Nixonland

The Rise of a President and the Fracturing of America

By: Rick Perlstein

Narrated by: Stephen R. Thorne

Length: 36 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

From one of America's most talented historians and winner of a LA Times Book Prize comes a brilliant new account of Richard Nixon that reveals the riveting backstory to the red state/blue state resentments that divide our nation today.

Told with urgency and sharp political insight, Nixonland recaptures America's turbulent 1960s and early 1970s and reveals how Richard Nixon rose from the political grave to seize and hold the presidency.

©2008 Rick Perlstein. All rights reserved. (P)2009 BBC Audio

Critic reviews

"A richly detailed descent into the inferno - that is, the years when Richard Milhous Nixon, 'a serial collector of resentments,' ruled the land." ( Kirkus Reviews)

Excellent but sickening

Well done. It's amazing how corrupt and morally bankrupt Nixon was. How many soldiers and innocent civilians died waiting for Nixon's "secret plan" to end the war? As far as Watergate, anyone who says "every politician does the same" should read this book. Nixon takes paranoia, corruption, and just plain evil to new dimensions.

Long- But well worth the listen

I wasn't born until 1984- so I didn't experience the Vietnam and Nixon era first hand. This book is a great listen for younger generations who didn't live through the time period but want to find out more about it.

It is very comprehensive and Rick Perlstein does a good job of sticking to the facts without any political leaning.

Great account of stunning times

Perlstein covers riots, protests and violence in the 60s and 70s in great detail - because they were amazing in and of themselves, and because of his contention that civil unrest fractured America. Although his lengthy descriptions of civil unrest sometimes become tedius, the extent of civil unrest stunned me (I'm in my 20s), and convincingly prove his argument.

I also thought that Nixon was rather liberal for his talks with China and his creation of the EPA. But Perlstein shows how Nixon's idealogy and talking points contribute greatly to modern conservatism. Perlstein also shows how cynically Nixon used the war in Vietnam for political purposes.

You may be slightly overwhelmed by all the details in this book, but Nixonland is nevertheless extremely interesting for those interested in history and politics.

A good listen

This book wanders a bit while keeping the listener on top of what the stories of the day were during the Nixon years. My biggest complaint was the narrator's frequent mispronunciation of names and fairly common words, though his delivery was solid. Overall a detailed and deep look into the devious mind of a man who became his own worst enemy.

Great book marred by audio problem

The book is terrific and the narrator is mostly good. But there’s a technical issue that pops up about 2/3rd in: sentences that end with an s drop the s. So it will say “…for both party” instead of parties, “…popularity of Democrat” instead of Democrats. It happens dozens of times. Maybe over a hundred even. I hope Audible can fix it.

One of the best audiobooks I've read

This is a true, can't stop listening page turner. Incredible, well written, well narrated storytelling about a pivotal time in American history.

Very interesting and informative

Any additional comments?

I grew up post-Nixon and so it is difficult for me to imagine what that time frame was like. I think the author did an excellent job of telling the story in a way that you can feel the angst from both sides of the "Nixonland" political divided, because in a large part that is exactly what Nixonland is -- a state of mind. To have the reader really feel what it is like to be a liberal with an unsatisfied agenda who turns radical; a moderate who believes that everyone should be treated equal but can't understand why these groups have to resort to violence to get it (and correspondingly pushing these folks to a more conservative "law and order" bent); and the conservatives -- intent on "winning" in Vietnam and imposing law and order at home. And all the while -- Nixon is looming and manipulating the entire scene. It really does seem surreal.

My one criticism is really more of a "pull on superman's cape" type of critique. When the author is describing a scene where police/conservative forces are acting -- and where the public sees the law and order (or disorder), there is a tendency in the writing to take the reader out of that moment and say something like "and the police really didn't have any fear of that" or "the police had no evidence they were just busting heads." The psychology of these events is so important that it would have been helpful if he had listed the misdeeds that were discovered later in a footnote or at the end of the chapter.

Overall, though I really enjoyed this book!

I now know how Nixon became a crook

after reading this book I now know how RN became tricky Dick and a crook

poor reader

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This is a fascinating book! Didn't want to stop listening. The author is intelligent, lucid, a brilliant and entertaining historian. Too bad the narrator just doesn't get it. All is delivered in a monotonous, semi-ironic, rather manic style. Worst of all, he mispronounces big words as if he had never heard them, and names, etc. etc. "Thruston" for Thurston, "Huston" for "Houston," "Tune in, turn in, drop out" for Leary's famous "Tune in, turn ON, drop out," and on and on.

This is not to recommend NOT to get the book -- the history, the personality of Nixon and others, is compelling. But it really ought to have a reader who at least proof reads himself, and understands the material a little better.

Would you be willing to try another one of Stephen R. Thorne’s performances?

nope

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It's much too long to do that.

Excellent

Superior research and follow through. An excellent history that is incredibly relevant to our politics today.