by Tim Weiner
First published 2015
Tim Weiner examines Richard Nixon's presidency using documents declassified in recent years. The Pulitzer Prize winner argues that Nixon's deep insecurity and distrust shaped his leadership of a nation divided since the Civil War. Weiner connects the Vietnam War directly to the Watergate scandal that ended Nixon's career. He traces Nixon's journey from facing hostile crowds at the White House to taking unprecedented actions against American citizens he viewed as enemies. The author uses recorded conversations between Nixon and his advisors to reveal the president's private thoughts and motivations. Weiner demonstrates how Nixon's paranoia led him to see threats everywhere, ultimately destroying the presidency he had sought. The book provides new understanding of both this turbulent era and the psychology of a leader who believed the world opposed him.
Genres: biography, history, 20th-century, political-science, political-thriller, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: unreliable-narrator
Setting: White House
Period: Civil War, Vietnam War
369 pages · Hardcover · Henry Holt and Co