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andykhardy's review against another edition
3.0
Incredibly long and dense, almost labrynithian, but full of delightful bits and biting insight.
doctormabuse's review against another edition
5.0
Interestingly, Nixonland isn't a biography of Richard Nixon but instead more a history of the 1960s in America with Richard Nixon as the main character. Perlstein tells the story of the political, social, and cultural history of the U.S. in the '60s in very entertaining fashion, jumping from historical event to historical event with very satisfying in-depth analysis and exploration. Perlstein's most valuable contribution is his ability to see past the surface of historical actors' words and analyze their rhetoric and ideology with a precise clarity. Nixon becomes the perfect protagonist for such analysis because, as Perlstein makes clear, he was a master of politics and language and controlling the conversation. Nixon chose his public words very carefully, always making sure that the American public saw the version of himself (a down-to-Earth outsider who understood their frustrations, grievances, and resentments) that he wanted them to see. His actions were carefully taken as well. Nixon was able to craft coalitions with elements of the right that suited him when he needed, be they far-right John Birchers and Southern Segregationists, or moderate liberal Republicans like those who were likely to support George Romney or Nelson Rockefeller.
Perlstein believes that the present day culture wars and sociopolitical divides trace their origins to the mid 1960s and that Richard Nixon was the soothsayer who identified them first and was able to exploit them to his benefit, ultimately winning him the presidency. I do believe that the general reactionary right wing / progressive left wing cultural dispute probably is older than suggested here, but Perlstein is able to present evidence from every single part of American society (electoral politics, mass pop culture, academia, student organizing, housing, literature, military, labor) to demonstrate how this divide grew to become a great chasm in the 1960s.
Perlstein believes that the present day culture wars and sociopolitical divides trace their origins to the mid 1960s and that Richard Nixon was the soothsayer who identified them first and was able to exploit them to his benefit, ultimately winning him the presidency. I do believe that the general reactionary right wing / progressive left wing cultural dispute probably is older than suggested here, but Perlstein is able to present evidence from every single part of American society (electoral politics, mass pop culture, academia, student organizing, housing, literature, military, labor) to demonstrate how this divide grew to become a great chasm in the 1960s.
ehinrichsenjr's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
epersonae's review against another edition
5.0
I have a weird personal obsession with Nixon-related history, based in three tidbits of personal history:
# My grandmother was briefly in elementary school with Nixon, possibly in the 2nd grade.
# I was born the day he was pardoned.
# One of the better memories from the first years after dad died was asking Mom what Watergate was, when I saw a "Watergate Motel" while we were driving home from Disneyland, while I was staying up to help her stay awake on the drive. (After that, I borrowed her copy of All the President's Men. I think I was 11.)
So of course I snagged this pretty much as soon as I heard about it...or at least as soon as my turn came up at the library.
A fantastic book! Partially about Nixon, partially about the whole division of the culture that happened in the 60s & 70s, and how it burst into damn near open warfare. Clearly written, thoughtful, funny, disturbing. As usual, Nixon himself comes off as a nut, but within a nutty culture.
The strangest thing for me in this book was the birth in MYSELF of renewed hope for the future. The point being that we survived all that: cities on FIRE for DAYS, for god's sake. The sense of apocalypse that seems to have filled the air hasn't gone away, for sure, but we (as a culture) lived through that, we ought to be able to live through this. It's not a point the author deliberately makes; in fact, one of his points is that our culture still lives in the us vs. them world of Nixonland. But it's the conclusion that struck me most.
Highly, highly recommended. (For extra surrealism, try reading while laying on a beach on a lazy afternoon.)
# My grandmother was briefly in elementary school with Nixon, possibly in the 2nd grade.
# I was born the day he was pardoned.
# One of the better memories from the first years after dad died was asking Mom what Watergate was, when I saw a "Watergate Motel" while we were driving home from Disneyland, while I was staying up to help her stay awake on the drive. (After that, I borrowed her copy of All the President's Men. I think I was 11.)
So of course I snagged this pretty much as soon as I heard about it...or at least as soon as my turn came up at the library.
A fantastic book! Partially about Nixon, partially about the whole division of the culture that happened in the 60s & 70s, and how it burst into damn near open warfare. Clearly written, thoughtful, funny, disturbing. As usual, Nixon himself comes off as a nut, but within a nutty culture.
The strangest thing for me in this book was the birth in MYSELF of renewed hope for the future. The point being that we survived all that: cities on FIRE for DAYS, for god's sake. The sense of apocalypse that seems to have filled the air hasn't gone away, for sure, but we (as a culture) lived through that, we ought to be able to live through this. It's not a point the author deliberately makes; in fact, one of his points is that our culture still lives in the us vs. them world of Nixonland. But it's the conclusion that struck me most.
Highly, highly recommended. (For extra surrealism, try reading while laying on a beach on a lazy afternoon.)
jacodwelch's review against another edition
4.0
A prophetic book on politics in America. I think when most people hear Nixon, they think of the president who did Watergate. This book makes the case we should think of the Nixon as the one that left us in the state of polar opposite. I recommend Nixonland to anyone who has any interest whatsoever in the 1960s because it’s not really a biography about President Richard Nixon but a biography of America then and now. Great story telling through the times, if not slow at parts.
Sometimes I wish the author would trust in the reader to get the point, but overall an amazing read. I’d waste multiple months on it again
Sometimes I wish the author would trust in the reader to get the point, but overall an amazing read. I’d waste multiple months on it again
carmelitasita's review against another edition
4.0
Whew, what a tome! Nixonland is a factual, insightful book about the turbulent 1960's and the divisiveness that arose in the politics in the United States. I was fascinated by Nixon's political career, the way he was able to set an "us against them" tone to his rhetoric, how his lust for power led to the inevitable and infamous Watergate, and how he felt victimized throughout his presidency. A great read.