Book Review: Landslide - LBJ and Ronald Reagan at the Dawn of a New America by Jonathan Darman
In Landslide: LBJ and Ronald Reagan at the Dawn of a New America, first-time author Jonathan Darman writes a wonderful account and analysis of the Presidency of Lyndon Baines Johnson. As well, the book tells of the concurrent rise of the political career of Ronald Wilson Reagan from B-Movie actor to Governor of California and future president. In doing all of this, Darman succeeds on so many levels: as a writer, as a political analyst and as historian. In the book, Darman, refers to the Goldilocks Principle (in which government advisors offer presidents three alternatives, one too hot, on too cold, in order that the advisor's desired outcome would seem "just right"). He himself gets it "just right" in giving the reader a near-perfect account of the era beginning with the assassination of John F. Kennedy and ending with Johnson's decision not to run for re-election in 1968. This book is neither too wordy, nor too superficial. It respect's the reader's intelligence, but is neither pedantic in tone, nor dumbed down. While the era is interesting in its own right, Darman's writing make it a pleasure to read about this very interesting and turbulent time.
The book is divided into three parts. Part I, Shadows, tells the story of Johnson's hasty and unexpected assumption of the Presidency following the assassination of John F. Kennedy, including the lack of consideration he shows to the Kennedy family and the ongoing tensions between the old and new administrations. It tells the story of Johnson's success in bringing about monumental civil rights legislation and other bills which had stalled under his predecessor. Part II, Choosing, describes Reagan's transition from a has-been movie actor to a viable and popular Republican political star. It is also a marvelous accounting of the social upheaval that the nation encountered during 1964, as crime, racial tensions and the seeds of the forthcoming Vietnam War were simmering. The 1964 election was the apex of Johnson's popularity, but also a time when Reagan began to be noticed for his political eloquence, at a time when the right lacked a champion. In Part III, The Cost, Darman describes how it all went wrong for Johnson, as Vietnam and unrest at home changed a nation's outlook.
Darman's analysis of his Johnson's rise and fall is brilliant. What I especially found compelling was his dissection of the notion that Johnson's domestic and foreign policies were separate unconnected spheres. He makes the case they the two areas were not unconnected at all, and brilliantly explains their interdependence. I also appreciated his excellent character assessments of Lyndon Johnson and of Lady Bird Johnson as well, letting their words and actions speak for themselves, rather than feeding the reader some stereotypical or preconceived notions of who these people were.
Darman is very objective and approaches this controversial time in history without any apparent agenda. (One Amazon reviewer accuses Darman of having a skewed view because of his previous coverage of the Kerry and Hillary Clinton campaigns, but I saw no sign of this whatsoever.) He succeeds in telling the reader about this fascinating period without verbosity, bias or academic overkill. He writes very well and has a natural way with words. If Jonathan Darman's first book is any indication, we can all eagerly look forward to his future literary output.
The book is divided into three parts. Part I, Shadows, tells the story of Johnson's hasty and unexpected assumption of the Presidency following the assassination of John F. Kennedy, including the lack of consideration he shows to the Kennedy family and the ongoing tensions between the old and new administrations. It tells the story of Johnson's success in bringing about monumental civil rights legislation and other bills which had stalled under his predecessor. Part II, Choosing, describes Reagan's transition from a has-been movie actor to a viable and popular Republican political star. It is also a marvelous accounting of the social upheaval that the nation encountered during 1964, as crime, racial tensions and the seeds of the forthcoming Vietnam War were simmering. The 1964 election was the apex of Johnson's popularity, but also a time when Reagan began to be noticed for his political eloquence, at a time when the right lacked a champion. In Part III, The Cost, Darman describes how it all went wrong for Johnson, as Vietnam and unrest at home changed a nation's outlook.
Darman's analysis of his Johnson's rise and fall is brilliant. What I especially found compelling was his dissection of the notion that Johnson's domestic and foreign policies were separate unconnected spheres. He makes the case they the two areas were not unconnected at all, and brilliantly explains their interdependence. I also appreciated his excellent character assessments of Lyndon Johnson and of Lady Bird Johnson as well, letting their words and actions speak for themselves, rather than feeding the reader some stereotypical or preconceived notions of who these people were.
Darman is very objective and approaches this controversial time in history without any apparent agenda. (One Amazon reviewer accuses Darman of having a skewed view because of his previous coverage of the Kerry and Hillary Clinton campaigns, but I saw no sign of this whatsoever.) He succeeds in telling the reader about this fascinating period without verbosity, bias or academic overkill. He writes very well and has a natural way with words. If Jonathan Darman's first book is any indication, we can all eagerly look forward to his future literary output.