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tintinintibet's review against another edition
1.0
More history than biography, and while some snippets of Nixon “the person” come out once he becomes president or in the epilogue, Nixon doesn’t come to life for me at all. Farrell writes things like “The son of Frank...” or casually, breezily name drops someone or refers to some event without introduction or set up — too often it made me think that Farrell assumes we know the era/characters already so he doesn’t need to bring anything to life. The gazillions of end notes (ugh) I suppose should be a sign: the book is more of a reference summary of other work than a stand-alone biography. Sadly Farrell also doesn’t have much of an opinion and instead equivocates every time he seems to make the slightest of arguments or judgements. If you’re going to argue both sides, at least TRY to do the fake-debate justice instead of giving up and saying there’s no right answer. I get it, not everything is black or white, but let’s see how grey it is. Nixon: Shrewd or accidental? Criminal or victim? A powerful driving force or reactionary counter-puncher? China rapprochement inevitable (per Kissinger, long view in hindsight) or only with Nixon (per Mao, contemporaneous)? Farrell seems to shrug and say: sort of.
strangeaffliction's review against another edition
5.0
Audiobook is excellent!! Long, but the story and the narration are both 5 stars.
duparker's review against another edition
4.0
We all know Nixon was not a crook, but here we clearly learn that he was not cuddly, outgoing or overly optimistic. He was power hungry, hypocritical and not that much of a family man, though he thought he was.
I get that Watergate is such a big part of this story, but it took up way too much of the book. Not a surprise or a disappointment, but it was a tad overwhelming. I would have liked to see more in depth look at Nixon's domestic programs, which get acknowledged, but I don't feel they get the true focus they deserve.
I get that Watergate is such a big part of this story, but it took up way too much of the book. Not a surprise or a disappointment, but it was a tad overwhelming. I would have liked to see more in depth look at Nixon's domestic programs, which get acknowledged, but I don't feel they get the true focus they deserve.
rienthril's review against another edition
4.0
Once at a conference in Anaheim, I killed some hours by renting a car and driving to Yorba Linda to see the Nixon Presidential Library. I joked that I was going to stare into the face of evil.
Well, it was true.
There was the relocated boyhood home of Nixon, plucked away from the failed lemon farm, the Army One helicopter standing in for the chopper that plucked Nixon away from Washington after he resigned, and the graves of Dick and Pat, shells of life plucked away from the earth. In the library, amidst the accouterments of victory, like moonstones brought back on Apollo, there are also the tapes: the Oval Office recordings meant as memoir fodder, but ultimately also the proof of rabid, profane insecurity, reactionary hate, and the shallow blubberings of a supreme intellect supremely unassured. What's more evil than a cynic bent on greatness? A tragic figure, sure, but is he more tragic than all the figures in the trail of dead behind him? Farrell, in this book, is the first to connect the dots of Nixon's intrigue to stymie a peace agreement in the Vietnam War in the final days of the 1968 Presidential election. Killing peace was a political move (like all war), leaving hundreds of thousands of dead Americans, Vietnamese and Laotians on an altar to award Nixon the Presidency. Watergate was just another symptom of Nixon's by-any-means-necessary approach. Farrell unfolds it all fairly, convincingly, respectably; Nixon's now well-known contradictions, flaws and talents. When his sins finally find him out, he rails against a double standard - that JFK and LBJ did the same or worse. Fine, let's call them evil, too. But standing in his tiny farm house, standing on Army One beholding the souvenir pack of cigarettes, reading about his grievances against circumstance (turning down the Ivy League because his family needed him at the grocery store, etc.), I see too much of myself for comfort, too much like looking in a mirror. Don't we all have a chip on our shoulder? Didn't we all miss something somewhere? The evil is there, the hurt is there. But which of us live it out? Which of us gaslit our way to power? Which of us baked a grudge into the heart of the American Dream?
Well, it was true.
There was the relocated boyhood home of Nixon, plucked away from the failed lemon farm, the Army One helicopter standing in for the chopper that plucked Nixon away from Washington after he resigned, and the graves of Dick and Pat, shells of life plucked away from the earth. In the library, amidst the accouterments of victory, like moonstones brought back on Apollo, there are also the tapes: the Oval Office recordings meant as memoir fodder, but ultimately also the proof of rabid, profane insecurity, reactionary hate, and the shallow blubberings of a supreme intellect supremely unassured. What's more evil than a cynic bent on greatness? A tragic figure, sure, but is he more tragic than all the figures in the trail of dead behind him? Farrell, in this book, is the first to connect the dots of Nixon's intrigue to stymie a peace agreement in the Vietnam War in the final days of the 1968 Presidential election. Killing peace was a political move (like all war), leaving hundreds of thousands of dead Americans, Vietnamese and Laotians on an altar to award Nixon the Presidency. Watergate was just another symptom of Nixon's by-any-means-necessary approach. Farrell unfolds it all fairly, convincingly, respectably; Nixon's now well-known contradictions, flaws and talents. When his sins finally find him out, he rails against a double standard - that JFK and LBJ did the same or worse. Fine, let's call them evil, too. But standing in his tiny farm house, standing on Army One beholding the souvenir pack of cigarettes, reading about his grievances against circumstance (turning down the Ivy League because his family needed him at the grocery store, etc.), I see too much of myself for comfort, too much like looking in a mirror. Don't we all have a chip on our shoulder? Didn't we all miss something somewhere? The evil is there, the hurt is there. But which of us live it out? Which of us gaslit our way to power? Which of us baked a grudge into the heart of the American Dream?
alexrobinsonsupergenius's review against another edition
4.0
I thought the author had a conservative slant, with constant mentions of the liberal media, the liberal Kennedys, etc and if Nixon did something bad you can be sure he’ll mention an example of a Democrat who did something similar. At first this annoyed me but I started to appreciate it because it’s closer to the mindset of the subject. I did like that he showed the human side of him as well since Nixon’s insecurity and awkwardness are the traits that endear him to me.
johndiconsiglio's review against another edition
3.0
Which U.S. president rode a populist wave to the White House, declared the press “the enemy” & lived under the constant shadow of investigation? Richard Nixon, of course. (Who were you thinking of?) A highly-readable, if sometimes rushed (even at 700 pages) bio of our most disgraced president (for now). There’s perhaps too much here for one volume. Occasionally, the narrative gets lost in the big picture; you can see the forest just fine, but not always each tree. The big reveal is Nixon’s treasonous sabotaging of the Vietnam peace talks to win the ‘68 election. The parallels never end.
wescovington's review against another edition
5.0
Farrell manages to hit all the important points in the long life of one of the 20th Century's most important historical figures. As typical of Nixon, you alternate feeling sorry for him with wanting to punch him in the face.
I've read a lot of Presidential biographies and I would say that this one is among the top three. (Dallek on JFK and Morris's books on Theodore Roosevelt)
I've read a lot of Presidential biographies and I would say that this one is among the top three. (Dallek on JFK and Morris's books on Theodore Roosevelt)
tsharris's review against another edition
4.0
Really great biography that is sympathetic without being exculpatory or hagiographic. Puts his presidency in the context of his life and the broader national and international context. Not an easy feat.
citizen_noir's review against another edition
5.0
For most of my life, Richard Nixon has been a silly caricature. Tricky Dick, of "I am not a crook," McCarthyism, "my little dog Checkers," Watergate, and double V is Victory farewell salute fame. These "memories" were pieced together not through actual experience but by gathering snippets of images from history books, newspaper articles, documentaries and other forms of media.
About ten years ago, I came across an old news report by Tom Brokaw on the day Nixon left the White House and was astounded to hear parts of Nixon's farewell to his staff. It is an incredible speech, and I highly recommend looking it up on YouTube to hear the entire thing. Suddenly Nixon became a three-dimensional person, not just a grievously flawed man, but also a deeply talented and emotional human being.
John Farrell's biography of Nixon helps further this three-dimensional quest for the real Richard Nixon. It is a wonderful read - the structure of the book, starting at the end of WWII - makes it exciting to follow. In addition, the book delves into many of the early experiences of Nixon that shaped him, such as the deaths of his two brothers, his humble grocer upbringing, and the never-ending suspicion and hatred of wealthy, well educated political rivals.
Nixon is certainly a deeply flawed person, but his story has to be one of the most amazing ones in all of world history: to rise to the highest seat of power in the land on sheer grit, hard work, and an unapologetic approach to bare knuckle politics; only to fall into utter disgrace and exile. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about the best and worst aspects of politics.
About ten years ago, I came across an old news report by Tom Brokaw on the day Nixon left the White House and was astounded to hear parts of Nixon's farewell to his staff. It is an incredible speech, and I highly recommend looking it up on YouTube to hear the entire thing. Suddenly Nixon became a three-dimensional person, not just a grievously flawed man, but also a deeply talented and emotional human being.
John Farrell's biography of Nixon helps further this three-dimensional quest for the real Richard Nixon. It is a wonderful read - the structure of the book, starting at the end of WWII - makes it exciting to follow. In addition, the book delves into many of the early experiences of Nixon that shaped him, such as the deaths of his two brothers, his humble grocer upbringing, and the never-ending suspicion and hatred of wealthy, well educated political rivals.
Nixon is certainly a deeply flawed person, but his story has to be one of the most amazing ones in all of world history: to rise to the highest seat of power in the land on sheer grit, hard work, and an unapologetic approach to bare knuckle politics; only to fall into utter disgrace and exile. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about the best and worst aspects of politics.