Richard Nixon - Book Summary

Step into the complex world of Richard Nixon, a man beyond the scandal.

In the twilight of World War II, a pivotal decision awaited a Navy lieutenant and lawyer by the name of Richard Nixon. Returning from military service in the Solomon Islands, he faced a crossroads that would not only shape his own future but also the fabric of American politics for decades to come. As he took up his peacetime duty, settling contracts at an aeronautical facility in Maryland, Nixon chanced upon a conversation that would steer his life in an unexpected direction.

The man transitioning out of the role, Lieutenant John Renneburg, probed Nixon about his post-war plans. The choices were a mosaic of potential paths: Nixon could remain in military service; he could pursue the shimmering allure of a business career in Manhattan, a city that had charmed him and his wife, Pat; or he might revert to the humdrum rhythms of Whittier, California, where an uninspiring law firm career awaited.

Yet, there was another option — one proposed in a frugal, late-night call when long-distance rates dipped low enough to be affordable. A certain Herman Perry, from Whittier, had laid out a fresh opportunity before Nixon: the chance to run for Congress. Renneburg, struck by Nixon's solemnity and resolve, advised him to entertain the idea. Little did Nixon realize, this was more than a chance to drum up potential law clients — it was the prelude to an extraordinary political odyssey.

Join me as we uncover the journey that led Nixon to become the youngest vice president in a century, the striking defeat he suffered at the hands of John F. Kennedy in the 1960 election, and the sequence of events that inexorably drew him into the depths of the Watergate scandal.

From humble beginnings to halls of power: The early years of Richard Nixon.

When Richard Nixon stepped into the halls of Congress as a newly minted Representative at the age of 34, journalists heralded his arrival with endearing comparisons to national holidays. The Washington Times Herald pegged him as "as typically American as Thanksgiving" — a sentiment reflecting Nixon's rather ordinary and tough beginnings.

The year was 1913 when Richard entered the world in a modest bungalow his father, Frank, a man of Scotch-Irish temper, had erected. The dream of thriving as a lemon grower in Yorba Linda, California, had soured for Frank, pushing him to venture into a simpler livelihood by starting a gas station and grocery store in Whittier. The Nixon household swelled with the laughter and cries of four boys: Harold, Richard, Donald, and Arthur, with a late addition, Edward, joining much later.

Sadly, tragedy punctured this family tableau, claiming two of the Nixon sons to tuberculosis. The stern and withdrawn Richard, who went by Dick against his mother's preferences, felt the sting of these losses deeply.

But, adversity aside, Dick showcased a scholarly prowess. He was a voracious reader, a violinist, a thespian, and even a determined though unathletic football player. He dreamt of a future in law and politics, a dream that took him from Whittier College to the demanding academic environment of Duke University.

Graduating third in his class couldn't shield him from a barrage of rejections from New York law firms and the FBI. Resigned to his fate, Dick took his mother's advice and joined a legal practice back in Whittier. His early career faltered with losses, including a disastrously mishandled case and a doomed foray into the frozen orange juice market.

Yet, amidst professional tribulations and tales of woe, love found a way. Dick met Thelma "Pat" Ryan in a community play, and through persistent and modest courting won her affection. They married privately in 1940, just as the world braced itself for the tumult of war.

Like many young men of his generation, Nixon knew that military service would cast a long shadow over his political aspirations. Despite eligibility for exemption, he chose instead to enter the Naval Officer training in 1942. The following year, he shipped out to the South Pacific, returning home with an honorable service record and an eagerness to explore what lay ahead.

Looking into the future, Nixon, with Pat by his side, harbored ambitions that seemed outsized for a man of his reticent disposition and meager beginnings. Little did he know, his story was just unfolding - a narrative of ambition, adversity, and the relentless pursuit of power.

From obscurity to prominence: Nixon’s shrewd climb up the political ladder.

Dick Nixon's origins were unassuming, yet his dogged pursuit through academic and military ranks sculpted him into an ideal figurehead for the Republican cause. His stirring rhetoric, rooted in his veteran experience and a measured ideology, resonated across the political spectrum, casting a wide net of appeal. However, charm and eloquent orations were merely pieces of the electoral puzzle.

Facing off against the sitting Democratic congressman, Jerry Voorhis, Nixon had to employ more than charisma; he needed to cast shadows on Voorhis's reputable record. Contemporary anxieties provided the perfect backdrop — a swelling dread of Communist influence was sweeping across post-war America.

Voorhis had once championed anti-Communist legislation, but that was overshadowed by Nixon's strategically orchestrated campaign, fueled by insinuations and implicating associations. The strategy, masterminded with the assistance of the cunning Murray Chotiner, included a deft manipulation of Voorhis's voting history and dubious claims about his campaign finances, painting him as allied with Communist interests — all while Nixon himself engaged in questionable fundraising practices.

Pat Nixon watched this strategy play out with discomfort, but for Nixon, victory was paramount. By fanning the flames of public fear, he had identified a shortcut to success.

Once Nixon embedded himself in the political strata of Washington, his diligence shone. Selected for the influential Herter Committee, he impressed colleagues with his work ethic, leading to his appointment on the notorious House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), where his zealous pursuit of Communist infiltration elevated his national profile.

The watershed moment in Nixon's ascent arrived with his involvement in the case against Whittaker Chambers and Alger Hiss. Chambers, an ex-Communist turned journalist, accused Hiss, a prominent government official, of Communist affiliations. Hiss's smooth denials swayed the committee, except for the tenacious Nixon, who refused to let the matter rest, especially after Hiss derided his education.

Nixon's unyielding pursuit revealed the true nature of Hiss's deceit — he was, as Nixon had suspected, a Communist spy. The scandal that followed enthralled the nation, reinforcing Nixon's image as a relentless crusader against subversion. He often mused to those around him that Hiss's downfall was not the espionage but the efforts to conceal it.

Ironically, Nixon's own legacy would, in time, become entangled in this very cautionary tale about concealment. The foreshadowing was stark: The peril that entwined Hiss would one day become Nixon's own undoing.

A masterstroke of emotion: Nixon’s televised turning point.

Riding the crest of his victory in the Alger Hiss case, Nixon realized that the fiery banner of anti-Communism was a potent instrument in the political arena. With a Senate seat in his sights, he launched a campaign against Democrat Helen Gahagan Douglas, employing a now-familiar arsenal of insinuation and fear-mongering. Just as he had done with Voorhis, Nixon depicted Douglas as a sympathizer of the red menace. The strategy, while blunt, achieved its goal, and Nixon claimed his Senate seat, but not without earning the dubious moniker “Tricky Dick.”

Pat Nixon, increasingly weary with the machinations of the political world and the responsibilities of raising their two daughters, Tricia and Julie, found her life a series of unsettling compromises. Even the acquisition of a new house at a notably generous price did little to settle her concerns. Nixon, unrelenting in ambition, was already casting his gaze to the next prize: the vice presidency.

The Republican race for the 1952 presidential nomination was a battle of giants: Senator Robert Taft, Governor Earl Warren, and the universally respected General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Nixon, aligning himself with Eisenhower, maneuvered shrewdly and turned the tides in a move that would be dubbed the “great train robbery”, securing Eisenhower’s favor and sealing his position as running mate.

Yet, Nixon’s rapid ascension attracted scrutiny that threatened to upend it all. Accusations of financial misdeeds and whispers of slush funds cast a perilous shadow. Eisenhower, sensing the storm, contemplated severing ties. Nixon, however, was not one to fold under pressure. Instead, he orchestrated an unprecedented move: a nationwide television address that would pivot his fortune.

In what would become known as the “Checkers speech”, Nixon wove a poignant tapestry of his life — a tale of modesty, dedication, and familial love. He spoke frankly of his and Pat’s possessions and finances, countering the luxury of a mink coat with the understated dignity of a “respectable Republican cloth coat”. Then, the emotional gambit — the admission of accepting one political gift, a little spotted cocker spaniel named Checkers, adored by his daughters.

The speech was melodramatic, and to some, undignified, yet it captivated the nation. Nixon demonstrated that his talent for tactical influence wasn’t confined to political maneuvering in corridors of power. He could command the hearts of the public beneath the television lights with equal dexterity.

The Checkers speech secured his place beside Eisenhower. Together, they achieved victory, and by January 1953, Nixon — only seven years from his entry into Congress — found himself inaugurated as the vice president of the United States.

From the vice presidency to the political wilderness.

Eisenhower, while recognizing Nixon's talent, remained skeptical of his inexperienced vice president — a young man who had swiftly navigated his way to the second-highest office in the land. Seeking to cultivate Nixon's grasp of international politics, the president dispatched him on an exhaustive diplomatic journey. Alongside Pat, Nixon navigated the complex terrains of Asia and the Middle East with grace, leaving a lasting impression that boosted his image stateside.

Yet, Nixon was plagued by discomfort. His reliance on a potent blend of medication to manage stress and ensure rest, coupled with Pat's anguish over leaving her daughters behind, cast a shadow on their return. And in the background, the uproar from Senator Joe McCarthy's extreme anti-Communist crusade — an escalation even Nixon found unsavory — was a source of discontent. By early 1954, Nixon had confided to Pat his intention to retire from politics after the current term.

But a sudden heart attack struck President Eisenhower, and duty beckoned Nixon to fill the leadership void. He rose to the occasion, assuming the presidential responsibilities with somber efficiency. Eisenhower's recuperation introduced a new undercurrent of tension, with hints of mistrust toward Nixon's ambition. Despite this, the Eisenhower-Nixon ticket triumphed in a dominant re-election win in 1956. Entering his second term, Nixon appeared rejuvenated, prepared to reshape his legacy.

Nixon's past endeavors might have branded him as cunning, but his actions were not solely guided by cunning or self-interest. As the 1950s progressed, Nixon emerged as a prominent supporter of the Civil Rights Movement, fostering a meaningful alliance with Martin Luther King Jr. and championing the passage of the 1957 Civil Rights Act. He never gravitated toward the extremist fringes on progressive matters, consistently prioritizing the pragmatic pursuit of votes.

The 1960 presidential campaign tested Nixon as he wrestled for the Republican nomination and needed to walk a tightrope on civil rights to avoid alienating Southern voters. His caution backfired when Martin Luther King Jr. was imprisoned, and Nixon hesitated to intervene. This inaction allowed his rival, Senator Kennedy, to capitalize and curry favor with the African American electorate.

Kennedy's charisma and forward-looking stance presented a stark contrast to Nixon's austere demeanor in the groundbreaking televised debates. Though the results were narrow, Eisenhower's tepid endorsement and Nixon's unease with the shifting political landscape contributed to his defeat.

Nixon's descent into the political wilderness was marked by resentment and bitterness. He retreated to California, railing against perceived election fraud, and languidly embarked on a campaign for governor in 1962. His loss in this endeavor prompted mockery from none other than Earl Warren, echoing the political battles of the past.

Defeated but not entirely subdued, Nixon lurked on the fringes of the political theater, his future uncertain and his resolve tested. The years in the wilderness would serve as a crucible for transformation — whether for redemption or further controversy, time alone would tell.

Nixon's quest for a political comeback.

Following the sting of defeat, Nixon relocated to New York in 1963, seeking solace in the business sphere with assignments that took him across Europe and Asia. On a whim, he journeyed to Moscow, hoping to revisit his diplomatic dance with Khrushchev, but the encounter was not to be.

The shock of Kennedy's assassination that same year jolted Nixon, fueling a resurgence of his political ambitions. He believed his insight into the communist mindset was what America required, fostering a conviction that his time in public service had not yet expired.

As Nixon contemplated his return to politics, the country plunged deeper into the quagmire of Vietnam. The war, swelling under President Johnson's watch, was claiming the lives of numerous American soldiers each week. Though Nixon's stance on Vietnam wasn't definitive, his foreign policy prowess enabled him to mount a biting critique on Johnson's strategy — positioning himself as the harbinger of peace in anticipation of the 1968 election.

A peace candidate needs the backdrop of a war — and Nixon found himself in a delicate position when talks of an armistice between North and South Vietnam began. Behind the scenes, Nixon orchestrated a complex play, engaging intermediaries like Anna Chennault to subtly dissuade President Thieu from striking a deal until a potential Nixon administration could offer better terms.

While Nixon publicly denied such machinations, the evidence whispered of his direct involvement. The lengths to which he went to secure electoral victory through manipulation of international peace efforts stand as among the most controversial chapters of his career.

Against the turbulent tapestry of 1968, marked by the killings of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., Nixon triumphed in a peculiar three-way race featuring himself, Democrat Hubert Humphrey, and independent George Wallace. In the midst of national chaos, Nixon emerged not just as the peace candidate but as the avatar of stability for the "silent majority" — the generation longing for a return to order amidst societal tumult.

When Nixon stepped into the White House that brisk January day in 1969, the sense of personal validation was palpable. But the presidency greeted him not with a laurel wreath but with a labyrinthine crisis in Vietnam. Together with Henry Kissinger, his national security advisor, Nixon reckoned with the precarious situation, employing the "Madman Theory" in hopes that an unpredictable facade might coerce North Vietnam into submission.

One disturbing gambit was the covert bombing of neutral Cambodia in 1969, aiming to disrupt North Vietnamese operations. Tragically, this action inadvertently cleared the path for the Khmer Rouge's ascent and their subsequent reign of terror.

Nixon's pursuit of peace through aggression and subterfuge was paradoxical and fraught with consequence. It was a narrative that would define his presidency and his legacy — a tale of ambition, strategy, and the unintended shadows cast by political machinations.

The enigmatic leadership style of Richard Nixon.

Upon ascending to the presidency, Nixon revered the figure of Dwight D. Eisenhower, aiming to mirror the former president's decisiveness and moderated approach. Yet beneath the surface, sharp contrasts laid bare. Unlike the composed and sociable Eisenhower, Nixon grappled with a sundry of social obligations and often kindled rather than quenched crises. At his core, Nixon, the son of a grocer, bore insecurities that stood in stark contrast to Eisenhower's entrenched establishment confidence.

Nixon's presidency puzzled his aides, for he wielded power without a clear ideological compass. In Nixon's world, pragmatism reigned over principle — described as "neither fish nor fowl." His reservation on hot-button issues like gun control and gay rights spoke not to indifference but to a calculated avoidance of alienating potential voters. Even passionate rants captured in private recordings did not translate into rigid political positions for Nixon was always courting the electorate's favor.

Perhaps nothing exemplified this more than his stance on civil rights. While presiding over significant progress in school desegregation, Nixon avoided boasting of these achievements to maintain loyalty from Southern voters. His and Vice President Spiro Agnew's piano duet mocking their evasive race politics underscored Nixon's complex dance between progressivism and political expediency.

Yet, the public facade belied a man besieged by personal demons. Nixon's relentless work ethic stemmed from deep-seated insecurities, overshadowing his time with family. The shooting of student protesters at Kent State University in May 1970 profoundly disturbed him, leading to a spontaneous early morning sojourn to the Lincoln Memorial, where his attempts to converse with protestors fell flat.

The pressures of his role were exacerbated by a reliance on sleeping pills and a low tolerance for alcohol, inducing bouts of paranoia that were sometimes captured on audio tape. His voice, accompanied by the clinking of ice cubes, would occasionally slip into a slur — a tell-tale sign of his struggles.

In his quest to document his presidential decisions, Nixon installed a secret tape-recording system within the White House in 1971. These recordings would soon become a comprehensive archive of Nixon's order for surveillance and sabotage — a litany of actions against rivals, journalists, and those he deemed adversaries, fanning the flames of what would become one of the most notorious scandals in American political history.

A diplomatic masterstroke and a brewing storm.

As President Nixon's first term reached its climax, the heat of political pressures intensified. With eyes fixed on the 1972 election, Nixon yearned for triumphs that would dazzle the American public and silhouetted against this aspiration was the shadow of an indomitable China. The potential rekindling of relations with this long-estranged Communist giant beckoned as Nixon's ultimate diplomatic coup.

An overture of friendship commenced with the unexpected—American ping-pong diplomacy paving the way in 1971. Henry Kissinger, under the guise of illness, covertly jetted to Beijing, readying the stage for an event that promised to astound the world. Nixon, deft at maneuvering through political paradoxes, carried the credibility of a staunch anti-Communist, rendering him the ideal ambassador for this delicate mission.

February 1972 arrived, and the world watched with bated breath as Nixon ventured through China's historic landscape, navigating the Great Wall and indulging in the country's ancient cultural splendor. The visit signified a breathtaking departure from the frosty standoffs of the Cold War, and the American public reveled in the spectacle. Nixon himself heralded the journey as nothing short of revolutionary, a moment that rivaled the magnificence of the Great Wall.

However, this diplomatic achievement was not without its sacrifices. The turbulence enveloping the Dominion of Pakistan, particularly the atrocities in East Pakistan and the subsequent refugee crisis, exacted a heavy moral toll. Defiantly sidestepping condemnation, Nixon clung to Pakistan's crucial role as a gateway to China, a regrettable blemish on American foreign policy.

Amid the whirlwind of these momentous events, Nixon enacted a bold, unprecedented shift in the country's economic paradigm—severing the dollar's tie to the gold standard. A gamble of immense proportions, without a clear roadmap, was buoyed by Nixon's persuasive confidence, leaving future implications hanging in the balance, subordinate to the immediate allure of political victory.

With the election concluded, Nixon's sweeping victory reverberated across all but one state. Yet in the aftermath, tension brimmed beneath the surface of success. The aftermath of Vietnam and the disquieting inklings of the Watergate scandal gnawed at Nixon, ensnaring his thoughts and darkening the horizon of his second term.

When the seeds of scandal take root.

In the immediate afterglow of his daughter Tricia’s White House wedding, President Nixon's contentment saw a rude awakening with the press. His spontaneous, wrathful decision to exclude the Washington Post from future White House events foreshadowed the tempestuous times ahead.

Nixon juggled delicate international negotiations while domestic endeavors simmered on his presidential agenda. Yet, amongst these political maneuvers, a bombshell dropped: an unauthorized disclosure rattled the nation. The New York Times unveiled the Pentagon Papers, casting a stark light on years of blunders and misjudgments in the Vietnam War narrative. Despite the documents primarily staining the legacies of his Democratic predecessors, the implications for national security and Nixon's authority gnawed at him, fueling a flurry of paranoia.

With the Supreme Court thwarting Nixon's attempts at press restraint, he veered off the conventional path, increasingly unsure of where the boundaries of legality lay. The establishment of the Special Investigations Unit marked a dark turn, signaling a covert crusade against perceived adversaries irrespective of the ethical or legal constraints.

Presidents before had their share of covert schemes, yet Nixon’s carte blanche invitation to illicit activity was unprecedented. His unit's lack of finesse manifested in the botched Watergate operation—an episode more farcical than fiendish. Their mission to infiltrate Democratic headquarters and gather intelligence was doomed by their own clumsy execution and subsequent capture by law enforcement.

While Nixon's voice on the infamous tapes suggested ignorance of the break-in, his presidential instinct didn't steer him towards transparency or repudiation. Instead, his response was characterized by entrenchment and a determination to obscure the truth. History had shown, through his pursuit of Alger Hiss, that Nixon's Achilles' heel often lay not within the initial misstep, but within the shroud he drew over it — a pattern that threatened to replay itself on a vastly more consequential stage.

From scandalous tape to tearful departure.

In a crucial moment, six days post the chaotic Watergate break-in, President Nixon casually uttered words of agreement that would come to define one of the greatest political scandals in American history. On June 23, 1972, as his administration trembled on the precipice of exposure, the fateful counsel to impede the FBI's investigation into Watergate echoed a clear preference for concealment over confrontation, setting the stage for a relentless cover-up that would engulf his presidency.

The deception deepened with officials' perjuries and the cascading flow of hush money, while leaks to the Washington Post gradually painted a damning picture. Yet, Nixon's re-election prospects sparkled against his foreign policy showcases — the pioneering SALT negotiations and the promise of troop withdrawals striking a juxtaposition with the quagmire of Vietnam and its burdensome campaign.

Even as the election validated Nixon with staggering support from the voters, the shadow of his earlier dread resurfaced. The embers of Vietnam's unfinished conflict and the tenacious Watergate scrutiny now closed in on him. It was the avalanche of audio recordings from inside the Oval Office that unmasked Nixon's pivotal role, shattering his fortress of denials.

Struggling till the end, Nixon's valedictory to his administration was an awkward tapestry of bitterness and vulnerability, punctuated by recollections of family and faint hints of remorse. By August 1974, a solemn arc of the presidential helicopter bore the Nixons away from their concluded reign, with a defiant victory sign framed against the skyline.

In the aftermath, Gerald Ford took the mantle of leadership, extending absolution to Nixon through a presidential pardon, an act that squelched further legal reckoning but simmered with public controversy.

The subsequent years saw Nixon's faltering attempts at vindication and rehabilitation. He retreated into relative domestic tranquility, authoring books, and sporadically lending his foreign policy acumen when circumstances called for the voice of his experience. His counsel after the Tiananmen Square massacre invoked an echo of his earlier statesman identity. When Pat Nixon passed away, it was in their native Yorba Linda that she found her final rest, leaving Nixon privately incensed by perceived slights in the wake of her departure.

Nixon's own life drew to its close a year later at the age of 81. In a bitter-sweet irony, words from his inaugural promise — a hopeful vision branded as the mark of peace — are engraved as his legacy's summation, a poignant reminder of a tumultuous journey interwoven with indelible achievements and imperishable controversy.

Tracing the rise and fall of a political heavyweight.

Nestled in the humble simplicity of rural California emerged a figure who would stride across the global political stage with relentless ambition: Richard Nixon. From his early days, this child of modest beginnings forged a path through sheer tenacity and intellect, culminating in a law degree and a swift political ascendancy post-World War II. His brand of relentless politicking raised him to remarkable heights, landing him in the seat of the vice presidency as an unsurpassed youthful force.

The rebound from his 1960 election loss against John F. Kennedy showcased his indefatigable spirit, as he surged back to claim the presidency in 1968. Nixon's tenure, dotted with landmark achievements such as the thawing of relations with China, carried the sheen of international statesmanship. Yet, beneath the veneer of success, brewed a storm of paranoia and wrath. These very traits which had propelled him to heights of power would ironically engineer his historic descent in the infamous scandal that was Watergate. His legacy, a complex tapestry of political mastery and personal flaws, remains a captivating chapter in American history.