Richard reviewed Master of the Senate by Robert A. Caro
Review of 'Master of the Senate' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Great great great book. I find Lyndon Johnson to be a fascinating character. I love his intellect, cringe at his cruelty, and am awed with his political skills.
The second part of this book focuses on the history of the US Senate. This is just as and if not more interesting! Caro first takes you through the creation of the Senate and the Founder's ideal of an institution to act as the "cool" to the "heat" of democracy; the Senate's founding principles were firmness & independence. Caro then shows how the Senate has evolved over its lifetime. He documents how the Senate became more dysfunctional and lost some of its power. It's amazing how relevant the Senate's story still is today!
Anyways, I need to read the rest of Caro's series on Johnson. Absolutely fascinating.