Richard Nixon

The Life

By: John A. Farrell

Narrated by: Dan Woren

Brilliantly researched, authoritatively crafted by a prize-winning biographer, this is the Nixon we've been waiting for.

Richard Nixon opens with young navy lieutenant "Nick" Nixon returning from the Pacific and setting his cap at Congress, an idealistic dreamer seeking to build a better world. Yet amid the turns of that now legendary 1946 campaign, Nixon's finer attributes quickly gave way to unapologetic ruthlessness. It is a stunning overture to John A. Farrell's magisterial portrait of a man who embodied postwar American cynicism.

Within four years of that first win, Nixon would be a US senator, in six the vice president of the United States of America. "Few came so far, so fast, and so alone," Farrell writes. Finally president, Nixon's staff was full of bright young men who devised forward-thinking reforms addressing health care, poverty, civil rights, and protection of the environment. It was a fine legacy, but Nixon cared little for it. He aspired to make his mark on the world stage instead, and his 1972 opening to China was the first great crack in the Cold War.

Nixon had another legacy, too: an America divided and polarized. It was Nixon who launched the McCarthy era, who set South against North, and who spurred the silent majority to despise and distrust the country's elites. He persuaded Americans to gnaw, as he did, on grievances - and to look at one another as enemies. Finally, in August 1974, after two years of the mesmerizing intrigue and scandal known as Watergate, Nixon became the only president to resign in disgrace.

Richard Nixon is an enthralling tour de force biography of our darkest president, one that reviewers will hail as a defining portrait, and the full life of Nixon listeners have awaited.

©2017 John A. Farrell (P)2017 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Farrell's blockbuster portrait of Nixon is revelatory - filled with fresh reporting shedding new light on the roots of our own dark political moment. He shows that dirty tricks, October Surprises, and anti-elitist resentment were among the gifts Nixon bequeathed to our own presidential politics." (Jane Mayer, author of Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right)

"John A. Farrell has once again delivered a rich, precisely written portrait of the past to help us understand the present. He traces the origins and turning points of one of the most complex, complicated and fascinating presidents of the modern age with flair and narrative skill. Each page is a joy to read, on the way to a very satisfying whole." (John Dickerson, moderator of CBS' Face the Nation and author of Whistlestop: My Favorite Stories from Presidential Campaign History)

"Richard Nixon's political career has all the nooks and crannies of an English muffin: the red-baiting of the early campaigns; Checkers; the Great Debates of 1960; the comeback in '68; the inheritance and horror of Vietnam; the historic opening to China; the shame of Watergate. In Richard Nixon, John A. Farrell is tough and unyielding, yet gives his subject a fair hearing through each gripping episode. 'I'm not a quitter,' Nixon once protested, and this grand, indispensable book proves him right, right to the end." (Chris Matthews, author of Kennedy & Nixon: The Rivalry That Shaped Post-war America)

Amazing

this is a true fact book about a terrific man. I thoroughly enjoyed reading or listening to it. I suggested to everyone, he was a terrific president.

GREAT STORY OF AN AMERICAN LEGEND

A solid and, mostly, fair telling of our 37rh President of the United States. Nixon's enemies and previous Administration were let off lightly, however. Still, worth the effort - Well done!

The narrator made this biography unforgettable.

The biography is excellent. Often a great book can be boring when read. Dan Widen

Terrific

Very good biography of Nixon, balanced and oddly moving. You get a real sense of the human being as well at the politician and president. Narration was just perfect, too. Highly recommended.

bookgirl

Insightful look at a complex man and time. extremely well narrated. A look at the strength and loneliness of Pat Nixon.

Sympathy for the Devil?

I inherited my father's contempt for President Nixon, but Farrell's biography gave me new found appreciation. Not a whitewashing of sins, but placing politics in the context of an entire life.

One of the best bios

Fascinating especially in the time of trump. The similarities are amazing. Couldn't "put down." Loved it!

Excellent

This is an excellent resource for understanding Nixon. Farrell takes a very fair approach in giving an adequate interpretation of an often very misunderstood president.

Riveting

The man was despicable about the story was riveting. I highly recommend this presidential biography.

Excellent, balanced bio

I didn’t think I’d ever want to listen to 22 hours about Richard Nixon- but found this book fascinating. A man who started out with solid values turned into a “crook” as a result of an increasing lack of self esteem that eventually turned to paranoia. I never knew all the good he did while President though- definitely worth the listen.