
Means of Ascent
The Years of Lyndon Johnson
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Narrated by:
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Grover Gardner
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By:
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Robert A. Caro
About this listen
Robert A. Caro's life of Lyndon Johnson, which began with the greatly acclaimed The Path to Power, also winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award, continues - one of the richest, most intensive, and most revealing examinations ever undertaken of an American President. In Means of Ascent, the Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer/historian, chronicler also of Robert Moses in The Power Broker, carries Johnson through his service in World War II and the foundation of his long-concealed fortune and the facts behind the myths he created about it. But the explosive heart of the book is Caro's revelation of the true story of the fiercely contested 1948 senatorial election, for 40 years shrouded in rumor, which Johnson had to win or face certain political death, and which he did win -- by "the 87 votes that changed history."
Caro makes us witness to a momentous turning point in American politics: the tragic last stand of the old politics versus the new - the politics of issue versus the politics of image, mass manipulation, money and electronic dazzle.
©1990 Robert A. Caro, Inc. (P)2013 Audible, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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- By: David McCullough
- Narrated by: Nelson Runger
- Length: 54 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Hailed by critics as an American masterpiece, David McCullough's sweeping biography of Harry S. Truman captured the heart of the nation. The life and times of the 33rd president of the United States, Truman provides a deeply moving look at an extraordinary, singular American.
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That Mousy Little Man From Missouri Revisited
- By Sara on 07-23-15
By: David McCullough
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The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt
- By: Edmund Morris
- Narrated by: Mark Deakins
- Length: 26 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Selected by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best nonfiction books of all time. Described by the Chicago Tribune as "a classic", The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt stands as one of the greatest biographies of our time. The publication of The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt on September 14th, 2001 marks the 100th anniversary of Theodore Roosevelt becoming president.
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Very, very good, but very, very long.
- By Mike From Mesa on 03-29-13
By: Edmund Morris
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Obama's Wars
- By: Bob Woodward
- Narrated by: Boyd Gaines
- Length: 15 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Working behind the scenes for 18 months, Bob Woodward has written the most intimate and sweeping portrait of President Obama making the critical decisions on the Afghanistan War, the secret war in Pakistan, and the worldwide fight against terrorism.
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Woodward Does a Service
- By Roy on 10-01-10
By: Bob Woodward
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Wilson
- By: A. Scott Berg
- Narrated by: Jeremy Bobb
- Length: 32 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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A hundred years after his inauguration, Woodrow Wilson still stands as one of the most influential figures of the 20th century, and one of the most enigmatic. And now, after more than a decade of research and writing, Pulitzer Prize-winning author A. Scott Berg has completed Wilson - the most personal and penetrating biography ever written about the 28th President. This is not just Wilson the icon - but Wilson the man.
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Well Written & Narrated But Too Much Hero Worship
- By Nostromo on 11-17-13
By: A. Scott Berg
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Bush
- By: Jean Edward Smith
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 25 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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In Bush, Jean Edward Smith demonstrates that it was not Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, or Condoleezza Rice, but President Bush himself who took personal control of foreign policy. Bush drew on his deep religious conviction that important foreign-policy decisions were simply a matter of good versus evil. Domestically, he overreacted to 9/11 and endangered Americans' civil liberties.
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Delusions of Competence
- By Rick on 11-18-16
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Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream
- The Most Revealing Portrait of a President and Presidential Power Ever Written
- By: Doris Kearns Goodwin
- Narrated by: Gabra Zackman, Jim Frangione
- Length: 17 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Doris Kearns Goodwin's classic life of Lyndon Johnson, who presided over the Great Society, the Vietnam War, and other defining moments in the tumultuous 1960s, is a monument in political biography. From the moment the author, then a young woman from Harvard, first encountered President Johnson at a White House dance in the spring of 1967, she became fascinated by the man - his character, his enormous energy and drive, and his manner of wielding these gifts in an endless pursuit of power.
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Unfortunately simple slant.
- By Lynda Rands on 01-22-17
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The Definitive FDR
- Roosevelt: The Lion and the Fox (1882-1940) and Roosevelt: The Soldier of Freedom (1940-1945)
- By: James MacGregor Burns
- Narrated by: David Stifel
- Length: 58 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the longest serving president in US history, reshaping the country during the crises of the Great Depression and World War II. James MacGregor Burns's magisterial two-volume biography tells the complete life story of the fascinating political figure who instituted the New Deal. The Lion and the Fox details Roosevelt's youth, education, and his rise to national prominence, through his first two terms as president. The Soldier of Freedom is a moving profile of a leader gifted with rare political talent in an era of extraordinary challenges.
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Dedicated Author
- By Michael on 01-13-24
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The General vs. the President
- MacArthur and Truman at the Brink of Nuclear War
- By: H. W. Brands
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 15 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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From master storyteller and historian H. W. Brands comes the riveting story of how President Harry Truman and General Douglas MacArthur squared off to decide America's future in the aftermath of World War II.
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A Vivid Dramatic Accounting
- By Jean on 11-11-16
By: H. W. Brands
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The Origins of Woke
- Civil Rights Law, Corporate America, and the Triumph of Identity Politics
- By: Richard Hanania
- Narrated by: Timothy Andrés Pabon
- Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Richard Hanania has come out of nowhere to become one of the best-known writers in the nation in the last few years. In this book, he directs his attention to the culture war that has driven society apart and presents a stunning new theory about what is going on. In a nation nearly evenly split between conservatives and liberals, the left dominates nearly all major institutions, including universities, the government, and corporate America. Hanania argues that this is as much a legal requirement as it is an issue of one side triumphing in the marketplace of ideas.
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New view of Civil Rights law
- By Customer on 11-04-23
By: Richard Hanania
What listeners say about Means of Ascent
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Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Doug Kerfoot
- 03-12-14
Both Fascinating and Tedious
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
This is an absolutely fascinating book and an amazing demonstration of how good it can be when world class research and top notch writing come together. Add in Grover Gardner, one of my favorite readers and you have a great, great story.
Any additional comments?
My only criticism is that there is far too much overlap between this book and the previous book in the series the Path to Power. Both are very worthy books on their own, but it felt like perhaps 20% of this book was directly copied from the Path to Power. Same stories, same wording. It seems as though Robert Caro literally copied and pasted big sections into the 2nd book. Still very worthwhile, but large sections become tedious in this regard.
Now I am rather afraid to listen to the first volume of Master of the Senate in case Caro continues to plagiarize himself! (But I will anyway)
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15 people found this helpful
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- Rose Marie Holt
- 03-12-14
LBJ - how he got that way
Would you consider the audio edition of Means of Ascent to be better than the print version?
I haven't read the print version yet. I want audible to provide files like indices, table of contents, and illustrations, perhaps even a companion i or e book even if you must charge a little extra.
Who was your favorite character and why?
LBJ
Have you listened to any of Grover Gardner’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
No
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
NO - too long and so good and thorough it would be too much
Any additional comments?
A valuable resource for anyone interested in the history of LBJ's time as well as the backstory on the man himself. Deeply comprehensive yet very well organized.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Carol Grosser
- 08-09-15
Grew Up in the Hill Country
What made the experience of listening to Means of Ascent the most enjoyable?
I laughed at his adequate description of the Hill Country because I grew up in said Hill Country on a dairy farm which became a cattle farm when the state requirements increased beyond my father's finances. On his death, it was found that my father's highest income was when he worked for the county road maintenance, the annual amount was $3000. Johnson brought our family electrical power, but my father discussed his questionable activities politically, i.e. Duval County. I thought LBJ was a hero until Vietnam.
What other book might you compare Means of Ascent to and why?
This book, in its thoroughness, cannot be compared to any other biographical work I have ever read or heard about. It is fascinating!
Which character – as performed by Grover Gardner – was your favorite?
All.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes, but in Book 1 it is 20 hours!
Any additional comments?
I look forward to all of the series and the as yet unpublished one.
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- jason leclerc
- 06-17-19
mindboggling book on crooked politics
u have to listen to this book to realize how crooked politics could be and how corrupt it was. great book to buy
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- Taylor Myers
- 07-30-19
Caro Does It Again
Loved it! Incredible detail! Caro once again detailed the complicated history of a complicated man.
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- Jim Craig
- 02-19-16
A tremendous storyteller!
Caro is the second best historical writer I've ever read. Given that the first is Shelby Foote, that's as high praise as I can give!
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- rich
- 03-31-16
great book
wonderful book one of the best authors I've ever read can't wait for the remaining volume
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- Phillip Forrence
- 11-23-21
Even better than the first volume!!
It’s so perfect in so many ways, a short review can’t do it justice.
My main takeaway this time was just how important it is to be a good person. I cried a lot during at least three chapters.
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- Jason Voiovich
- 05-22-23
Learning about Coke Stevenson was worth the listen
This book is one of many parts of Caro's epic biographical sketch of LBJ, this time, focusing mostly on the 1948 Senate race. Johnson's numerous campaign innovations were on display – his helicopter, which allowed him to criss-cross the state, radio advertising, and vote-stuffing. Despite all that, he couldn't (really) beat Coke Stevenson. Learning about LBJ's opponent was well-worth the listen.
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- S F Burns
- 12-13-24
Master of the Biography
Robert A. Caro is truly a master of his craft. Those of us appreciate the study of leadership and leaders are in his debt.
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