Executive Branch, Vietnam War/French Indo-Chinese War, United States History - 20th Century - 1945 to 2000, Political Biography, U.S. - Political Biography
Log in to track your reading progress.
Overview
The rise, fall, and rebirth of Richard Nixon is perhaps the most fascinating story in American politics. Presidential chronicles and other outside sources have tried to capture it in full, but Nixon: A Life is the first to succeed. Nixon: A Life is the first entirely objective biography of Richard Nixon. Jonathan Aitken, who, in addition to serving in Parliament, serves as Her Majesty's Minister of State for Defense, conducted over sixty hours of interviews with Nixon and was granted unprecedented access to thousands of pages of Nixon's previously sealed private documents. The results of Aitken's interviews and research shed new light on a presidency that is just now beginning to be understood by serious students of history. Among the questions Aitken answers with fresh insight are:. Why didn't Nixon burn the Watergate tapes? How did he achieve his astonishing comebacks after being defeated by Kennedy in 1960 and resigning from the presidency in 1974? What were his relationships with political figures such as Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Henry Kissinger, and personal friends such as Bebe Rebozo and Robert Abplanalp? What caused him to overcome his doubts and pursue the Alger Hiss spy case in Congress? What are Nixon's innermost spiritual beliefs and intellectual influences? What drives him now? Previously published in Great Britain to rave reviews, Nixon: A Life is the first Nixon biography written by a non-American author. Aitken's refreshingly unencumbered positions on Watergate and Vietnam provide a unique perspective on Nixon's life and his presidency. Nixon: A Life breaks important new ground as a major work of political biography. It is a work that will inspire historians to recognize the outstanding diplomatic achievements of a man whose journey from tainted politician to respected foreign policy expert and elder statesman has been nothing short of remarkable.The first biography written with Nixon's full cooperation, Nixon: A Life tells the full story of his rise, fall, and resurrection. Aitken delves in to Nixon's innermost spiritual beliefs and his intellectual influences and discovers what drives him now, shedding new light on an enduring, enigmatic politician. 16 pages of photos.
Editorials
Publishers Weekly -
Sympathetic toward his subject, Aitken, a British Member of Parliament and Minister of State for Defense, portrays former U.S. President Richard Nixon as a master geopolitical strategist who shifted the global balance of power in the West's favor through rapprochement with China and who achieved ``peace with honor'' in Vietnam. Aitken views Nixon as ``an original and progressive domestic President'' who ended the draft, created the Environmental Protection Agency and was a hands-on manager of the economy. In Aitken's scenario, the Watergate break-in was an irresponsible act carried out by overzealous aides without Nixon's knowledge; Nixon's endorsement of a cover-up transformed Watergate into a political disaster. First published in 1992 in Britain, this biography draws on interviews with Nixon, his aides and family, and unique access to his private diaries and letters. Both critics and supporters will find new material to ponder. Aitken sheds light on Nixon's spiritual crisis at ages 20-21, his friendly early relationship with fellow Congressman John F. Kennedy, his accusations against Alger Hiss as a Soviet spy, his interaction with National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger, and his role as elder statesman and informal adviser to the Carter, Reagan and Bush administrations. Photos. Author tour. (May)Library Journal
In light of Nixon's most recent trips to Russia as an unofficial sounding board for the U.S. government and his extensive writing in the foreign policy area, this work gives its readers a better understanding of the man who has been caricatured more than evaluated since Watergate brought down his political career. It is not the official biography, but it could well be for the remarkable task that Aitken, a member of the British Parliament, has performed in combing oral histories and conducting interviews with Nixon intimates and the former president himself. In this monumental tome, Aitken meticulously and insightfully delves into the personality and career development of this brilliant yet enigmatic former chief executive. In engaging prose, Aitken winds through Nixon's early years, then chronicles his election to Congress, the Alger Hiss case, his Senate and vice presidency days, and his subsequent political defeats in presidential and gubernatorial races. With the first extensive use of Nixon's Yorba Linda library papers, Aitken has unearthed a treasure trove of insights via letters and other communications. A human, if flawed, Nixon emerges from this fascinating account, which could not be more highly recommended.-Frank Kessler, Missouri Western State Coll., St. JosephBooknews
Nixon granted Aitken access to thousands of pages of previously sealed private papers and some 60 hours of interviews, and solicited the cooperation of his family and "inner circle", for this approved biography by the British Member of Parliament and Minister of State for Defense. Includes a 16-page photo section. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)Book Details
Published
December 31, 1996
Publisher
Regnery Publishing Inc
Pages
633
Format
Paperback
ISBN
9780895267207