Interview with Harry McPherson, 1981 / by Richard Ellison and Harry McPherson.

Boston, Mass. : WGBH Boston Video, 1983.

1 streaming video (42 min.) : sound, color.

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Harry McPherson served as Special Counsel to LBJ from 1965 to 1969 and was Johnson's chief speechwriter from 1966 to 1969. McPherson begins the interview by recalling the conflicted mood at the White House following the Tet Offensive. The optimism found in military cables and official information clashed with televised images showing the nation that the war was resulting in massive loss of human life and that a prisoner could be shot at point-blank range. He also talks about the concerns LBJ had that the Vietnam War might escalate into a world war and that the goal was not to destroy North Vietnam but rather to keep them contained and not overthrow the government in South Vietnam. He ends the interview with a personal sketch of President Johnson, a complex and tragic figure.

ASP-AVON OCLC KB.

Images / Online / Video & Film

English

November 15, 2019