Caro also gives close attention to the people outside of Johnson’s family who played a significant role in shaping him as a person and launching his political career, paving the path for him through the generous sharing of their own contacts and resources. One such figure was Sam Rayburn, to whom Caro devotes an entire chapter, so prominent was Rayburn in Johnson’s political development. Rayburn, a hard-working, well-respected, man-of-his word politician, also happened to be from Texas. He had patiently but doggedly made his way up the political ranks, and by the time Johnson arrived in Washington, D.C., Rayburn had acquired a post of significant power. Johnson immediately “made a determined effort to become friendly with Sam Rayburn,” though it would take some time for him to find the opportunity to do so within the proper social protocol that dictated relationships among politicians (333). Eventually, though, Johnson would become what observers referred to as a “professional son” of Rayburn (334), who would not only provide Johnson with a paternal guidance that nurtured his personal life, but which would also foster his rise to power.
In “The Path to Power : The Years of Lyndon Johnson Volume 1” by Robert A. Caro, in each of the episodes of Johnson’s early life and early middle years, Caro maintains a sharp dual focus on the events and people that influenced the future president, while at the same time examining how Johnson leveraged—and, then, in many cases, failed to manage or preserve—these experiences and contacts for his own advancement. Like his ancestors, Johnson is portrayed by Caro as a formidable figure, blessed with an almost genetic tendency for physical and intellectual prowess that makes public service nothing short of a natural vocation.
Despite this, it is also important to perform a more critical reading of . “The Path to Power : The Years of Lyndon Johnson Volume 1” by Robert A. Caro, and look fo biases, if possible. One sees upon closer examination of the book that Johnson was also, however, shockingly vulnerable and flawed, and relied heavily upon those around him, most notably his wife, to protect him from the exposure of his weaknesses and limitations. Caro does not flinch in his portrayal of either aspect of Johnson, nor does he seem to take delight in advancing one image over the other. Caro recognizes the complexity of Johnson, and, indeed, of all people, and allows Johnson to be just as he was, both politically astute and, in many ways, personally unappealing.
Caro’s writing style in . “The Path to Power : The Years of Lyndon Johnson Volume 1” is engaging and dramatic; the reader almost feels, at times, as if he or she is listening to a gifted storyteller or old friend recounting cherished stories. Much of Caro’s biography on Lyndon B. Johnson, “The Path to Power”is anecdotal, a fact that would be problematic had Caro not established his authority through a creative and unconventional approach to historical scholarship. For this book, Caro literally went right to the source; in order to develop rapport and trust with contacts, he moved first to Texas and later to Washington, D.C. to immerse himself in the physical, political, and social environments in which the President had lived. Beyond the usual written sources relied upon by the historian, Caro identified living primary sources– friends, family members, and acquaintances– who could provide their valuable impressions and memories as forms of information and corroboration. These impressions and memories are not only of Johnson and his family, but of the context and setting in which Johnson lived, went to school, and worked.
Caro is not, like so many biographers, swooning with uncritical and unqualified praise for President Johnson. In fact, Caro does not shy away from exposing the President’s shameful secrets and poor decisions, all while maintaining a cautious respect for the office of the presidency and the institution of politics. What makes Caro’s The Path to Power more valuable still is that while it is a close and detailed study of Johnson, it is also, in a larger and more profound sense, a biography of political power in the United States. Caro reveals a man of absolute complexity, a man who was both power-hungry and devoted to public service, and in doing so, Caro shows how we all have a Janus face.
Other essays and articles in the History Archives related to this topic include : Condensed History of the Vietnam War : Major Events and Facts • American History Since 1865: Major Events and Trends • The Long Telegram : Historical Perspective • North Korea’s Nuclear Path: A Historical Look at U.S. Involvement
Work Cited
Caro, Robert A. The Path to Power (The Years of Lyndon Johnson, Vol. 1). New York: Vintage,1983.
