An intimate account of how political rivals formed a powerful alliance and guided the nation in the wake of tragedy.
Kenneth O'Donnell was JFK's Chief of Staff, among the group known as Kennedy's "Irish Mafia." O'Donnell was with Jack Kennedy through his entire time in office. He was also on Air Force One in Dallas, at Jacqueline Kennedy's side, as Lyndon Johnson got sworn in. When John F. Kennedy was assassinated, LBJ asked Ken O'Donnell to stay on and work with him through the first nine months of his administration, to help the country transition and heal, and to help Johnson set his own agenda for his presidency.
Although they were political adversaries, they developed a mutually respectful rapport. O’Donnell helped Johnson find his voice, starting with his work in voting rights and developing the civil rights agenda. In Launching LBJ, O’Donnell’s daughter Helen, a respected historian and journalist, draws on her father’s detailed journals to create an unprecedented, inside look at the early days of President Lyndon Johnson's regime.
