Means of Ascent

Volume two of Caro’s life of Lyndon Johnson, covering 1941 to 1948 and centring on the stolen 1948 Senate primary — the 87 votes in Box 13 in Jim Wells County that made Johnson a senator.

Context: This fills the gap in a run Kyle already holds: The Years of Lyndon Johnson — The Path to Power is volume one and Master of the Senate is volume three, both carded, with The Power Broker and Working (Robert Caro) alongside. Packy’s quote is Caro’s verdict on Johnson’s ethics in this period — “a morality that was amorality.”

Connections

• Some of my favorite books… (tweet) — where this was recommended.
• Robert Caro — the author.
• The Years of Lyndon Johnson — The Path to Power — volume one; this is the direct sequel.
• Master of the Senate — volume three, which picks up where this ends.
• The Power Broker — Caro’s Moses biography, the book that established the method.