Means of Ascent (1990) Signed First Edition Reference

Means of Ascent (Alfred A. Knopf, 1990) covers Johnson’s postwar years and his 1948 Senate campaign — the election he won by eighty-seven votes in a contest widely believed to have been stolen through ballot fraud in Jim Wells County. Caro’s account of Johnson’s ruthlessness in pursuing power, contrasted with the wartime heroism of his opponent Coke Stevenson, generated intense controversy upon publication.

Signed Copy Market Values

• Signed first in jacket: $75–$200
• Unsigned first in jacket: $20–$50

The most politically charged volume in the LBJ series — Caro’s portrayal of Johnson as a man willing to corrupt democracy itself to gain power sparked heated debate.