Maverick

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

After serving in various state legislative offices, Weicker burst upon the national scene during the Watergate hearings, at which the Republican senator from Connecticut was one of Nixon's sharpest critics. Nearly half of Weicker's autobiography is devoted to Watergate, much of it familiar ground, save for some personal recollections. After Nixon's resignation, Weicker had a relatively low profile until Ronald Reagan's election in 1980 forced him to repeatedly vote against the Republican president to protect social programs that Weicker felt were important in such areas as health and education. It was during the Reagan years that Weicker began to be increasingly seen as a political maverick, a label that contributed to his defeat for re-election in 1988. But it was also the maverick label that got him elected governor of Connecticut in 1990 as an independent, and also helped him get Connecticut's first state income tax passed. The non-Watergate sections of the autobiography, written with freelancer Sussman, are by far the more interesting, with Weicker flavoring his story with assessments of such political figures as William Buckley (``an ass'') and William Bennett (``a total fraud''). Weicker concludes by calling the two-party political system outdated, and strongly hints that he would not be opposed to running for president as an independent in 1996. (June)

Library Journal

Although he has held a variety of elected offices over a span of more than 30 years, Weicker is still best known today as the Republican U.S. senator from Connecticut on the Watergate Committee of the early 1970s who was a persistent critic of the Nixon administration's attempts to cover up that scandal. His political memoirs discuss Weicker's work on the Committee and other events of his political career, including his election in 1990 as governor of Connecticut on an independent ticket. The book accurately captures Weicker's combative personality and his courage. But it is also sketchy in its coverage of some subjects and too frequently indulges a tendency toward invective ("ass" and "political lowlife" are among the names he calls others). Lack of documentation reduces the book's value for academics. Recommended for larger collections on the Watergate affair; otherwise, an optional purchase. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 2/15/95.]-Thomas H. Ferrell, Univ. of Southwestern Louisiana, Lafayette

Mary Carroll

Interest in Weicker's autobiography, written with the help of a longtime "Washington Post" editor, might seem regionally limited. But the three-term U.S. senator and one-term Nutmeg State governor is interesting and opinionated enough to lend his memoir appeal outside New England. Weicker played a role in key controversies of the past quarter century: constitutional issues, including Watergate and, later, bills to permit prayer in schools, prevent busing, and outlaw abortion; legislation that became the Americans with Disabilities Act; and funding for ocean research. Elected Connecticut governor as an independent in 1990, Weicker dealt with a state deficit with more resolve than either Democrats or Republicans have so far applied to the nation's debt. Along with criticism of pandering politicians of both parties, Weicker offers barbs for citizens too cynical to vote and too hooked on Reagan's "free lunch" promises to deal with political realities; he hopes a third (or fourth) party in 1996 will bring vital issues back onto the political agenda. A pungent, enlightening exploration of recent U.S. history from one of our most idiosyncratic political practitioners.