Senator Mansfield : The Extraordinary Life of a Great American Statesman and Diplomat

A spellbinding biography of one of the most powerful and dignified men ever to come to DC—Senator Mike Mansfield. Mike Mansfield's career as the longest serving majority leader is finally given its due in this extraordinary biography. In many respects, Mansfield's dignity and decorum represent the high-water mark of the US Senate: he was respected as a leader who helped build consensus on tough issues and was renowned for his ability to work across the aisle and build strong coalitions. Amazingly, he would have breakfast every morning with a member of the opposing party. Mansfield was instrumental in pushing through some of the most influential legislation of the twentieth century. He was at the helm when the Senate passed landmark legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the creation of Medicare, and the nuclear test ban treaty. Mansfield played a crucial role in shaping America's foreign policy, corresponding with JFK about his opposition to the growing presence of the US in Southeast Asia. As ambassador to Japan, his conversations with Cambodia and China paved the way for Nixon's historic trip to China in 1972.

A spellbinding biography of one of the most powerful and dignified men ever to come to DC—Senator Mike Mansfield.

Mike Mansfield's career as the longest serving majority leader is finally given its due in this extraordinary biography. In many respects, Mansfield's dignity and decorum represent the high-water mark of the US Senate: he was respected as a leader who helped build consensus on tough issues and was renowned for his ability to work across the aisle and build strong coalitions. Amazingly, he would have breakfast every morning with a member of the opposing party.

Mansfield was instrumental in pushing through some of the most influential legislation of the twentieth century. He was at the helm when the Senate passed landmark legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the creation of Medicare, and the nuclear test ban treaty. Mansfield played a crucial role in shaping America's foreign policy, corresponding with JFK about his opposition to the growing presence of the US in Southeast Asia. As ambassador to Japan, his conversations with Cambodia and China paved the way for Nixon's historic trip to China in 1972.

The Washington Post

… in the capable hands of journalist Don Oberdorfer, the importance of Mansfield's life becomes clear … Oberdorfer offers the judgment that Mansfield was "one of the last of the Senate greats." That verdict stems from his clarity of vision on Vietnam but also from his manifest devotion to public service. If we don't see many biographies of senators anymore, Oberdorfer suggests, it may be because we no longer see many senators of the caliber of Mike Mansfield. — David Greenberg

""When I'm gone, I want to be forgotten," said Senator Mike Mansfield of Montana. While he lived a life that was truly unforgettable as one of America's most important and admired public servants of the twentieth century, Mansfield refused to write his memoirs and shunned the entreaties of would-be biographers. Nonetheless, he sat down with Don Oberdorfer for thirty-two interviews in the last three years of his long life and helped to open closed government documents that cast light on what he did and said. Until now, his amazing story has never been told in full." "Here is the story of his hardscrabble childhood in Montana, his service in the lowest ranks of every branch of the U.S. military in and after World War I, and the improbable love affair with his future wife, Maureen, that lifted this eighth-grade dropout from the Butte, Montana, copper mines to academia and political prominence. In his thirty-four years in Congress - including his record-breaking tenure as Senate Majority Leader from 1961 to 1977 - Mansfield was deeply involved in the great events of his time with Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford."--Jacket Goodbye to private Mike The early years To the mines and the love of his life Into the political world Mission to China The Truman years Introduction to Indochina Into the leadership for Kennedy Johnson I: years of escalation Johnson II: years of frustration With Nixon on the road to China Vietnam, China, Watergate, and beyond Ambassador to Japan The final years