Introduction
Every president of the United States had either a positive or negative impact on the nation. The existing controversies often make it impossible to give a unanimous appraisal of political leaders and their activity. This idea is suitable for Lyndon B. Johnson, the thirty-sixth president of the US. This person is a central figure of Fernlund’s book Lyndon B. Johnson and Modern America. The given piece of literature focuses on Johnson’s biography and explains how and when the person came to power. In addition to that, the book draws attention to what conditions and events had shaped Johnson as a man and a politician. Furthermore, the author tries to evaluate Johnson’s activity and define its meaning for the United States of America.
Theme Explored
As has been mentioned above, the book under consideration presents a biography of Johnson. That is why a substantial part of this literary work is devoted to explaining where the future president was born and who his relatives were. Fernlund states that “place matters,” and this saying means that the Texas Hill Country had a significant impact on Johnson’s development (p. 3). He grew up in poverty, and that made him a survivor, who was ready to address the challenges of his society and solve them. In addition to that, Johnson’s ancestors participated in major events that shaped the history of this region, including the Texas Revolution and the American Civil War (p. 4). Consequently, it is not a surprise that Johnson had a harsh nature. However, the information above does not mean that the book only limits its focus to the life of the given political leader. Further analysis will reveal that this piece of literature also covers other issues.
Over its political activity, Johnson managed to achieve some successful results, and Fernlund presents them. Firstly, it refers to the fact that the 36th president transformed “Texas’s rivers through dams, reservoirs, and other projects into an elaborate and tolerably well-regulated plumbing system” (p. 3). That fact laid the foundation for the further economic development of this region. Secondly, Johnson played an essential role in the development of the US space programs that were created against the appropriate achievements of the USSR in the given field (p. 145). Consequently, the author emphasizes this political leader’s contribution to the rise of the US industry and research. Finally, Fernlund also explains that the US economy witnessed significant improvement. It was so because Johnson managed to make the South and the West fully-fledged partners, which was a considerable benefit for the whole nation. Consequently, it is possible to say that Johnson made a positive dent in US history.
However, the events that will be described further make it challenging to support the idea above unanimously. It is so because Johnson made a few significant mistakes. Firstly, the author stipulates that “Johnson’s decision to leave the US Senate was a mistake” (p. 84). Fernlund explains that Johnson was an effective leader and had significant support, which made that decision unexpected. The second mistake refers to the fact that Johnson increased American involvement in the Vietnam War. That decision resulted in the deaths of thousands of Americans, while no significant successful results were achieved. Finally, it was a shock for the United States when Johnson made his third mistake and decided not to be the president. The author believes that this action was false because Johnson had the potential to solve the existing issues.
The information above has shown that Johnson had both a positive and negative impact on the nation. It is impossible to overestimate the meaning of his achievements for the whole country. However, Johnson did not manage to avoid mistakes, and some of his failures spoiled his image. Here, the author insists on the fact that those mistakes were made because Johnson artificially limited his own opportunities and powers. Without these limitations, he was expected to achieve even more successful results. However, it is only possible to suppose what could have happened if Johnson had made different decisions.
Critical Evaluation
The information above makes it clear that the purpose of writing the book was to present Johnson’s biography and explain his place in US history. It seems that this personality is underestimated, irrespective of many positive results that he managed to achieve. That is why Fernlund decided to accumulate information about the 36th president and fill in the gap in people’s knowledge. Consequently, the book is full of Johnson’s personal data and comments on his political activity. Furthermore, the author did not try to portray Johnson as an ideal person. That is why the book draws attention to the examples of Johnson’s mistakes and failures, including those that cost him the future in politics.
Even though the book has a relatively narrow focus, it does not mean that it is only suitable for those readers who are interested in Johnson’s political career. Those readers who like reading about US history will find the given literary work useful because it offers insight into the development of the nation during the Cold War. In addition to that, modern politicians can also benefit from reading the book because it explains that every leader has both positive and negative outcomes. Here, the author conveys the point that it is not reasonable to worry much about political drawbacks because they can prevent a person from reaching further advantages.
There is no doubt that it is possible to achieve a specific purpose and reach numerous groups of the audience if the book has a solid research base. As for Lyndon B. Johnson and Modern America, it can impress with the given quality. On the one hand, it is so because Fernlund is a Professor of History, which means that he has sufficient knowledge and experience to find reliable information and formulate it correctly. Even though the beginning part of the book contains narrow treatment, which refers to the accurate description of Johnson’s ancestors, the subsequent pages convey data to the purpose without detailed elaboration.
On the other hand, the research base is decent because it includes various credible sources. According to the author, he has studied multiple works on the American West and Vietnam War. Numerous biographies of Johnson written by other scholars have also provided Fernlund with useful information. In addition to that, the author has visited the LBJ Library and Museum in Austin, Texas, where he has studied “the Johnson papers firsthand” (p. 165). Finally, it is necessary to mention that Fernlund has also read Johnson’s memoirs to create the book under consideration. This information denotes that Lyndon B. Johnson and Modern America is based on credible and reliable sources.
Furthermore, one should comment on the author’s bias that is present in the book. To be honest with his readers, Fernlund explains in Preface that Johnson is a significant figure for him. It is so because the author discovered his national identity the same day when Johnson became the president. Even though that event had a significant impact on the author, Fernlund manages to control this strong bias. That is why no one can indict him for idealizing the political figure under consideration because the book contains criticism and examples of Johnson’s failures. Consequently, one can say that the writer tries to neglect his opinions and present information in the book as objectively as possible, which eliminates any potential concerns among readers.
Conclusion
Fernlund’s book Lyndon B. Johnson and Modern America is an essential piece of literature that explains how the environment shapes a person and what consequences this phenomenon can have. It is more than a biography of the political leader because the book describes how Johnson became the president and what contributions to the development of the nation he made. Fernlund tries to be objective in presenting his thoughts, which makes him explain both the productive and harmful outcomes of Johnson’s activity. The writer supposes that Johnson’s mistakes had adverse effects on the US because they deprived the country of an influential political leader. For this purpose, the author has conducted an extended literature analysis to find those sources that can offer valuable information on the topic. Thus, one can conclude that the given book is worth reading for those individuals who want to know more about Johnson and the United States under his rule.
Work Cited
Fernlund, Kevin J. Lyndon B. Johnson and Modern America. University of Oklahoma Press, 2009.