The Vantage Point: Perspectives of the Presidency, 1963-1969

Johnson, Lyndon Baines

ISBN 10: 0297993690 / ISBN 13: 9780297993698

Published by Holt Reinhart and Winston, 1972

Seller Inventory # 0297993690-4-36023174

Synopsis:

As a personal memoir, this account of the Johnson presidency must be taken with a grain of salt, but overall, it is an interesting firsthand account of the considerations, assumptions, and goals that guided President Johnson in his decisions. Predictably, quite a bit of space is devoted to Vietnam, but aside from his defensive justifications in foreign policy, Johnson highlights the accomplishments and triumphs that were closest to his heart, domestic achievements like his civil rights legislation, the war on poverty, etc. Overall, the reader gets an impression of Johnson as a tireless worker with good intentions who did the best he could. The book is easy to tackle, being rather concise for memoirs of a presidential term (compare with Kissinger's near 1400 pages), well-written, and interestingly personal (instead of "the U.S. did so-and-so", you get "I thought that" "I said" "I called", etc.). It is not revelatory, it is not a complete history, and it is not the big picture, but it is an account of the decision-making process from a "vantage point". It is Johnson's personal apologia, his self-justification, his case for his own memory as an American president.

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Vantage Point: Perspectives of the ...
Publisher: Holt Reinhart and Winston
Publication Date: 1972
Binding: hardcover
Condition: Fair