Hubert Humphrey

"A painstaking and . . . admiring portrait" (Edward Kosner, Wall Street Journal) of Hubert Humphrey, one of the great liberal politicians of the twentieth century An outstanding account of the life and accomplishments of a man who was my friend and my hero. This book captures Hubert Humphreys passion and unwavering commitment to our nations highest ideals.President Jimmy Carter Hubert Humphrey (19111978) was one of the great liberal leaders of postwar American politics, yet because he never made it to the Oval Office he has been largely overlooked by biographers. His career encompassed three wellknown high points: the civil rights speech at the 1948 Democratic Convention that risked his political future; his shepherding of the 1964 Civil Rights Act through the Senate; and his nearvictory in the 1968 presidential election, one of the angriest and most divisive in the countrys history. Historian Arnold A. Offner has explored vast troves of archival records to recapture Humphreys life, giving us previously unknown details of the vice presidents fractious relationship with Lyndon Johnson, showing how Johnson colluded with Richard Nixon to deny Humphrey the presidency, and describing the most neglected aspect of Humphreys career: his major legislative achievements after returning to the Senate in 1970. This definitive biography rediscovers one of Americas great political figures.