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Lady Bird Johnson
A review of

Lady Bird Johnson

Hiding in Plain Sight

Julia SweigRandom House • 2021

History, Behind the Scenes

by David Meyer

Award-winning author Julia Sweig chronicles the life, politics and activism of first lady Lady Bird Johnson.

Claudia “Lady Bird” Johnson, wife of President Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ), kept an audio diary while she served as first lady of the United States. Renowned researcher and award-winning author Julia Sweig uses that diary as the basis of this in-depth portrait of a significant behind-the-scenes force at a crucial time in United States history. A devoted wife and mother, Lady Bird helped her husband fashion the Great Society he envisioned, including passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act. She was his strong right hand, valued advisor and moral compass.

Claudia Alta (“Lady Bird”) Johnson

When Claudia Alta Taylor, nicknamed Lady Bird, married fellow Texan Lyndon Baines Johnson, she was excited about his political ambitions. Johnson, who became vice president under John F. Kennedy, had a “hard-knuckles” approach and a vision for an America that took care of its people. 


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