First published 2014
Richard Nixon sits in the Oval Office, unaware that his voice-activated recording system captures every word he speaks. Between 1971 and 1973, the system records 3,700 hours of conversations across the White House and Camp David. Douglas Brinkley draws from professor Luke Nichter's digitization project to present transcripts that have never been published before. Nixon opens diplomatic relations with China, negotiates arms control agreements with the Soviet Union, and wins reelection by a massive margin. Yet Watergate investigations advance steadily toward his presidency. The recordings reveal Nixon's strategic thinking alongside his deep suspicions and overwhelming pride. Brinkley selects conversations that show a president's complex personality during pivotal moments. The transcripts capture Nixon's political calculations as his administration faces mounting pressure. Less than five percent of these recordings had been transcribed before Nichter's comprehensive effort made them accessible.
Genres: biography, history, 20th-century, political-science, non-fiction, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: unreliable-narrator
Setting: Camp David, China, Oval Office, Soviet Union, White House
Period: 1971-1973
758 pages · Hardcover · Houghton Mifflin Harcourt