neighborhood. I think it did q little too much on Viet Nam and not quite enough on the impact of his social programs. I wouldn't recommend it, per se, but I wouldn't suggest avoiding it, either.

[Laura]

American history

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

LBJ was a really unique individual, I think he was greatly misunderstood and at least domestically was a very adept President. I really enjoyed the transcripts of conversations in the book.

[tyra_ Banks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wish I could've finished all of it,maybe I'll pick it up again.

[Imran · Rating 1 out of 5]

Good