Little Giant: The Life and Times of Speaker Carl Albert

Albert was elected to Congress from Oklahoma in 1947, became Democratic whip during the Eisenhower administration, House majority leader under Kennedy and Johnson, and served as Speaker of the House from 1971 to 1977. In his amiable, folksy memoir, written with Goble, associate professor of history at the University of Tulsa, Albert modestly describes his role in shaping legislation, but becomes specific in evaluating those with whom he worked during 30 years of public service. Lyndon Johnson, in his view, was a consummate politician, ``obsessed'' with politics and at times remarkably aggressive in making demands on the Speaker (he was ``beside me, behind me, and seemingly all over me''). Albert considers Richard Nixon a brilliant political strategist but a flawed man: as President he ``needed something to govern against,'' and, according to Albert, that something was nothing less than the U.S. Congress. Photos. (May)