Reading book two of the Robert Caro series on Lyndon Baines Johnson at the moment. These are four epic pieces of non fiction, researched over many years, rightly winning all the plaudits.

I started with little knowledge of the guy other than the fact that he made it to the White House; details of his upbringing were unknown. The way he made it into politics was also unclear.

The thing that’s standing out to me as I near the end of book two – Means of Ascent – is how low this guy was prepared to go to make his political dreams come true.

I won’t spoil the plot. The usual antics of the power hungry are clear throughout, but there’s a deeper urgency to ‘make it’ on his part. A true desperation. The pages reek of it.

His wife, ‘Lady Bird’ Johnson, survived him by a number of years, hopefully to enjoy a life that would never have been possible with him still alive, sucking up all of the glory.

The lies, endlessly cultivating a false impression, wrapped up and sold to hapless voters in all parts, are a theme all of their own.

And the voters bought it. His supporters got what they wanted and their man got the top job he craved, no matter what it took to get there.

There are so many lessons in this story. I’ll let on more when I work through the series.