One Man Against the World: The Tragedy of Richard Nixon

Synopsis

THE RIVETING STORY OF A DRAMATIC AND DISASTROUS PRESIDENCY Here is the first history of President Richard Nixon with all of his secret tapes and documents, many declassified in the past two years. Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winner Tim Weiner presents a devastating portrait of a tortured and tormented man. In gripping prose, the author shows how, in Nixon's mind, the conflict in Vietnam and the crimes of Watergate were one war, fought on two fronts. A brilliant politician, Nixon rose by force of will from a crowded shack in rural California to the White House. But, as president, Nixon trusted no one--not his Cabinet, not his closest advisers, not the American people. Elected to unite a nation as discordant as it was at the close of the Civil War, Nixon disdained domestic policies and programs. He wanted above all to create what he called "a generation of peace"--by asking the world's leading Communist dictators to help him end the Vietnam War. Nixon saw antiwar American citizens as opponents no less dangerous than the enemy in Vietnam. He fought his foes without mercy. Abroad, his best weapons were B-52 bombers. One Man Against the World lets the reader listen in as Nixon, gripped by rage and insomnia, calls down death and destruction. At home, Nixon used undercover agents, warrantless wiretaps, break-ins, and burglaries as tools of intelligence gathering against Democratic Party leaders and the antiwar legions. His henchmen--including his attorney general and his closest White House advisers--went to prison for their crimes. Almost all his presidency is recorded on tape or preserved on paper. Together these materials create a remarkable record of the most intimate and damning conversations between the president and his confidants. Only recently, after forty years of struggle, has much of this jaw-dropping information been made public. One Man Against the World is a work of new insight into Richard Nixon--a man who saw enemies everywhere and, standing alone, took up arms against them. Nixon saw himself not only as the leader of the free world but "the world leader." Yet he was addicted to the gutter politics that ruined him. His political suicide has no equal in American history. That was his tragedy to bear."

Copyright:

2015

Book Details

Book Quality:

Excellent

Book Size:

370 Pages

ISBN-13:

9781627790833

Publisher:

Henry Holt & Company

Date of Addition:

07/24/19

Copyrighted By:

Tim Weiner

Adult content:

No

Language:

English

Has Image Descriptions:

No

Categories:

History, Nonfiction, Biographies and Memoirs, Politics and Government

Submitted By:

Evan Reese

Proofread By:

Deborah Murray

Usage Restrictions:

This is a copyrighted book.