First published 2018
Pat Buchanan stands at the center of the most turbulent presidency in modern American history. As Nixon's speechwriter and senior adviser, he watches massive demonstrations threaten to destroy the administration by fall 1969. Buchanan crafts the strategy that appeals to the "Great Silent Majority," sending Nixon's enemies into retreat. He authors Vice President Agnew's fiery attacks on media bias, helping drive Nixon's approval ratings to 68 percent. But crisis follows crisis. The Cambodia invasion triggers deadly protests at Kent State. Race riots erupt across the nation. Court ordered busing divides communities. Buchanan witnesses Nixon's groundbreaking journey to China and engineers the landslide victory over McGovern in 1972. When Watergate explodes, Buchanan urges Nixon to destroy the tapes and fire Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox. After testifying before the Watergate Committee, he faces the grim reality at Camp David in August 1974. Nixon cannot survive. Buchanan records both the triumphs and failures of the 37th President from his unique position inside the White House wars.
Genres: history, 20th-century, political-science, politics, biography-memoir, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: unreliable-narrator
Setting: China, Kent State, Camp David
Period: 1969, 1972, 1974
465 pages · Audio CD · Random House Audio