Over a span of eighteen years, Lady Bird Johnson recorded forty-seven oral history interviews with Michael Gillette and his colleagues. These conversations, just released in 2011, form the heart of Lady Bird Johnson: An Oral History, an intimate story of a shy young country girl’s transformation into one of America’s most effective and admired First Ladies.
Lady Bird Johnson’s odyssey is one of personal and intellectual growth, political and financial ambition, and a shared life with Lyndon Baines Johnson, one of the most complicated, volatile, and powerful presidents of the 20th century. The former First Lady recounts how a cautious, conservative young woman succumbed to an ultimatum to marry a man she had known for less than three months, how she ran his congressional office during World War II, and how she transformed a struggling Austin radio station into the foundation of a communications empire. As a keen observer of the Washington scene during the eventful decades from the 1930s through the 1960s, Lady Bird Johnson shares dramatic accounts of pivotal moments in American history. We attend informal dinners at Sam Rayburn’s apartment and opulent social events at grand mansions from an earlier age. Her rich verbal portraits bring to life scores of personalities, including First Ladies Edith Bolling Wilson, Eleanor Roosevelt, Bess Truman, Mamie Eisenhower, Jacqueline Kennedy, and Pat Nixon.
An informal, candid narrative by one of America’s most admired First Ladies, this volume reveals how instrumental Lady Bird Johnson’s support and guidance were at each stage of her husband’s political ascent and how she herself emerged as a significant political force.
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A very gracious lady…. I think the writer took great care with the subject and gave us a balanced picture. It’s an oral history, after all with questions and answers, but as I read it, I could hear her soft east Texas drawl.She was a very gracious lady, but tough. Her kind is sorely missed in today’s confused world. I recommend this book for anybody who wants a glimpse into this woman’s life. Where she came from. Who her people were. How she met and married LBJ…if there were ever two people who were total opposites, it’s LBJ and Lady Bird Johnson…and how their life together grew into one of great mutual respect…yes I believe he did respect her advise over everybody else who advised him. I also believe there was a great love. They were the perfect political partners, but I believe their marriage was also a great love story. Agree. Disagree. But, if anybody asks me who is my favorite First Lady, I have to say hands down, Lady Bird Johnson.
Terrific book Mrs. Johnson’s interviews are candid and very interesting. The interviewers questions are helpful in directing her memories to events of interest to a broad audience. I think everyone, young or old will be fascinated in this account of the life of an extraordinary woman in her own words.