The Last Great Senator

No person was involved in so much history and yet received so little attention as Robert C. Byrd, the longest-serving U.S. senator in history. In The Last Great Senator, David A. Corbin examines Byrd's complex and fascinating relationships with ten presidents of the United States, from Eisenhower to Obama. Furthermore, Byrd had an impact on nearly every major event of the last half century, including the Cold War, Kennedy's New Frontier, the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal, the Reagan Revolution, the impeachment of President Clinton, and the war in Iraq. Holding several Senate records, Byrd also casted more votes than any other U.S. senator. In his sweeping portrait of the man's epic life and career, Corbin introduces Senator Byrd and his background in the coalfields of southern West Virginia (including his brief membership in the Ku Klux Klan). He covers Byrd's encounters and personal relationship with each president and his effect on events during the administrations. Additionally, the book discusses Byrd's interactions with other notable senators, including Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Russell, Mike Mansfield, and especially Robert and Edward Kennedy. Going beyond the boundaries of West Virginia and Capitol Hill, The Last Great Senator presents Byrd in a larger historical context, where he rose to the height of power in America.