Mutual contempt : Lyndon Johnson, Robert Kennedy, and the feud that defined a decade
After the death of John Kennedy, LBJ and RFK were the dominant political figures of the 1960s, each fighting for the spotlight, each struggling to emerge from the other's shadow. Their arguments echoed across the nation, as "Johnson men" and "Kennedy men" waged political turf battles and the press portrayed every disagreement as a claim on the legacy of the fallen JFK. By 1968, two men who were once allies had become bitter rivals for the presidency of the United States. Drawing on previously unexamined recordings and documents, as well as memoirs, biographies, and scores of personal interviews, Jeff Shesol weaves the threads of this story into a tight and gripping narrative that reflects the profound impact of this relationship on politics, civil rights, the war on poverty, and the war in Vietnam. Like a Greek tragedy played out on a nation's center stage, this book provides a prism through which to view two men, their times, and the nature of power
collective biographies
xi, 591 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm
9780393040784, 9780393318555, 039304078X, 0393318559
36260113
Prelude to a feud
The affront
The vice president and the assistant president
Two heirs apparent
A heavy reckoning
Uneasy alliance
The Bobby problem
Get on the Johnson-Kennedy team
"Little potshots"
A wider war
Hawk, dove, or chicken?
All-out loyalty
Shadowboxing
Malapropaganda
Praising Brutus
"Later than we think"
RFK vs. LBJ
Between myth and martyrdom
Booknotes episode and transcript Program air date: November 30, 1997