Means of Ascent

Archival Summary & Scope

*Means of Ascent*, Book Two of *The Years of Lyndon Johnson*, by Robert A. Caro, winner of the 1990 National Book Critics Circle Award, chronicles the pivotal "wilderness years" of Lyndon B. Johnson. Caro illuminates Johnson's complex, ambitious personality as he navigates the period following his devastating 1941 Senate defeat, covering his struggle for political survival, his service in World War II (and subsequent embellishment of his record), and the formation of his personal fortune. The heart of the book is Caro's meticulously researched investigation into the fiercely contested 1948 senatorial election. Previously shrouded in rumor, Caro reveals the true story of how Johnson secured victory by just 87 votes, overcoming his beloved, integrity-driven opponent, former Texas Governor Coke Stevenson. This pivotal election, a turning point in American politics, is presented as a tragic last stand of old-guard, issue-based politics against the emerging era of image, mass manipulation, and money.