Nearly 50 years after being sworn in as president of the United States in the wake of John F. Kennedy's assassination, Lyndon Baines Johnson remains a largely misunderstood figure. His force of personal¬?ity, mastery of power and the political process, and boundless appetite for social reform made him one of the towering figures of his time. But he was one of the most protean and paradoxical of presidents as well. Because of his flawed nature and inherent contradic¬?tions, some claimed there were as many LBJs as there were people who knew him.

Intent on fulfilling the promise of America, Johnson launched a revolution in civil rights, federal aid to education, and health care for the elderly and indigent, and expanded immigration and environ¬?mental protection. A flurry of landmark laws - he would sign an unparalleled 207 during his five years in office, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Elementary and Second¬?ary Education Act, Head Start, and Medicare - are testaments to the strength of his will. His War on Poverty alone brought the US poverty rate down from 20 percent to 12 percent, the biggest one-time drop in American history. As president, he was known for getting things done.

At the same time, Johnson's presidency - and the fulfillment of its own promise - was blighted by his escalation of an ill-fated war in Vietnam that tore at the fabric of America and saw the loss of 36,000 US troops by the end of his term.

Presidential historian Mark K. Updegrove offers an intimate portrait of the endlessly fascinating LBJ, his extraordinarily eventful presidency, and the turbulent times in which he served.