Previous studies of the rise of Lyndon B. Johnson have concentrated on his ruthless careerism without giving him due credit for his political brilliance, his genuine concern for minorities and the repressed, and his role in fully integrating the South into modern America. Beginning with his early days in Texas, his progress from Representatives to Senate, and his role as Majority Leader under Eisenhower, this first volume in Robert Dallek's biography ends with his nomination as Vice-President in 1960. This balanced account presents the LBJ esteemed by the likes of Roosevelt and Kennedy.