I can’t help but notice the ads on the right side of the Bluemassgroup column for All the Way playing on Broadway at the Neil Simon Theater starring Bryan Cranston.
I had reason to be in NYC this week and had a chance to see the play, which had originally debuted in Cambridge. For progressive Democrats who remember the struggle to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the fight between the Mississippi Freedom Party and the segregationists of the so called regular Mississippi Democrats, this play is a reminder of yesterday’s and today’s struggles with voter suppression.
The play ends in late June. For those who missed it in Boston and don’t mind a four drive; it is just a delight. Bryan Cranston as LBJ was incredible, and the actor portraying MLK, Jr. was tremendous.
A bit pricey but so enriching.
Wish I could afford the trip and ticket–heard nothing but good things about it. But for those who can’t, I highly recommend Robert Caro’s 4 (going on 5) volume biography of LBJ. Astounding. One of the better histories of twentieth-century America itself–and of a stupendously flawed, downright WEIRD–and yet brilliant, passionate, and often noble–character.
P.S. Just started MacCullough’s bio of Truman, which looks to be almost as good, though, at a mere thousand or pages, hardly compares in heft.
there is a new one out on Teddy Roosevelt, I will probably buy the next time i am at a bookstore. I am supporting the Amazon boycott currently underway.
I still have a soft spot for physical bookstores anyway.
Colbert on Amazon.
It is my understanding that Amazon is playing games with creating “Out of Stock” messages or “3 to 4 week delays in shipping”, in order to encourage ebook sales that are biased towards Amazon and hurt the publishers and authors.
…and as such I’m surprised it’s legal.
Years ago, there use to be more than one book store in Harvard Square near the Brattle Theater, and used to combine date night with book shopping. As always, I was and am a total nerd.
‘Truman’, ‘John Adams’, and ‘1776’ were great. Read part of Carl on my flight to Manila this February. I think Master of the Senate was my favorite thus far. Just a tremendous work that really showed how the Senate worked and could occasionally be steered to make a difference.
‘Mornings on Horseback’ was McCullough’s book about a young TR. Empire of Liberty and Founding Brothers are solid works on the Founding-a still very contentious part of our history. Fortunately the last 20 years has seen scholarship that rehabilitates the Federalists who were largely right in my view.
‘Truman’, ‘John Adams’, and ‘1776’ were great. Read part of Carl on my flight to Manila this February. I think Master of the Senate was my favorite thus far. Just a tremendous work that really showed how the Senate worked and could occasionally be steered to make a difference.
‘Mornings on Horseback’ was McCullough’s book about a young TR. Empire of Liberty and Founding Brothers are solid works on the Founding-a still very contentious part of our history. Fortunately the last 20 years has seen scholarship that rehabilitates the Federalists who were largely right in my view.
it is pretty good so far.
Her earliest work, Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream, remains an outstanding peek into the psyche and soul of Lyndon Johnson. Having first read it 25 or so years ago, every time I reread it there are terrific nuggets about the genius of Johnson’s legislative skills, as well as haunting stories of his decline over the war. Clearly All the Way borrowed heavily from Doris Kearns great debut work.
Excellent!
Really disappointed I wasn’t in town to catch it at the ART. But hopefully it will make it’s way out to Chicago at some point, I would definitely shell out the money to see it. And maybe they can finally make a halfway decent LBJ movie or miniseries as well. The Caro books would make a great HBO series.
Also I am a big DKG fan. Loved Team of Rivals and even liked the Fitzgerald’s and the Kennedy’s. Need to read the Eleanor/FDR book when I get the chance and the newest one on TR, Taft, and the Muckrackers. If an author can make Taft sympathetic, she can. She also demonstrated a lot of personal integrity during the plagiarism controversy 10 years ago, even going as far as to pulp all the books with the bad citations, something Ambrose never did. Dedicated Red Sox fan and Concord resident to boot.