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nuthatch's review
5.0
I remember the sudden disappearance of Spiro Agnew from the Nixon administration. At the time I didn't know just how much of a crook he was. I also didn't know he was an anti-Semitic, racist, con man. His schemes continued after he was removed from office. Voters need to be more cautious about the people they elect to high office.
lspargo's review
4.0
I didn't know much of anything about Spiro Agnew before listening to the podcast and reading this book. Well told story of the craziness that was happening at the same time as Watergate, and all the calculations that went into its conclusion.
cathync's review
5.0
This book is a quick read. It is meticulously researched. It is the story of the downfall of Spiro Agnew, who rose to the second highest office in the land, that of Vice-President to Richard Nixon. In the shadow of the Watergate scandal, Agnew's impropriety is barely a blip on the radar screen of history. But this man, who took bribes and kickbacks when he served as Baltimore County Executive, when he served as Governor of Maryland, and when he served as Vice-President of the United States, was a heartbeat away from ascending to the Presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal. The story of his negotiated plea of "no contest" to income tax evasion, and his simultaneous resignation of office is fascinating. Ten days after prosecuting Agnew in a federal courtroom in Baltimore, Attorney General Elliot Richardson resigned from office in Nixon's famed Saturday night massacre.
I highly recommend this book.
I highly recommend this book.
scarlet_thomas's review
4.0
I had always been curious about Spirow Agnew, the only U S Vice President to ever resign. His name was often mentioned by my father because his resignation coincided with my dad’s appointment by Nixon to the federal judiciary. I had always assumed Agnew was an early Watergate casualty. Little did I know that his resignation was completely unrelated , and he was, in fact, the furthest away from that scandal as anyone in the Nixon Administration. The reason was he was such a crook that nobody trusted him. This was a really interesting read for me as a legal / political junkie, especially in the era when my dad was heavily involved in politics and knew a lot of the key players at the DOJ. Well-written biography of this completely unsympathetic character.
amber_lea84's review
4.0
I don't watch the Rachel Maddow Show, and I don't remember hearing about this book or placing it on hold at the library.
But hey, here it is. And I read it.
I think the title is meant to make you think it's about Trump, but it's about Spiro Agnew, Nixon's vice president. He resigned in disgrace due to a "tax" scandal. But the real story is that he was accepting bribes, and when he got caught he was really good at deflecting blame. So good, in fact, that he perhaps wrote the Trump playbook.
Maybe consider this a spoiler, but to me the most shocking revelation in this book is that George H.W. Bush was involved in the attempted cover up of Agnew's crimes. He was sent to talk to the prosecutors brother on Agnew's behalf. Holy shit, what would have happened if he was busted for obstruction of justice?
Like just about everyone else, I knew way more about Watergate than I knew about anything that happened with Spiro Agnew. I recommend reading this if you're interested in presidential history, political corruption, or reading anything that is in any way related to Trump.
But hey, here it is. And I read it.
I think the title is meant to make you think it's about Trump, but it's about Spiro Agnew, Nixon's vice president. He resigned in disgrace due to a "tax" scandal. But the real story is that he was accepting bribes, and when he got caught he was really good at deflecting blame. So good, in fact, that he perhaps wrote the Trump playbook.
Maybe consider this a spoiler, but to me the most shocking revelation in this book is that George H.W. Bush was involved in the attempted cover up of Agnew's crimes. He was sent to talk to the prosecutors brother on Agnew's behalf. Holy shit, what would have happened if he was busted for obstruction of justice?
Like just about everyone else, I knew way more about Watergate than I knew about anything that happened with Spiro Agnew. I recommend reading this if you're interested in presidential history, political corruption, or reading anything that is in any way related to Trump.