Hubert Humphrey

One of the great liberal politicians of the twentieth century, rediscovered in an important, definitive biography

Hubert Humphrey (1911–1978) 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 well‑known 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 near‑victory in the 1968 presidential election, one of the angriest and most divisive in the country’s history.
 
Historian Arnold A. Offner has explored vast troves of archival records to recapture Humphrey’s life, giving us previously unknown details of the vice president’s fractious relationship with Lyndon Johnson, showing how Johnson colluded with Richard Nixon to deny Humphrey the presidency, and describing the most neglected aspect of Humphrey’s career: his major legislative achievements after returning to the Senate in 1970. This definitive biography rediscovers one of America’s great political figures.

“A groundbreaking study of an American political giant. Every page crackles with excellent writing, eye‑opening research, and shrewd analysis.”—Douglas Brinkley, author of Rightful Heritage: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Land of America

“An outstanding account of the life and accomplishments of a man who was my friend and my hero. This book captures Hubert Humphrey’s passion and unwavering commitment to our nation’s highest ideals.”—President Jimmy Carter
 
“Immensely readable. . . . As someone who loves reading political history, I find it rich in story, impressive in fact. Read it from front to back and you’ve taken a graphic course in post–World War II American politics. Thanks to Offner, we now have fresh evidence that political greatness is not reserved exclusively for those who come out on top.”—Chris Matthews, author of Bobby Kennedy: A Raging Spirit
 
“He devoted his life to public service; he was the first major politician of either party to champion the civil rights movement; he was an enormously effective lawmaker who understood compromise; he brought joy and integrity to American democracy. Why isn’t Hubert Humphrey better remembered? With this excellent, thorough, readable biography by Arnold Offner, maybe he will be.”—Evan Thomas, author of Robert Kennedy: His Life, Ike’s Bluff: President Eisenhower’s Secret Battle to Save the World, and Being Nixon: A Man Divided
 
“Arnold Offner’s riveting account of the life and leadership of Hubert Humphrey shows us the man and legislator who fought to make the United States a more liberal and humane society and leader of a free and peaceful world order. We miss this ‘conscience of the country’ more than ever now.”—Walter F. Mondale
 
“Well written and exhaustively researched, this is the definitive biography of Hubert Humphrey.”—Irwin F. Gellman, author of The President and The Apprentice: Eisenhower and Nixon, 1952–1961

“Hubert Humphrey was one of the twentieth century’s political giants. In this gracefully written, insightful biography, Arnold Offner has captured the essence of the man and his times.”—Randall B. Woods, author of LBJ: Architect of American Ambition