The Journey 180. The Privileged View of LBJ's Mistress

In this episode, Adam Finnegan and Kris Millegan talk to Peggy Brown, daughter-in-law of Madeline Brown, to discuss her book "Privileged View: The Confessions of Madeleine Brown, Mistress of LBJ and Witness to History" to discuss some of the history and what it was like to grow up in these circles and what some of the people in it were like.

https://trineday.com/collections/new-releases/products/privileged-view

Madeleine Duncan Brown’s Privileged View reveals a vivid insider’s account of Texas politics, power, and secrecy that reverberates through U.S. history. As Lyndon B. Johnson’s confidante and lover, Brown witnessed behind closed doors the maneuvers of oilmen, politicians, and influencers who shaped America’s destiny. Through Brown’s perspective, readers are drawn into the heart of the Texas elite — figures like Clint Murchison, H.L. Hunt and Johnson himself — as they orchestrate and control, from covert alliances to shocking admissions.

In a book endorsed by Jim Marrs, author of Crossfire, the basis for Oliver Stone’s JFK, Brown recounts chilling events from Johnson’s whispered promise that the “Kennedys will never embarrass me again,” to firsthand insights about the 8F Group, a powerful oil-and-political syndicate. This tale is not just about one man’s rise to power, but a web of influence stretching across high-stakes dealings, friendships with mobsters, and crucial moments in U.S. history, such as the Kennedy assassination and the Vietnam War escalation. Privileged View brings readers to the tables where Texas’s elite made history— in smoky backrooms, on private ranches, and in extravagant gatherings where decisions that shaped the nation were made. As Brown navigates a path through these dangerous waters, she uncovers shocking truths, including how Lyndon B. Johnson and the powerful oilmen shaped and protected their interests at any cost. Her story offers a compelling lens on the dark side of American politics, exposing a narrative that remained hidden for decades.

Madeleine Duncan Brown (1925-2002) was an American who claimed to be a longtime mistress of United States President Lyndon B. Johnson. In addition to claiming that a son was born out of that relationship, Brown also implicated Johnson in a conspiracy to assassinate President John F. Kennedy.

Jim Marrs (1943-2017) was an American newspaper journalist and New York Times best-selling author of books and articles on a wide range of alleged cover-ups and conspiracies. Marrs was a prominent figure in the JFK assassination conspiracy theories community and his 1989 book Crossfire was a source for Oliver Stone’s 1991 film JFK.