Lively anecdotes retold by an advance man for presidents Kennedy and Johnson. Imagine one’s first job assignment is arranging John F. Kennedy’s visit to Fort Worth, Texas on the morning of November 22, 1963. Lively and fascinating, Out in Front reveals Jeb Byrne’s experiences as an advance man for JFK and as the deputy director of the LBJ advance unit during the 1964 campaign. Byrne’s life experiences illuminate the work done behind the scenes of campaign stops and political appearances. His personal memoir exposes the duties, contemplations, and struggles of the advance man, all of which are hidden from the public eye. “Most other studies of political campaigns have paid scant attention to the role of the largely anonymous corps of advance personnel and other essential, but unheralded, campaign workers.” — James B. Rhoads, former Archivist of the United States “A remarkable history of the early days of the art of political advance. Jeb Byrne is a gifted writer who has recorded, with style and wit, the story of how the Kennedy and Johnson presidential campaigns developed the core element of presidential public appearances—political advance—which has now evolved into a sophisticated and expensive standard undertaking for all presidents. Everyone who reads this book will reach the same conclusion: Jeb Byrne is a fantastic writer.” — Harold C. Pachios, former Associate White House Press Secretary under LBJ “Jeb Byrne has written a gem of a book about retail politicking. With humor, compassion, and insight, he reveals the world of political advance. Its denizens are neither supposed to be seen nor heard, but their handiwork is the stuff campaigns are made of.” — Max Holland, author of The Kennedy Assassination Tapes “An excellent and interesting personal memoir of advance work.” — Sean Savage, author of JFK, LBJ, and the Democratic Party