Building The Great Society by Joshua Zeitz

BUILDING THE GREAT SOCIETY by Joshua Zeitz has been a real treat to read. I truly enjoyed seeing some of the “behind the scenes” politics and “wheeling and dealing” necessary to make change in the 1960’s.  This is a fascinating, if somewhat biased, look at the challenges, accomplishments, and social justice values associated with LBJ’s Great Society and War on Poverty. One cannot help but contrast the described events with those in Washington, D.C. today. Zeitz notes that “LBJ’s early success [was] owed in part to his mastery of legislative strategy, equally fundamental were the efforts of advocacy groups … [and] Johnson benefited from a deep well of public support….” Amazingly, Johnson made 87 legislative requests in 1965, 84 were passed.  The efforts of Johnson and his staff resulted in transformative programs like Medicare, Head Start, and funding for education and the arts, including PBS/NPR. In addition to passing The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, they addressed immigration reform. Many familiar names (Joseph Califano, Jack Valenti, Bill Moyers, Abe Fortas, Sargent Shriver and so on) appear in Zeitz’s highly readable and narrative account. Extensively researched and footnoted, BUILDING THE GREAT SOCIETY aptly recalls a more hopeful, productive time in American history.

Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye

Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye is written by Kenneth O’Donnell and David Powers, “men who loved John Kennedy and were totally loyal to him” according to a Christian Science Monitor article from 1973, the time of the book’s original publication. Consequently, the book is filled with memories and accolades, insights and drama, curtailing events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis and Kennedy’s assassination in Dallas in 1963. The unique perspective of Kennedy insiders resulted in a 1973 best-seller and the book was re-issued by Open Road Media last month, just prior to the 50^th anniversary of Kennedy’s death.  We will be setting up a display with that book and many other titles as we draw nearer to Nov. 22^nd.  It should be interesting for our students to glimpse images – dress, mannerisms and political wrangling – of those times compared to today.

I will also be looking at the Associated Press’s recounting in The Torch is Passed. If you have a favorite biography about John Kennedy or a story/memory to relate, please add it in the comments section below.

The following video includes coverage from the major networks (Cronkite begins aout 5:25):