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An Idea Whose Time Has Come: Two Presidents, Two Parties, And The Battle For The Civil Rights Act Of 1964 (2014)

by Todd S. Purdum(Favorite Author)

4.11 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

0805096728 (ISBN13: 9780805096729)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Henry Holt and Co.

review 1: This was an interesting and very clear account of the legislative machinations that led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act. Purdum did a particularly excellent job in capturing the broad range of legislative personalities - far beyond Lyndon Johnson - who were instrumental in the fight over the bill, and the brief biographical vignettes he provides of many of these individuals were thoroughly enjoyable. That being said, in some ways the account of the climatic battle seemed somewhat lacking in drama, and in detail. He paints a picture of slow momentum toward an inevitable conclusion, but gives relatively short shrift to the many individual episodes that built up that momentum - the type of episodes discussed in very enjoyable detail, albeit in a very Johnson-center... moreed way, in Robert Caro's biographical volume. In some ways, I feel that he makes the battle for the civil rights bill seem easier than it truly was.
review 2: Extremely interesting and detailed. Great bipartisan effort, with the opponents' general themes of "unconstitutional" "destroying my rights" "trampling on my liberties". Interesting how all those are used for just about any "cause". 2 minor errors by the author--he calls Robert Kennedy "Bob". Please call him Bobby or Robert. Also he noted that someone graduated from Ohio State University, not THE Ohio State University I penciled "The" in. less

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