Master of the Senate
Master of the Senate is a book that deals with the Senatorial career of Lyndon B. Johnson by the American writer Robert Caro.
In Master of the Senate, Caro chronicles Johnson's rapid ascent in the United States Congress, particularly focusing on his tenure from 1949 to 1960 as Senate majority leader with the aim to show "how legislative power works in America".[1] This 1,167-page work delves into Johnson's political acumen that Caro argues transformed the Senate from a stagnant institution into a dynamic legislative body by manipulating Senate rules, building a powerful coalition, and securing legislative victories, thereby laying the groundwork for his ascent to the presidency.
Outline
[edit]The book starts with an extensive history of the Senate, from its 19th-century prominence under Webster, Clay and Calhoun to its reduced effectiveness in the 20th century.[1] It then charts his rise as a freshman Senator first as Democratic whip, then minority leader and finally leader of the Senate despite a lack of seniority. It argues that Johnson reshaped the Senate into a far more effective legislature through retaining support of conservative Southern Democrats while earning the cooperation of more liberal Democrats, particularly his future Vice President Hubert Humphrey.[1] The book argues he proved his loyalty to Texas oilmen who had financed his Senate race by orchestrating the sacking of their head regulator, Federal Power Commission Chairman Leland Olds by falsely accusing him of Communist sympathies, destroying his career.[2][1] The book finishes with Johnson's battle to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1957, navigating the north-south split in the Democrats between the southern and northern factions, the first such legislation since 1875 during Reconstruction.
Other Volumes
[edit]Master of the Senate is the third volume of The Years of Lyndon Johnson a biography of Lyndon Johnson. Four volumes have been published with a fifth volume expected , running to more than 3,000 pages in total, detailing Johnson's early life, education, and political career. The series is published by Alfred A. Knopf.
Reception
[edit]Master of the Senate was released on April 23, 2002. It won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography, the 2002 National Book Award for Nonfiction,[3] the 2002 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Biography, and the 2002 D.B. Hardeman Prize.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "The Years of Lyndon Johnson III: Master of the Senate".
- ^ Robert A. Caro (2002). Master of the Senate: The Years of Lyndon Johnson. ch. 10-12. ISBN 0-394-52836-0.
- ^ "National Book Awards – 2002". National Book Foundation. Retrieved 2012-02-20.
- ^ "Recipients of the D. B. Hardeman Prize". LBJ Foundation. Archived from the original on 19 March 2021. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
