1970s Books - Page 4

The Presidency of Gerald R. Ford (American Presidency Series)

John Robert Greene

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Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

This is the first comprehensive study of one of our most popular yet most misunderstood presidents. Reaching well beyond the image of Ford as "healer" of a war-torn and scandal-ridden nation, John Robert Greene extends and revises our understanding of Ford's struggles to restore credibility to the presidency in the wake of Watergate and Vietnam.

Few presidents had ever been asked to achieve so much in so little time against such great adversity. Greene shows that Ford's efforts to lead the nation were severely hampered by Nixon's misdeeds, by America's ignominious disengagement from an unpopular war, and by a watchdog Congress eager to put a brake on presidential power.

Working from a wealth of recently declassified documents, Greene reveals new evidence on Ford's roles in Watergate and challenges the prevailing view of the infamous Mayaguez incident. He argues persuasively that Ford made no "deal" with Nixon, but that his pardon of Nixon was costly nonetheless, for it shadowed his entire presidency thereafter. He also shows that the Mayaguez catastrophe was less a simple "rescue mission" than it was an attempt to revive sagging political fortunes by attacking Cambodia.

In addition, Greene details Ford's rise to prominence within the Republican Party; chronicles the president's problematic relations with his staff, the new Democratic Congress, and Ronald Reagan; sheds new light on the selection and performance of Vice-President Nelson Rockefeller; offers new insights into the election of 1976; and provides the first in-depth look at Ford's Amnesty Program for Vietnam Era Draft Evaders.

Based on interviews with Ford and more than sixty individuals who figured prominently in his presidency and on extensive use of the Ford Library, Greene's study illuminates Ford's valiant efforts during some of the presidency's most troubled years.

This book is part of the American Presidency Series.

Years of Upheaval

Henry Kissinger

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Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

In Years of Upheaval Henry Kissinger recalls the turbulent years of the second Administration of Richard Nixon, which began on 20 January 1973. Two momentous events and their consequences dominate this account: the Watergate scandal, and the 1973 October war in the Middle East. The books opens at the Western White House on a summer afternoon in August of that year, when Dr Kissinger is told by the President during a poolside conversation that he is to become Secretary of State. The memories that follow are a rich compendium of his experiences in the months before and after appointment: an eerie trip to Hanoi shortly after the Vietnam cease-fire; efforts to settle the war in Cambodia; two Nixon-Brezhnev summits and the controversy over detente; the Shah of Iran; the oil crisis and the efforts to covercome it; the US airlift to Israel and the military alert during the Middle East war; the origins of shuttle diplomacy; the fall of Salvador Allende in Chile; and the events surrounding Nixon's resignation. His frank portrait of Nixon's last days is perhaps the most perceptive to date At once illuminating, fascinating, and profound, Years of Upheaval is a lasting contribution to the history of our time, by one of its chief protagonists.

It Seemed Like Nothing Happened: America in the 1970s

Peter N. Carroll

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Editorial Review:

The title of Peter Carroll's book, "It Seemed Like Nothing Happened", ironically reveals the message. The decade of the '70s was far from our common impression of the calm following the turbulent '60s. In this unique, comprehensive history of America during the 1970s, we learn about international developments: the war in Cambodia, Nixon's trip to China, the oil embargo and resulting gas shortage, the Mayaguez incident, the Camp David accords, the Iranian capture of the US embassy and the taking of hostages, and the ill-fated rescue mission. All this signaled a decline in American power and influence. We also learn about domestic politics: Kent State, the Pentagon Papers, Haynsworth and Carswell, the Eagleton affair, the rise of ticket splitting, inflation, recession, unemployment, Watergate, Agnew's resignation, the Saturday night massacre, Nixon's resignation, the pardon for draft evaders, Propostion 13, the politicization of organized religion, the conservative shift in the Democratic Party, and the Reagan electoral landslide.

Abuse of Power

Stanley Kutler

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Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Richard Nixon said he wanted his administration to be "the best chronicled in history". But when Alexander Butterfield disclosed the existence of a voice-activated taping system to a Senate committee in July 1973, Nixon's White House and its recordings quickly became the most infamous in American history. The tapes dominated the final two years of Nixon's presidency, and almost single-handedly forced his resignation. But only 60 hours were actually made public in the 1970s. Many thousands of hours remained secret and in Nixon's hands, and he fought fiercely to keep them that way right up to his death. Finally, thanks to a lawsuit brought by historian Stanley I. Kutler with the advocacy group Public Citizen, a landmark 1996 settlement with the Nixon estate and the National Archives is bringing over 3,000 hours of tapes to light. The initial release in November 1996 of over 200 hours of material comprised all those conversations concerning abuse of power-- every Watergate-related tape, as well as those concerning many other campaign misdeeds and some Pentagon Papers discussions. Finally, the full story of Nixon's downfall can be told. From Ehrlichman's saying, "Dean's been admonished not to contrive a story that's liable not to succeed" to Nixon's asking, "Is the line pretty well set now on, when asked about Watergate, as to what everybody says and does, to stonewall?" "Abuse of Power" reveals a much more extensive cover-up than ever realized. From Colson's announcing, "Well, we did a little dirty trick this morning" to Nixon's ordering a McGovern watch "around the clock" to the planting of a spy in Ted Kennedy's Secret Service detail, "Abuse of Power" redefines the meaning of campaign tactics. And from a worried discussion of Dwayne Andreas's "bag man" to Nixon's stating that the burglars "have to be paid. That's all there is to that", to a quiet conversation with Rose Mary Woods to see if there remained $100,000 in his safe for "a campaign thing that we're talking about", here is a money trail that anyone can follow. Packed with revelations on almost every page, the "Abuse of Power" tapes offer a spellbinding portrait of raw power and a Shakespearean depiction of a king and his court. Never have the personalities of Haldeman, Ehrlichman, Colson, Haig, Kissinger, Dean, and Mitchell been so vividly captured with the spoken word. And never has an American President offered such a revealing record of his darkest self.

Making It Perfectly Clear

Herbert G. Klein

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Tangled Web: The Making of Foreign Policy in the Nixon Presidency

William P. Bundy

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Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Muddled Message from an Inappropriate Messenger 1 out of 5 stars.
9 of 16 people found this review helpful.

Mr. Bundy puts the worst possible spin on every foreign policy initiative by Richard Nixon. Whatever truth there is in this tome is buried beneath a biased account told with the sort of arrogance which got us into the war in the first place. In fact, the primary virtue of this book is to give us insight into the intellectual and character flaws of the author, one of the major architects of the Vietnam fiasco. Above all else, this is an extraordinarily uncharitable and ungentlemanly work. Thanks to Mr. Bundy, his brother and the Presidents they served, Richard Nixon held the weakest hand of foreign policy cards of any President-elect since Abe Lincoln. Whatever his mistakes, Richard Nixon tried his best and he left America in a better position than the one he inherited from Mr. Bundy and his fellow conspirators, which is something Mr. Bundy cannot claim about his own public service. Common decency should have compelled Mr. Bundy to let someone else write this book. Someone else would have done a better job than this nasty, twisted, deeply flawed work.

Editorial Review:

A masterly study of the most celebrated legacy of the Nixon years, "Tangled Web" scrutinizes not only the details of the outcome of Nixon-Kissinger policymaking in every respect, but also provides an assessment of short-term gains and losses and enduring legacies. 16 photos. 5 maps.

13 Seconds: A Look Back at the Kent State Shootings

Philip Caputo

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Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Thirteen seconds passed. Sixty-seven shots were fired. One nation watched . . .

On May 4, 1970, Ohio's Kent State University was in chaos following President Richard Nixon's announcement that the U.S. bombing of Cambodia would continue, with student protesters on one side and the National Guard on the other. That day, young Chicago Tribune reporter Philip Caputo had been sent to the campus to cover what looked like just another student uprising. But by the time he arrived, things had erupted into one of the watershed moments of the antiwar movement, with four students dead and nine wounded in a hail of bullets fired by panicked guardsmen. Now, thirty-five years later, the author of A Rumor of War looks back on that terrible day, discussing his own emotions, the nature of political discourse and civil disobedience, and what happened to those who were there and how they still live with the pain and anger every day. It was a time when America turned upon itself and our nation's innocence was lost.

The 1970s (America's Decades)

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A manageable approach for introducing the 1970s. 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Books in the "American Decade Series" are designed to give its readers a glimpse of American history decade by decade. "The 1970s" is no exception. Historians often balk at the amateurish approach of presenting history decades by decade. While this approach may be somewhat simplistic, it can serve as an excellent teaching method for introducing new material to students.

"The 1970s" starts with a well rounded introduction, it then presents its thirty essays, or chapters from other books, on various issues prevalent in the 1970s. These topics are further broken down into international issues in the 1970s, national issues in the 1970s, environment, energy, and automobiles in the 1970s, popular culture in the 1970s, women's issues in the 1970s and from the 1970s into the future. The makeup and selection serves as a well-balanced approach to understanding the decade. No particular area is over represented. Each essay includes a brief bio of the writer. Additionally, the book is well served with an excellent chronology of events, recommendations for further study and an index. At 320 pages, "The 1970s" is a good choice for honor students in high school or possible a good textbook for a college level course on 20th century America.

Editorial Review:

During the 1970s, environmental and energy issues became increasingly controversial as lines at the gas pumps took center stage. Chapters discuss, in addition to these issues, domestic issues such as racial integration and the Watergate scandal, and international conflicts such as the end of the Vietnam War and the Iranian hostage crisis.

Nixon: A Life

Lebhar-Friedman Books

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Total reviews: 23 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

One of the most enigmatic figures in US History. 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Love him or hate him, the 37th President of the United States occupied the office at a critical time in our nations history.

British Member of Parlament Jonathan Aitken gives us a nuanced portrait of a highly complex man. Aitken, initially no admirer of RN's, paints a sympathetic portrait of a deeply flawed man who, in the end, was his own worst enemy.

While reading this book I could not help but recall the words of Henry A. Kissinger; "What would he have been like if some would have loved him?" I could not help but think of opportunities lost, such as a resounding victory in Vietnam, true detante' with the USSR, a China policy with lasting power, as well as true health care and welfare reform.

Instead we get a picture of a White House under seige almost from the moment of inaugeration. Although, it could be argued, RN sought for his moment since a child, once he reached the pinnacle he was unable to enjoy that which he strove so long for. We see an idiosyncratic Nixon who thought that sleep was a waste of time, talking to the press was a waste of time, and being friends with your enemies was a waste of time. The result? Caracatures of "Tricky Dick," a stiff, wooded figure who exuded no warmth or strength (unlike FDR and Reagan).

The criticisms of this book as being "too favorable" are not warranted. Throughout Aitken's book he strives not to paint a uni-dimensional portrait of Nixon; to do so requires a great deal of journalistic jujitsu at times because RN is so quirky. Notwithstanding, we have a volume that properly gives RN credit where he is due, and one that takes him to task when need be. The fact that ANYONE says something positive about Nixon is a bit much for some because of the fact that we have been conditioned to only see RN in his darkest moments.

Editorial Review:

Offering a bold reassessment of the enigmatic character of Richard Nixon, this biography, the first written with his full cooperation, tells the story of his controversial and diplomatic career as seen by a member of the British Parliament.

Nightmare: Underside Of Nixon Years

J. Anthony Lukas

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Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

This extraordinary book had an extraordinary genesis. In July 1973, for the first time in its history the New York Times Magazine devoted a full issue to a single article: Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Anthony Lukas's account of the Watergate story to date. Six months later, a second installment ran in another full issue. Later the Times asked him to write still a third issue on the impeachment. This piece never appeared because it was overtaken by Nixon's resignation. But Lukas's painstaking reporting on Nixon's last months in office appears here, twenty-five years after his resignation, for the first time in paperback, along with added information on every aspect of Watergate. Widely acclaimed as a major text of the Watergate saga, J. Anthony Lukas's Nightmare, with a new foreword from presidential historian Joan Hoff, is an investigative masterwork highlighted by in-depth character sketches of the wide array of key players. As described by Publishers Weekly, "The result is a model of measured judgment and of careful selection and synthesis, and it is presented with such masterly narrative skill that one reads the old familiar story as if it were all new and fresh". For students of history coming to these events for the first time, Nightmare reveals in depth the particular trauma of a nation in turmoil; for those who remember, it is once more brought to life.