The President's Man

The Memoirs of Nixon's Trusted Aide

By: Dwight Chapin

Narrated by: Will Damron

Length: 15 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

In time for the 50th anniversary of President Nixon’s epic trips to China and Russia, as well as his incredible Watergate downfall, the man who was at his side for a decade as his aide and White House Deputy takes listeners inside the life and administration of Richard Nixon.

From Richard Nixon’s “You-won’t-have-Nixon-to-kick-around-anymore” 1962 gubernatorial campaign through his world-changing trips to China and the Soviet Union and epic downfall, Dwight Chapin was by his side. As his personal aide and then Deputy Assistant in the White House Chapin was with him in his most private and most public moments. He traveled with him, assisted, advised, strategized, campaigned and learned from America’s most controversial president. As Bob Haldeman’s protege, Chapin worked with Henry Kissinger in opening China—then eventually went to prison for Watergate although he had no involvement in it.

In this memoir Chapin takes listeners on an extraordinary historic journey; presenting an insider’s view of America’s most enigmatic President. Chapin will relate his memorable experiences with the people who shaped the future: Henry Kissinger, his close friend Bob Haldeman, Choi En-lai, Pat Nixon, the embittered Spiro Agnew, J. Edgar Hoover, Frank Sinatra, Mark "Deep Throat" Felt, young and ambitious Roger Ailes, and John Dean. It’s a story that ranges from Coretta Scott King to Elvis Presley, from the wonder of entering a closed Chinese society to the Oval Office, and concludes with startling new insights and conclusions about the break-in that brought down Nixon’s presidency.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2016 Dwight Chapin (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

Great Insight into an Interesting Individual

A deep dive into the people behind the politician. A new perspective on an administration and several singular events in history. Very interesting in light of recent politics.

Long Overdue Book!

Very illuminating account from someone who was on the inside since the beginning. Mr. Chapin’s dogged insistence on minimizing the severity of the Watergate break-in after the number of years and separate accounts written on it are puzzling however. Bob Haldeman himself states in his own account (Ends of Power) that Nixon had been involved in the plot since the beginning. I was also disappointed in Chapin’s continued undying loyalty to former president Nixon as opposed to what more appropriately might have been (particularly given the benefit from a half century of hindsight) an even deeper commitment to the Constitution.

I believe him when he says he had nothing to do with the break-in, but it is too much of an ethical stretch for him to claim that the whole Watergate affair was simply the result of overly ambitious low-level dirty tricksters who lacked oversight.

Very good book though and well-written nonetheless. Narrator was excellent!

Very good

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.One of the best books I have listened to.A fascinating journey of a man who had great high and lows but never gave up on himself

One if the best

I have read scores of books on President Nixon. This is one of the best.

One of the best Nixon books on the market

Dwight Chapin's life with Richard Nixon is one of the most unique books out there. Chapin's memories are more about the people he worked with, life in the White House, and the big issues he worked on, then the scandal of Watergate. Watergate plays a part, but since Chapin was never directly involved in the crime, he could only relate what he heard about it.

I learned more about the personal side of Nixon than probably any other book I've read. Chapin's book is devoid of the bitterness that many memoirs of the 37th president contain. This is a well-narrated book that will interest anyone interested in the first term of President Nixon and the personal toll it took on many of its participants.

A Fascinating & Heartfelt Insider Account of the Nixon Presidency

I recommend this book to anyone interested in politics or American history. This is a closeup account of many of the major events during the Nixon presidency told by a man who was there. The descriptions of the China trips are especially interesting. As is the author’s unique reflections on “Watergate” and the people whose lives and careers it affected. The author went to prison even though he had no direct involvement or knowledge of the break-in itself. He remains a staunch admirer of President Nixon and his legacy.

Visit to Tehran So Well Descrribed

My family were living in Tehran when President Nixon and his wife visited. The author described all of the events so correctly, such as the Air Force General getting hurt in a terrorist attached and pedestrians getting killed by automobiles. The book covers the accomplishments of President Nixon. My favorite book on President Nixon.

The other side

It’s good to hear the other side of Watergate from somebody who was there. Well written and very good narration.

Still Whiny and Defensive After All These Years

Oy, so much whining, self-pity, wide-eyed naïveté, and self-justification. And so many dreamy-eyed memories of Nixon and Haldeman.

You have to wonder about his complete lack of preparation and/or complete lack of legal counsel to have given such patently false answers to the grand jury.

It’s a boring revisionist view of Nixon’s corruption. He still seems shocked that it happened at all. At no point does Chapin take responsibility for his own actions. Not worth the one credit.