Reaching for Glory: Lyndon Johnson's Secret White House Tapes, 1964-1965

Book Description

Reaching for Glory lets us eavesdrop on LBJ's private, often tortured thoughts during the most crucial year of his presidency -- when his dreams of being hailed as the equal of Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt were destroyed by the war in Vietnam.

As Reaching for Glory opens, LBJ is campaigning for the greatest presidential landslide in history. To win, he hands embarrassing secrets about Barry Goldwater to friendly reporters. When Johnson's closest aide is arrested in a sex scandal, he tries to keep it from exploding before the election.

This audiobook reveals the secret history of how Lyndon Johnson took us step by step, often by stealth, into Vietnam. While publicly boasting that there will be victory in Vietnam, he privately worries that the war can never be won and that it will crush his presidency. He foresees the backlash against the war, civil rights, and the Great Society that will bring Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan to power.

Reaching for Glory lets us hear LBJ's private telephone conversations with Jacqueline Kennedy just after her husband's assassination. It allows us to live at Lyndon Johnson's side, day by day, through the dramatic, triumphant, catastrophic, and pivotal year of a turbulent presidency that continues to affect all of our lives.

Customer Reviews:

Another outstanding work by Michael Beschloss!!.......2005-12-23

"Reaching For Glory" is another outstanding book from the great presidential historian Michael Beschloss. You will feel like a fly on the wall as LBJ speaks to many politicos, Jackie, Bobby, etc. Get this!
Vince Palamara
Secret service expert, History Channel, author of 2 books, in over 30 other author's books, etc.

LBJ's Secrets Revealed.......2004-06-26

Michael Beschloss's "Reaching for Glory" is a follow- up book to "Taking Charge". Both of these books contain secretly taped White House conversations from the Johnson presidency. This book covers from early Fall, 1964 through late summer, 1965.

LBJ shows, through his own words, how frustrating and stressful life can be in Washington, especially when engaged in an unpopular war. Read as LBJ expresses his disgust with those who oppose the war while at the same time admitting in private that the Vietnam War cannot be won. He felt that the commitment had been made and there was no way to turn back, even though the chances for victory were slim to none.

Besides the Vietnam War, LBJ has a full plate of other problems to deal with. Racial tensions at home, civil rights, voting rights, the Great Society, possible Communism in the Dominican Republic, and a sex scandal involving one of his closest aides has the president up in arms and stressed to the max. LBJ seems exhausted throughout most of this book, and consistently in a bad mood. He battles depression and anxiety throughout this year of his presidency, knowing that things are not the way they should be and feeling helpless to make them any better.

LBJ was worried about his legacy and always wanted to be remembered as the next Lincoln or FDR and not as "another Harding" as he would often say. But he didn't really get a chance to fulfill his desires as president, thanks to the Vietnam War and other obstacles. He was paranoid and distrustful of most everyone, including many of his friends. Aside from his immediate family, his relationships were not very strong at all during this time in his presidency.

"Reaching for Glory" is, overall, a fun and informative book to read. You feel like you're eavesdropping on the former president and his associates as they converse on the phone. It's all here, with only a small amount of editing and it shows what life was like in the LBJ White House as he tackled the difficult issues during his second year in office.

Finally! the story is told!.......2004-06-08

I don't mean LBJ's real thoughts about the Vietnam war, although obviously that is a great revelation. I mean that I know why it took Michael Beschloss so long to finish this follow-up to "Taking Charge"....these tapes are tough to listen to. They are not the entertaining excerpts of the previous volume. The '64-'65 excerpts show more of LBJ's warts, and cover painful ground, primarily concerning the war in Vietnam. Also, there is so much material that, unlike with the first volume, I found myself getting bored at times. Surely Beschloss himself must have found putting this volume together more difficult.

Of course, the fact that negative and humdrum things characterized part of the Johnson's presidency during the two years covered was not Beschluss's fault. But I felt some material, most notably some of the well-wishing calls made by the President and Lady Bird to friends, could have been left out or shortened.

Speaking of Lady Bird, however, she becomes a larger and refreshing presence in these tapes. Johnson apparently looked to her as his best critic (in the best sense of the word); she is heard giving him feedback about many speeches. In an era where we tend to think of Hilary Clinton as the first "co-president", it is interesting to learn how much Johnson relied on his wife.

Although it might not be a CD set to take to the beach, I still recommend the audio version of this work (not the written version; Johnson's delivery is an indivisible component of his personality). These annotated tape excerpts are nothing less than a piece of history.

a must for LBJ enthusiasts!.......2003-09-05

I listened to the cassette versions of "Taking Charge" and "Reaching for Glory" when they first appeared. I listened to "Reaching for Glory" again after two LBJ bios and LBJ does indeed come alive. LBJ was, in the words of Robert Dalleck, a flawed giant. So many contradictions, so much hypocrisy - but yet - not... he was just LBJ.

The tape system which proved to be Nixon's downfall was also used by LBJ and JFK. Luckily for us 40 years later, we have wonderful insight into LBJ and the operation of his administration. The cassette versions are abridged, but getting to hear the actual recordings is fantastic. I anxiously await the third volume of the trilogy.

Listening to the tapes is truly compelling and interesting!.......2002-11-27

After having thoroughly enjoyed the previous tapes and book in Reaching for Glory, Michael Beschloss again delivers an amzaing account of President Lyndon Johnson's years during the continuing entanglement of Vietnam and the Civil Rights years. Also featured are the interesting relationships he had with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Jackie Kennedy, and a horde of other notables that characterized the 60s. The tapes leave little out- to LBJ's private worries about Vietnam, the behind-the-scenes arm twisting and politicking, and the issues of elections and affairs. Michael Beschloss' book itself is good reading, but for the true feeling of the subject material, listening to these tapes of his many secretly recorded conversations is much more revealing a look.

Reaching For Glory: Lyndon Johnson's Secret White House Tapes, 1964-1965.

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Reaching For Glory: Lyndon Johnson's Secret White House Tapes, 1964-1965.
Ed. MICHAEL: BESCHLOSS
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000UCR394

Reaching for Glory: Lyndon Johnson's Secret White House Tapes, 1964-1965.: An article from: Columbia Journalism Review

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Reaching for Glory: Lyndon Johnson's Secret White House Tapes, 1964-1965.: An article from: Columbia Journalism Review
Gloria Cooper
Manufacturer: Columbia University, Graduate School of Journalism
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B0008EZ9EA
Release Date: 2005-07-29

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Columbia Journalism Review, published by Columbia University, Graduate School of Journalism on March 1, 2002. The length of the article is 1875 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Reaching for Glory: Lyndon Johnson's Secret White House Tapes, 1964-1965.
Author: Gloria Cooper
Publication: Columbia Journalism Review (Refereed)
Date: March 1, 2002
Publisher: Columbia University, Graduate School of Journalism
Volume: 40 Issue: 6 Page: 72(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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Facing Adversity

A writer first

An inspiration for all

On Any Given Day

Inspirational, real and challenging

On Any Given Day
Joe Martin , and Ross Yockey
Manufacturer: John F. Blair Publisher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

South | Regional U.S. | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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Facing Adversity.......2004-05-24

Mr. Martin's book is an inspirational and moving work for anyone to read, regardless of your position in life. If you've ever faced adversity, there is something to be learned about courage and optimism from this book. His candor, humor, and vision will inspire you and give you a sense of appreciation for this life we have. My mother is suffering from a degenerative disease, and this book gave me a new sense of perpective on what she and many others face as they battle each step of their disease. As a North Carolinian, I am proud that this brilliant writer and powerful soul is a leader for our community, and has been able to reach out and touch so many other lives. This book will make you cry, make you laugh, and most importantly, give you inspiration and appreciation for what you have.

A writer first.......2000-11-25

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An inspiration for all.......2000-11-07

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On Any Given Day.......2000-10-23

I found this first person account co-authored by Joe Martin, who has ALS, very inspirational. Joe allows the reader to share his feelings of frustration as well as to grasp the depth of his convictions that life should be celebrated and cherished. Ross Yocke's commentary throughout the book provides an additional source of information which is helpful for the reader to gain perspective about Joe Martin's life with ALS. This short 178 page book pulls the reader into Joe Martin's reality, and allows the reader to share his religious and moral convictions, as well as to revel in his wonderful anecdots. This book reminds me of Tuesdays with Morrie. I hope others will enjoy reading On Any Given Day as much as I have.

Inspirational, real and challenging.......2000-09-26

Joe Martin and his family (family, friends and bank colleagues) are the greatest support system. Joe's life inspires, challenges and motivates all to do more. His will to live is refreshing, unbelievable given the impact of ALS on his body but not on his mind or spirit. For anyone facing disease, stress or looking for meaning, this is a must read.

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Any Given Day: The Life and Times of Jessie Lee Brown Foveaux
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Mixed feelings

A true inspiration to all women raising families today!

This book depicts the strength of a 20th century woman.

A rare treasure of memories that span all of this century-

A wonderful account of Jessie's life in Kansas. I loved it!

Any Given Day: The Life and Times of Jessie Lee Brown Foveaux

Manufacturer: Amazon Remainders Account
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Amazon.com

Born in 1899, Jessie Lee Brown Foveaux evokes the early 20th-century Midwest with tactile vividness. She recalls traveling by horse-drawn wagon one cold Thanksgiving, with hot rocks and hay placed under the blankets. Her description of all-day laundry routines will make modern women grateful for their washers and dryers. Foveaux's account of a bad marriage and struggle to raise her eight children has the same immediacy and vigor as her childhood memories. Begun as a gift to her grandchildren, this charming text speaks to all readers of the grace and nobility crafted from an "ordinary" life.

Book Description

NonfictionLarge Print Edition*A Literary Guild Featured Alternate Selection*A Doubleday Book Club Featured Alternate Selection*A 60-Minutes feature*To be featured in a miniseriesAfter reading this charming book, readers will regret not ever having met this lovely woman, who is so full of life and love even now. BooklistNinety-eight-year-old Jessie Lee Brown Foveaux started her memoirs as an assignment in a writing program. But she didnt stop there. In unadorned, powerful prose sparked by a wry humor, this remarkable and resilient woman has chronicled her life . . .

Customer Reviews:

Mixed feelings.......2001-10-29

I have mixed feelings about this book, because on one hand you can learn some neat stuff about the way things were in the early part of the XX century. On the other hand, this book would have greatly improved if an editor had removed the extra weight included in the story. I can see this being a very fascinating memoir for her family members, but once you take this to the general public, the array of names and places and the personal messages to all grandchildren at the end of the book become too much. Nonetheless, it was interesting to read about the trials and tribulations of this woman, married at 20 to an alcoholic. Why she continued having children (eight in total) after she discovered her husband was a drunk i'd never be able to comprehend. She tries to explain how she felt during those years, and at times she is successful and at times she cuts her thoughts short and does not go any further with her analyses. It's a pity because she does have some engaging, albeit sometimes bland, perspective on issues like alcohol, politics, the military, war, family, sex, etc. Don't expect big depths on this book, which by the way is a very easy and fast read.

A true inspiration to all women raising families today!.......1999-07-22

Nobody who reads this book will ever feel overworked or under appreciated, in quite the same way again. We have it so much easier today; and complain MORE !! My Mother is nearing the age of this remarkable woman, and we are hoping to get her to write her memories for us too; before they fade from her mind. She has been reluctant to start, due to the fact that she is not a professional writer. For her birthday this year, Mom is getting a copy of this book; and an audio tape, to listen to, and hopefully get inspired. My Mother has been a Nanny, earned a Master's Degree in Education, driven a Taxi and Limos for Official at United States Steel(during WW II), made bombs in a munitions plant, ridden Harley-Davison motorcycles, served as a Missionary for her church (where she met and married my Father), taught elementary school, raised two daughters, and still babysits their various off spring, while making beautiful quilts. Please God, let Jessie Lee Brown Foveaux give her the courage to tell us all about her adventurous life, too!!

This book depicts the strength of a 20th century woman........1999-05-28

Jessie Lee has, in the simplest of prose, given us a glimpse into the life of an "average" woman. Her life is not filled with exotic trips or dinners with Presidents, but with the struggles of everyday life. Her rocky marriage to an alcoholic will give inspiration to many young women of today. Her memory is incredible and details abound of a life that began at the beginning of this century...this is an interesting book to read as this century comes to an end.

A rare treasure of memories that span all of this century-.......1999-02-02

Jessie Lee's incredible memory and stoically poingnant style take us all back in time, beginning with her childhood which was poor in material possessions but rich in love. Through her eyes, we see not only her family history but the history of a burgeoning nation unfold. She meets life's difficulties head on, from the untimely death of her mother to a difficult marriage and single parenthood. Her words do not plead for sympathy, just straightforwardly relate her amazing life and times. This is a must read for scholars of the 20th century and for those with a bent for human interest stories. Jessie Lee's voice is one of the precious few left from her generation.

A wonderful account of Jessie's life in Kansas. I loved it!.......1998-07-27

I really enjoyed this book. I'm from Kansas and she talked about areas that I'm familiar with. I felt she did a very good job telling her story about the hell she went through with her alcoholic husband while raising her many children virtually by herself. I would like the opportunity to meet this wonderful woman.

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Any given day: A drama
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Book Description

A woman faced with advanced cancer shares the story of how preparing to die led her to experience a profound healing on all levels--physical, emotional, and spiritual.

• Explores the practical and spiritual aspects of confronting a life challenge
as a springboard for spiritual growth.

• Includes accounts of dreams, exercises, and visualizations that inspire profound healing.

• Outlines 12 self-help practices of wellness--emotional clearing, meditations, and lifestyle changes--through the living example of a cancer survivor.

• By the co-compiler of the spiritual classic Peace Pilgrim: Her Life and Work in Her Own Words.

At the age of 41 Cheryl Canfield was diagnosed with advanced cervical cancer. Going against warnings from doctors, she rejected proposed surgeries that would involve removing her uterus, cervix, lymph nodes, and surrounding nerves. Instead, she decided to accept death and focused her energy on attempting to die well. In the process, she cured herself.

Profound Healing is Canfield's down-to-earth account of her journey as she inadvertently experiences a modern-day miracle, and her subsequent reflections on physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual healing. More than a biography, Canfield's story contains exercises, dreams, visualizations, and experiences--from encounters with the modern mystic Peace Pilgrim to her own acceptance of cancer--that assisted her healing process. Others can use her hard-earned insights as a source of hope, inspiration, and practical advice. Relevant to anyone seeking personal growth and life wisdom, Profound Healing is not merely about dying or living. It is about discovering one's life and living it fully while here.

Customer Reviews:

On my third reading of this special book.......2007-08-02

This is a special book, full of wisdom. I met with the author, Cheryl Canfield, just last month - June 2007. She looks radiant!

well worth reading.......2004-06-04

This book is profound. I bought it because I had read of Peace Pilgram and gotten a book that Cheryl Canfield had done of this incredible woman. Thus I found this book indirectly. Hesitated to get it.
Am so pleased I did. Full of messages. It is like an onion. What touches me may not be what touches you, but I am sure that you will be touched. Well written. I am savoring it...reading it slowly (that is right I have not finished it yet), but I am sending copies to friends that will benefit from it.

inspiring journey of a wise and gentle soul.......2003-04-19

The last time I used a highlighter on a book, it was around 1988, I was writing a college paper on Virginia Woolf's "To the Lighthouse," and I needed to mark recurring themes. In reading "Profound Healing" 15 years later, I finally reached for a highlighter again, because I knew that a) I would be keeping this book for a long time, and b) after I finished gobbling up the "plot," I would want to return to important passages and remind myself of exercises and references. So even if you're like me and using a highlighter on a book is a form of heresy, keep one handy when you're reading "Profound Healing." (I showed the book to my older sister, another book lover like myself, and she pretended to grow faint and need smelling salts when she saw the highlighting!)

This book tells the inspiring story of the author, whom I have met, and her journey from cancer, to an acceptance of and preparation for death, to physical healing. In Part One, she tells of discovering that she had advanced cervical cancer and how she decided to treat it (and NOT with the radical surgery recommended by her doctors). She refers to earlier spiritual training, but fear not! in Part Two she tells that story and introduces us to her spiritual teacher and her own inner (and outer) journeys. Part Three is the post-cancer adjustment period, and Part Four outlines the 12 Steps she identifies for the healing process.

Canfield writes, "Profound healing is not a cessation of physical symptoms, but an expanded awareness of our spiritual nature." She does not "blame the victim" or offer miracle cures for relieving symptoms, but rather points us to a deeper, more numinous realm. Having met Cheryl in person, I can attest that she is an unassuming and humble person and is not caught up in trying to convince people of anything their own intuition doesn't corroborate.

I am a skeptic. I haven't experienced the mystical things Canfield and other spiritual writers say they have experienced. But I don't discount their experiences. Who knows, maybe I'm the woman with her eyes closed who just hasn't seen the sunrise yet -- it doesn't mean that sunrises aren't "real." Fortunately for the skeptics among us, Canfield does not ask us to believe what she believes. She just presents her experience. Take what you can from it and find your own blessings.

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