
The Thirty-first of March
An Intimate Portrait of Lyndon Johnson
Horace Busby(Author)
University of Texas Press
Published on 11. April 2023
Book
Paperback/Softback
296 pages
978-1-4773-2747-0 (ISBN)
Description
An intimate retelling of Lyndon B. Johnson's politics and presidency by one of his closest advisors.
Horace Busby was one of LBJ's most trusted advisors; their close working and personal relationship spanned twenty years. In The Thirty-First of March he offers an indelible portrait of a president and a presidency at a time of crisis. From the aftereffects of the Kennedy assassination, when Busby was asked by the newly sworn-in president to sit by his bedside during his first troubled nights in office, to the concerns that defined the Great Society-civil rights, the economy, social legislation, housing, and the Vietnam War-Busby not only articulated and refined Johnson's political thinking, he also helped shape the most ambitious, far-reaching legislative agenda since FDR's New Deal.
Here is Johnson the politician, Johnson the schemer, Johnson who advised against JFK's choice of an open limousine that fateful day in Dallas, and Johnson the father, sickened by the deaths of young men fighting and dying in Vietnam on his orders. The Thirty-first of March is a rare glimpse into the inner sanctum of Johnson's presidency, as seen through the eyes of one of the people who understood him best.
Horace Busby was one of LBJ's most trusted advisors; their close working and personal relationship spanned twenty years. In The Thirty-First of March he offers an indelible portrait of a president and a presidency at a time of crisis. From the aftereffects of the Kennedy assassination, when Busby was asked by the newly sworn-in president to sit by his bedside during his first troubled nights in office, to the concerns that defined the Great Society-civil rights, the economy, social legislation, housing, and the Vietnam War-Busby not only articulated and refined Johnson's political thinking, he also helped shape the most ambitious, far-reaching legislative agenda since FDR's New Deal.
Here is Johnson the politician, Johnson the schemer, Johnson who advised against JFK's choice of an open limousine that fateful day in Dallas, and Johnson the father, sickened by the deaths of young men fighting and dying in Vietnam on his orders. The Thirty-first of March is a rare glimpse into the inner sanctum of Johnson's presidency, as seen through the eyes of one of the people who understood him best.
Reviews / Votes
You might want to read, or re-read, the memoir of his speechwriter, first published in 2005 and now re-issued in paperback. . . [The Thirty-first of March is] a work of significant value. (The New York Sun)More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Austin, TX
United States
Dimensions
Height: 28 mm
Weight
340 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4773-2747-0 (9781477327470)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
04/2023
1st Edition
University of Texas Press
€25.99
Available for download
Person
Horace Busby (1924-2000) served as a speechwriter and advisor to Lyndon Johnson during LBJ's time in the House, the Senate, and the White House, where he was secretary of the cabinet from 1963 to 1965. Busby was born in Fort Worth and attended the University of Texas.
Content
Preface
Introduction
1. Prologue: The Sunday Shift
2. The Beginning of the Day
3. The Bomb Thrower
4. Snowstorm in Mississippi
5. Playing President
6. The Keeper of the Flame
7. Man Alone
8. "The Candidate Has Disappeared"
9. Time of Triumph: Austin to Boston, 1960
10. The Last Roundup
11. A Friday Afternoon in Brussels
12. Forebodings
13. The President: Poison in the Power
14. Afternoon at Gettysburg, 1967
15. State of the Union
16. A Sunday at the White House
17. The Ninth Hour
18. The Close
19. Convulsion
20. "Well, See You Again, Sometime"
A Note about the Author
Introduction
1. Prologue: The Sunday Shift
2. The Beginning of the Day
3. The Bomb Thrower
4. Snowstorm in Mississippi
5. Playing President
6. The Keeper of the Flame
7. Man Alone
8. "The Candidate Has Disappeared"
9. Time of Triumph: Austin to Boston, 1960
10. The Last Roundup
11. A Friday Afternoon in Brussels
12. Forebodings
13. The President: Poison in the Power
14. Afternoon at Gettysburg, 1967
15. State of the Union
16. A Sunday at the White House
17. The Ninth Hour
18. The Close
19. Convulsion
20. "Well, See You Again, Sometime"
A Note about the Author