The LBJ Presidential Tapes: Reliving History in the First Person
Secret Recordings of the Oval Office Bring a Fresh Perspective to History
It was in 1974, we learned about how then-President Nixion secretly recorded White House conversations. The existence of these recordings came to focus as events concerning the election of 1972, the Democratic headquarters break-in, and the resulting Watergate scandal. What we didn’t know until now is that Nixion wasn’t the only one who made secret recordings. There were six US presidents who made secret White House recordings. Now, in 2021, these LBJ tapes (as they have been called) have come to light. CSPAN has taken these recordings and created its own episodic podcast: “In the ten episodes of Season 1 hear secretly recorded conversations President Lyndon Johnson made on topics including the Warren Commission, the Vietnam War, the March on Selma, and more.” (link: https://www.c-span.org/podcasts/subpage/?series=presidentsrecord)
The recordings allow you to see, firsthand, from the ones who created it. Six presidents candidly talk about the events of their times, adding a dimension to their role in history.
When you have some time, please check it out. Remember, this is only “Season One”. So whatever that is still in the vault, should be very interesting.
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