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Master of the Senate - The Years of Lyndon Johnson 3
Robert Caro Book Review

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Plot Summary of Master of the Senate - The Years of Lyndon Johnson 3
"The third volume of Caro's unparalleled bio of LBJ takes its subject from his election to the Senate in 1947 to the small yet significant triumph of the Civil Rights Act of 1957, shortly before he became JFK's vice president. This entails a fascinating, capsule history of the Senate, especially how power works (and doesn't work) there and how legislation gets blocked and passed. Background for the Civil Rights act involves a rehearsal of many of the significant events of the 1950s, from the murder of Emmett Till to the Montgomery bus boycott. Caro doesn't stint on Johnson's contradictions, meanness, money corruption, and win-at-all-costs approach to elections and government. Johnson is truly captured in all his bewildering complexity. Though more than 1100 pages, this book reads smoothly, swiftly, and beautifully."
David Loftus, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Master of the Senate - The Years of Lyndon Johnson 3
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
job/profession: - politician
Job/profession/poverty story Yes
Politician story? - Politician trying to reform
Period of greatest activity? - 1950+

Subject of Biography
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - politician/elected ruler
Age: - 40's-50's
Biography of famous person? Yes
Ethnicity - White
Nationality - American (!)
How sensitive is this person? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other people
Physique - average physique

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - Texas - Northeast
City? Yes
City: - Washington D.C.
Farm/Ranch? Yes
Farm/Ranch: - ranch
Century: - 1930's-1950's

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
Book makes you feel? - thoughtful
Commentary on society? Yes
Commentary on - race - decency - selfishness - capitalism - justice system
Writer's slant towards subject: - favorable
Story of entire life, or part? - story of set of events during life
Pictures/Illustrations? - A ton 16-20 B&W
How much dialogue in bio? - little dialog
How much of bio focuses on most famous period of life? - 0-25% of book
How much is philosophy rather than life story? - 0-25% of book
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