From Publishers Weekly
Ambrose pulls no punches in his startlingly frank look at Nixon ("He was heroic, admirable, and inspiring while simultaneously being dishonorable, despicable, and a horrible example") but notes that while working on his three-volume project begun with Nixon: The Education of a Politician, 1913-1962 , he developed a deep admiration for many of Nixon's policies and--"to my astonishment"--a genuine liking for the man. This final volume reviews the Watergate drama, bringing into sharp focus how painful an ordeal it was for the nation and for Nixon himself. Ambrose pronounces President Ford's pardon of his predecessor wise and courageous. Down but not out following his resignation on August 9, 1974, Nixon emerged from his self-imposed California exile to launch a new campaign as senior statesman. Ambrose traces this path in detail, showing that by the summer of 1990 Nixon was "respectable, even honored, certainly admired." Highly recommended for those seeking to fathom the Nixon enigma.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Although Ambrose discusses Nixon's post-presidential roles as author and elder statesman, this final volume of his three-part biography ( Nixon: The Education of a Politican, 1913-1962 , LJ 5/1/87; one of LJ 's "Best Books of 1987"; and Nixon: The Triumph of a Politician , LJ 11/1/89) is largely the story of Watergate. Unlike Tom Wicker's One of Us: Richard Nixon and the American Dream ( LJ 2/1/91), which credits Nixon as a domestic success, Ambrose concludes that because of Watergate, Nixon's well-intended national and international programs were not "accomplishments but might have beens." The ultimate and, to Ambrose, tragic legacy of the president who wanted to be admired but not liked was the destruction of the moderate wing of the Republican party. Complemented by Roger Morris's Richard Milhous Nixon: The Rise of an American Politician and Herbert Parmet's Richard Nixon and His America (both reviewed LJ 12/89), Ambrose's three-volume biography is an indispensable acquisition for academic collections and is highly recommended for most public libraries as well. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 7/91.
- Karl He licher, Upper Merion Twp . Lib., King of Prussia, Pa.Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
