Book Description

Jack Nicklaus: Golf's Greatest Champion is an intimately penned biography following the life and times of the Golden Bear. Mark Shaw takes the reader on a trip through history from Jack Nicklaus's childhood and early golf training with his mentor, Jack Grout, to his success on the Senior PGA Tour. Along the way, the reader finds anecdotes from Nicklaus's family, closest friends, golf rivals, and associates; career statistics; and analysis of Nicklaus's playing theories. Shaw paints a portrait for the reader of Jack, the golfer; Jack, the family man; and Jack, the golf course designer and businessman. With the energy of a life-long fan, Shaw concludes the book with arguments why Jack Nicklaus should be recognized as the greatest golfer in the history of the sport. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Jack is the greatest
This is the best book on Jack Nicklaus I have ever read. It details his career, but more important, insights into Jack's mind and his strategy. Tiger may be on his trail, but until he racks up a few more championships, Jack is the greatest. This is a must-read for Nicklaus lovers and there are many of us out there.

Atrocious Nicklaus book
Actually, a quarter of a star. Hampered by overstylized, crummy writing; apparently no copyediting or proofreading, so mistakes aplenty; and, amazingly, zero quotes from Nicklaus. Author has a love/hate relationship with Jack. Just can't get the golden bear to speak to him. Does author really believe that Nicklaus--not Tiger--is golf's greatest champion? Even Nicklaus would find that hard to swallow. So was this sham of a book. ... Read more

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An Excellent Book
Tells the story of 6 crises which happened at a very unstable time. Worth reading, even if you don't like Nixon.

One of the best books ever written by a former President...
Published in 1962, "Six Crises" by Richard Nixon is easily one of the best-written and most interesting books done by a US President. This book was a bestseller and even today it is regarded as a worthwhile read, largely because of its' insights into Nixon's mind and character. Fittingly, the book isn't an autobiography or a political memoir; instead it focuses upon what Nixon considered to be the six greatest moments of his political career up to 1961. The first crisis is the infamous "Hiss Case" in 1948, which elevated Nixon - then an unknown junior Congressman - into national prominence for the first time. The case started when Whittaker Chambers, a former Communist-turned-AntiCommunist magazine editor, accused Alger Hiss, a high-ranking member of the State Department, of being a Communist spy for Russia. The case made national headlines, and Nixon - a member of a congressional committee investigating Communism in the US - used the case as a springboard to the US Senate. The second crisis occurred during Nixon's first Vice-Presidential campaign in 1952, when he was accused by the press of being a crook who took bribes. Eisenhower considered forcing Nixon to resign as his running mate, but Nixon saved his career with the famous "Checkers" speech on national television (Nixon prefers to call it the "Fund" speech). The third crisis happened in 1955 when President Eisenhower had a serious heart attack, and until he recovered Vice-President Nixon had to be the "acting President" for a few weeks - a delicate task, but one Nixon performed quite well. In 1958 Vice-President Nixon and his wife Pat made a "goodwill" tour to South America, but were attacked and nearly killed by pro-Communist mobs in Venezuela - thus the fourth crisis. The fifth crisis came a year later when Nixon went to Moscow, where he engaged in a famous debate with Soviet leader Nikita Krushchev in a mock American "kitchen" that had been set up to show Russians how the ordinary American family lived. Although the debate was heated, most observers felt that Nixon had gotten the better of Krushchev. The most interesting part of the book for me was the last crisis - the legendary 1960 presidential campaign between Vice-President Nixon and Senator John F. Kennedy. Nixon offers a well-written account of his view of the campaign. What really makes this book fascinating is what it reveals about Nixon the man - his emphasis on handling "crises", his obsession with maintaining his self-control during these crises, and the way in which he seems to place "events" above people - when talking about the mobs who attacked his limousine in Venezuela, he barely mentions his wife, who was also in grave danger - instead he focuses upon his own reaction to the attack and analyzes his own reaction to the mobs. In this book Nixon tries to present himself as a calm, cool, and rational man who always makes the best decisions - yet as his Presidency (and especially Watergate) would show, the "real" Nixon was often very different from the unemotional and logical figure presented in this work. Even so, this book is still a worthwhile read - it is very well-written and it examines several of the greatest events of a major politician's career from his personal perspective. Recommended!

Its OK
Nixons only honest book. Much better than his post presidency books that are the same thing over and over again. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Will change how you think about world affairs.
Professor Thornton leads us through the labyrinth of foreign policy decision making during the Nixon Administration and the subsequent Kissinger "Shogunate." The reader must be prepared to think *strategically*, i.e. to consider apparently isolated events in a larger, global context. In other words, Thornton challenges us to think about world affairs just like the actual players did (and do).

Caveat: this is not a right-wing conspiracy-type book. It is a serious text on recent American and world history. People looking for a sensational ride through the subterranean passages of governmental power would probably be better off elsewhere.

Thornton does suggest explanatory models that are quasi-revolutionary, e.g. that Nixon's fall was the result of a commonplace political entrapment scheme by Kissinger, which led directly to (among other events) the fall of South Vietnam. Does that morsel sound tempting to you? The book is full of them. (I especially love Dr. Thornton's description of Watergate burglar G. Gordon Liddy - look up Liddy's name in the index to find the passage.)

Dr. Thornton is a Professor at George Washington University's School of International Affairs. He is an expert on China and its history (and he speaks several Chinese dialects). He is the "real McCoy" with a pedigree that includes a career in U.S. Air Force intelligence. ... Read more

Book Description

"One of the most revealing documents of the Reagan years." --The Wall Street Journal ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Funny, Informative and Insightful
Lyn Nofziger was part of Ronald Reagan's hard-core conservative inner-circle since before the time Reagan was governor of California. In this book, Nofziger provides historical insights that help us understand the Reagan we knew; as well as to reveal to us a side of Reagan we never knew. Nofziger writes about the good times as well as the bad and shows how the Reagan Team bonded and evolved over the years. It's a fascinating recollection from a man who not only was there, but who knew Reagan intimately. Nofziger's memoirs provide the reader with a greater insight and appreciation for the man we called The Gipper. The end of the book is somewhat disheartening as it reveals the demise of the inner-circle during Reagan's second term as President. As someone with a romantic view of the Reagan Era, it was eye-opening to discover how badly the Reagan Revolution was undermined from within. But, you have to be willing to accept the good with the bad. And this book will most definitely give you both. A must read for all Reagan fans. Oh, and Nofziger is as funny as hell.

Highly entertaining
Nofziger is not the hilarious donnybrook that Ed Rollins' book covering the same eras is, but it's more circumspect, more low-key, and less emotional. But it's emotional enough, and it's occasionally very funny too. Especially valuable is the inside information on Reagan's unsuccessful 1976 run. Like Rollins, Nofziger believes that Reagan's executive style of management (i.e. knowing his place) was a great strength, but his remoteness and inattention to detail also led to the appointment of the people (Baker in particular) who undermined his conservative philosophy and shunted his key advisers (e.g. Meese). This directly led to the ineffective second term and the Bush years. Thus the "revolution" was largely DOA. Nofziger is one of the good guys in politics. Honest and not self-aggrandizing. If only there were more of him in Washington. He maintains a site out at lynnofziger.com. ... Read more

Book Description

Ecce Homo is an autobiography like no other. Deliberately provocative, Nietzsche subverts the conventions of the genre and pushes his philosophical positions to combative extremes, constructing a genius-hero whose life is a chronicle of the incessant struggle to overcome himself.Written in 1888, a few weeks before his descent into madness, the book sub-titled ""How One Becomes What One Is"" reviews all of Nietzsche's previous works so that we, his ""posthumous"" readers, can finally understand him on his own terms.He reaches final criticism of his many enemies--Richard Wagner, German nationalism, ""modern men"" in general--and above all Christianity, proclaiming himself the Antichrist. Ecce Homo is the summation of an extraordinary philosophical career, a last great testament to Nietzsche's will. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Boring
I bought this book because I know that Nietzsche is considered one of the most important philosophers of all times and wanted to learn something about him. I tried before to read "Thus Spake Zarathustra" but it was very hard to understand anything, so I decided to buy his autobiography in the hope of finally learning something.
The book is hard to read, his ideas are not clear, but at least the book is thin so you can read it fast (one day is enough). Thanks god (oh, I forgot he is dead!)! I would not read it to the end if it were thicker.
The conclusion is: if you are not an expert in philosophy or had not attended to many lectures explaining Nietzsche, do not waste your time reading this book. Read the explanations of Nietzsche's thoughts by other authors and you will learn much more.

Celebrate Self and Life!
I first read Nietzsche's Ecce Homo in August 1988. I bought another copy in October 1989 to read again to decipher more of Nietzsche's wit. On the inside cover of the first reading I wrote, "The style and the language of the writings of Nietzsche are ingenius! He stands alone with honor and respect. Psychologically dangerous to one's health for its extravagant and eloquence of expressed ideas, it is nevertheless psychologically beneficial as an eye-opener to affirm SELF and celebrate LIFE!"

nietzsche's most bizarre book--and that's saying something
"ecce homo" is certainly the most, eh...'unusual' autobiography i've ever encountered, and has a fascination all its own, but i would take nietzsche to task for his constant criticism of scholars and those prefer to live in the imagination and language rather than in what he preferred to think of as 'reality. this kind of positivistic nonsense is what makes me prefer schopenhauer's philosophy to nietzsche's, in the end. its odd that a man with the sensitivity, perceptiveness and intelligence of nietzsche never seemed to realize that after awhile, the external world of people, things, egoism and power seeking simply becomes a tiresome bore. still, though, the concept of the dionysian is intriguing and the fiery, poetic quality of nietzsche's prose keeps the reader riveted to his unbelievably original thoughts and indispensable critique of christian beliefs and ascetic ideals.

the titles of the chapters are slightly amusing--"why i am so clever", "why i write such good books", "why i am a beginning". this isn't a question of not worrying about modesty, but one of impending insanity. its almost as though on some level nietzsche was aware that the end was near and that he needed to write something that expressed his heart and soul before he fell apart completely. one of the most stunning parts in the book are nietzsche's wholly accurate predictions for the twentieth century:"there will be wars such as mankind has never seen before." he said it with a certain delight, no doubt, but nonetheless, this man possessed the intuition and foresight of an almost mystical kind, although he would punch me in the mouth for saying that. he also admits some curious things about himself that contradict his professed philosophy more than slightly:"i know nothing of the 'heroic', i know nothing of 'will'. my being would rather say 'no' than 'yes'; in fact, it would rather say nothing at all." this, from the eternal yea sayer? "ecce homo" offers some curious insights into the actual psyche of the man who preached life affirmation with his more formal works.

How to Truly Write Autobiography...
"I possess a perfectly uncanny sensitivity of the instinct for cleanliness, so that I perceive physiologically, smell the proximity, or - what am I saying? - the innermost parts, the 'entrails', of every soul... I have in this sensitivity psychological antennae with which I touch and take hold of every secret: all the concealed dirt at the bottom of many a nature, perhaps conditioned by bad blood but whitewashed by education, is made known to me almost on first contact."

-- Friederich Nietzsche, Ecce Homo

Ecce Homo is not a book of philosophy. It is not, for that matter, a book that conforms to any conventional genre of literature to which one can relate from ordinary reading. Rather, it is an elaborate anamnesis, a haunting excursion into the strange world of a moral hygienist, written by one of the most peculiar, though no less intriguing, minds of modern European history.

Very much out of line with the spirit of autobiography, Nietzsche ridicules with remorseless cynicism the very idea of writing a book about oneself. He begins his chapters with such titles as, "Why I Am So Wise", "Why I Am So Clever", "Why I Write Such Good Books", and "Why I Am A Destiny". Such titles, so egregious and perverse, deride the sheer arrogance presupposed by the writing of autobiography. For, if we are to be honest with ourselves, autobiographies are little more than shameless excercises in self-indulgent egotism, written exclusively for the scandalous purpose of public consumption. At no point does Nietzsche exhibit the sort of false modesty with which autobiographers make a mockery of their readers. What is presented in this book is something quite different. The readership here is never assumed to be a general audience. Marketing played was given no consideration in the writing of this book. Nietzsche takes little care (none, in fact) not to offend the reader. He writes absolutely whatever springs to mind, laying bare in defiantly candid terms his essential line of thinking, more rightly described as his 'essential attitudes', esteeming everything pleasing to his instincts and lashing out with utmost violence against every conceivable source of putrefaction and disease - German culture, Christianity, modern industrialism, the obsessive 'scholar' and bibliophilic pedant, dispiriting weather, and even English cookery. Herein lies Nietzsche's famous declaration: "I am the anti-ass par excellence and therewith a world-historical monster - I am, in Greek and not only in Greek, the Anti-Christ..."

Ecce Homo follows no chronological order. It reads quite erratically, touching upon the most random points of concern (one might say fetishes) in Nietzsche's brief, but profound life. He elaborates with great passion upon his love of Wagnerian music, his intimate hatred for false 'idealism', and the destructive consequences of excessive rationalism. " 'Rationality against instinct. 'Rationality' at any price as dangerous, as a force undermining life!" He emphasizes endlessly the importance of intellectually and spiritually conducive surroundings, of "[s]electivity in nutriment; selectivity in climate and place", making it painfully clear that Germany was thoroughly godforsaken in this respect. The reader is given a refreshing sense of what is means to be cultured and civilized in Nietzsche's view. He reveals his love of Italian life, French cuisine, and Moorish architecture. He also has been described as having an extraordinary perception for diagnosing symptoms of social rot. Nearly all of Europe, with its embrace of industry and technology, was condemned by Nietzsche as being sick to the bone. Christianity is used as an unfailing example of what it means to be truly dirty in both body and mind. Surprisingly thrown into this wild mix of bitter damnation is alcohol, entirely shunned by Nietzsche for being an influence as criminal and destructive in its effects as Christianity itself: "Alcoholic drinks are no good for me; a glass of wine or beer a day is quite enough to make life for me a 'Vale of Tears'...To believe that wine 'makes cheerful' I would have to be a Christian, that is to say believe what for me is precisely an absurdity".

Of practical value and written in the most coherent fashion are the individual chapters devoted to each of Nietzsche's books. These chapters present a 'lightning tour' of his philosophy, giving concrete definition to his most celebrated ideas. The reader is given a taste of the elevated euphoria that went into the writing of the Gay Science. Nietzsche generously quotes from Thus Spake Zarathustra, highlighting its most graceful passages in which his lyrical talents shine forth in resplendent brilliance. In the chapter titled, "The Untimely Essays", Nietzsche offers his views of scientific management and modern industrialism, unveiling "what gnaws at and poisons life, in our way of carrying on science: life sick with this inhuman clockwork and mechanism, with the 'impersonality' of the worker, with the false economy of 'divison of labor' ". Such openly Marxist overtones belie all attempts to characterize Nietzsche as the unsuspecting prophet of fascism.

Nietzsche possessed, among other things, an exceptional gift for conveying seemingly simple ideas with a profound, hammering intensity. In these pages, one will encounter a uniquely superior command of language, in lines of unrivaled grace, eloquence, and passion, and laced with the sort of formidable literary power that will violently shake the ground beneath one. It is said that Ecce Homo is "one of the supreme masterpieces of German prose". I would go so far as to suggest that R.J. Hollingdale's translation of this magnanimous work is one of the supreme masterpieces of *English* prose.

"I can write in letters that make even the blind see." -- Nietzsche, The Anti-Christ

Portrait Of An Ubermensch
In Ecce Homo, Nietzsche, clocked in the overt convention of the critical autobiography, lashes out at the practice of divorcing art from action. He takes aim at the reification of the linguistic world, which he believes has grown at the expense of the pre-linguistic world and his quarrel is with those who use words to mediate their experiences in the world in order to deny their own heroic capabilities.

"Saying 'Yes' to life," says Nietzsche, "is its strangest and hardest problem; the will to life rejoicing over its inexhaustibility even in the sacrifice of its highest types--that is what I call Dionysian, that is what I understood as the bridge to the psychology of the tragic poet." This Dionysian status, he goes on to say, is not gained through "thumbing through books," but by suffering through experience and rejoicing in the vitality of living.

Nietzsche also writes, "In questions of decadence I am experienced." In this he intimates his own experience of life denial through words and his imagery compares intellectual endeavors with physical conditions, e.g. digestion.

"The German spirit," he says, "is an indigestion: it does not finish with anything." Nietzsche uses the human stomach as a metaphor of the reification of the linguistic world. The stomach digests food by breaking it down into its component parts, readily recognizable to physiology but having little to do with the original product.

An orange, after all is not just vitamin C. Furthermore, says Nietzsche, what the body cannot use is rejected as waste product. When disorders of the stomach occur, the body cannot distinguish between waste and nutrient and consequently it churns endlessly, causing distress to the entire organism. Nietzsche, himself, is not embarrassed by his experience of decadence but sees it as something which has given him a special sensitivity to the "signs of ascent and decline."

For Nietzsche, the world is a chaotic place, given order only by the imposition of human will. Humans, in this way, says Nietzsche, create something out of nothing. However, in the face of the "abyss," man creates and acts as if his creation is real, in such a manner as to allow himself the vital and joyous activity of affirming the very importance of his creation. The heroic figure then moves on towards greater acts of creation using each personal, willful creation as a stepping stone, not towards an ultimate goal, but towards other projects. Nietzsche tells us to beware of the organizing "idea" which "...leads back from side roads and wrong roads...as a means towards a whole." The endless road of "becoming" is traveled by a will which is excited and invigorated by its trip, enjoying its stops along the way, but which ultimately has no other purpose but to go further and further as the journey becomes more and more exhausting.

For Nietzsche, the battle is always emphasized over the goal. It is a simple matter, he tells us, to conquer that which is already beneath you. To move beyond that which is your equal is the real test of the will. This is the essential process of "overcoming" which leads one higher and higher, eventually reaching the experience of the "tragic." As the linguistic world becomes more and more complex, its position in relation to nothingness becomes more and more precarious. This situation threatens a fall of apocalyptic proportions, for it is necessary for the tragic aesthetic that there be a certain height to the descent. For Nietzsche, rejoicing in the sacrifice of the highest types is a key element in experiencing tragedy.

"...and whoever wants to be a creator in good and evil, must first be an annihilator and break values." Creation, according to Nietzsche presupposes the willingness to destroy. The order we impose upon the world is a constraint upon us when the time to overcome occurs, and at such times, the spirit of the Ubermensch is needed in order to decimate the linguistic constructs that we have come to depend upon. For original, creative activity to be allowed, there must be nothing available to plagiarize or react against. Nietzsche refers to this resignation in the face of the void as "Russian fatalism" which occurs when the individual no longer attempts to "...accept anything at all--to cease reacting altogether."

In the end, for Nietzsche, nobility of spirit is akin to a meniscus, relying on the tension created by contrasting nothingness with creation. It can tolerate very little unequal pressure; too much and it ruptures. And aesthetically pleasing life is to be sought in that in between area inaccessible to words or to action alone. Ironically, Nietzsche's severe philosophy seems to advocate a kind of moderation. For the truly heroic figure is valued for his ability to live a life in which he moderates the need for order with the desire for creative action. Standing between empowerment and dissolution, as he must, the hero, says Nietzsche, is as deserving of "songs of praise" as is any god. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Nixon
This book gave an excellent general view of Nixon's life. It was not a good source of information if you were doing a college biography, but it was good. ... Read more

Book Description

This English translation of Friedrich Nietzsche in seinen Werken offers a rare, intimate view of the philosopher by Lou Salomé, a free-thinking, Russian-born intellectual to whom Nietzsche proposed marriage at only their second meeting.

Published in 1894 as its subject languished in madness, Salomé's book rode the crest of a surge of interest in Nietzsche's iconoclastic philosophy. She discusses his writings and such biographical events as his break with Wagner, attempting to ferret out the man in the midst of his works.

Salomé's provocative conclusion -- that Nietzsche's madness was the inevitable result of his philosophical views -- generated considerable controversy. Nietzsche's sister, Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche, dismissed the book as a work of fantasy. Yet the philosopher's longtime acquaintance Erwin Rohde wrote, "Nothing better or more deeply experienced or perceived has ever been written about Nietzsche."

Siegfried Mandel's extensive introduction examines the circumstances that brought Lou Salomé and Nietzsche together and the ideological conflicts that drove them apart. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A personal psychological expert on Nietzsche
The German version of this book, published in 1894, about 108 years ago, was among the first books written about the books of Nietzsche. The photograph on the cover was taken in May, 1882 and a portion of it (as shown on p. 132) appeared in her book with the caption, "Friedrich Nietzsche, formerly professor and now a wandering fugitive" (p. ix), as Nietzsche had described himself in a letter to the third person in the picture in 1879, "referring to the severance from his ten-year position at the University of Basel." (p. ix). These people are all dead now. When she was 20, Lou wrote a poem "To Sorrow" (pp. xlviii-xlix) which praises it as "the pedestal for our soul's greatness." (p. xlix).

Lou reported a conversation about the changes in his life in which Nietzsche raised the question, "When everything has taken its course--where does one run to then?" and told her, "In any case, the circle could be more plausible than a standing still." (p. 32). She described his books as the product of "his last period of creativity, Nietzsche arrived at his mystical teaching of the eternal recurrence: the picture of a circle--eternal change in an eternal recurrence--stands like a wondrous symbol and mysterious cypher over the entrance to his work." (p. 33).

This book does not have an index, and the notes on pages 160-8 merely clarify a few things, such as the date of the letter from Nietzsche to Lou at the beginning of Part III Nietzsche's "System" on page 91 which Lou used without the final comment, "be what you must be." The possibilities might not be considered so great. "In that regard, if the sickliness of man is, so to speak, his normal condition or his specific human nature itself, and if the concepts of falling ill and of development are seen as almost identical, then we will naturally encounter again the already mentioned decadence at the culmination of a long cultural development." (p. 102). The ascetic ideal "is also a third kind of decadence which threatens to make the described illness incurable and threatens the possibility of recovery. And that form of decadence is embodied in a false interpretation of the world, an incorrect perception of life encouraged by that suffering and illness. . . . every kind of intellectualism extols thinking at the expense of life and supports the ideal of `truth' at the expense of a heightened sensation of living." (p. 103). "In respect to Nietzsche's own psychic problem, it is of less interest to determine correctly the historicity of master morality and slave morality than it is to ascertain the fact that in man's evolution he has carried these contrasts, these antitheses, within himself and that he is the consequent sufferer of this conflict of instincts, embodying double valuations." (p. 113). Ultimately, "Nietzsche's thought of the Dionysian orgy as the means for release of the emotions" (p. 127) are considered "the necessary conditions for the creative act out of which one shapes the luminous and godly." (p. 127). Nietzsche and Schopenhauer are tied to "the deeply pessimistic nature of the Greeks because their innermost life, as revealed through the orgiastic, was one of darkness, pain, and chaos." (p. 127). Art is the answer, here. "The highest or the most religious art is the tragic because within it the artist delivers beauty from the terrifying." (p. 128). Modern society can hardly be comprehended without accepting that much of what is popular is produced in the attempt to satisfy that desire for art.

An Important Addition to Nietzsche Studies
To scholars and admirers of Nietzsche, Lou Andreas-Salome has always been seen as his Irene Adler, the intellectual equal who got way or was driven away, depending on one's point of view. Although their affair lasted for only a few months, it left an indelible mark on both, for it came at a turning point in Nietzsche's life where he would leave the realtively safe nests of academia and the Wagners for a peripatetic life in the Eupopean Alps.

Over the years we have heard from almost everyone who was anyone in Nietzsche's life, except Lou Salome. This makes the published reprint of her 1894 even more important for those involved in Nietzsche studies. To say that Salome brings a unique perspective to her work is a bit of an understatement, but those who simply expect this to be memoir of the man she knew will be, I think, somewhat joyfully disappointed. Instead she has written what well may be the first attempt to view the persona behind the works. After giving us an excellent analysis of Nietzsche's philosophy, she comes to the conclusion that perhaps Nietzsche's madness was the inevitable result of his philosophy. Was this, as Nietzsche's sister said, merely a fantasy of female revenge? Then simply compare the last page of her book with the events of Nietzche's last days in Turin, events which she cannot have known. Hers is a provactive and illuminating look at Nietzsche, made more powerful by the fact that she was first to the gate and that the strength of her book is the analysis, not the memories.

As with any book on Nietzsche that comes to us in a foreign language, translation is most important if we are to have not only a working understanding, but also a deeper understanding than we would ordinarily expect. That the translator should be the late Siegfried Mandel is only to the reader's advantage. His translation is crisp and clear. His excellent introduction makes it all the more clear to me that this man is, or should be at least considered, one of the formost Nietzschean scholars of his time. (For further reference, see his excellent "Nietzsche and the Jews.")

This is a book every serious student of Nietzsche should have in his or her library and a book that may contribute to a new vision of the tortured harbinger of the overman. ... Read more

Book Description

To his conservative supporters in the 1940s, he was a populist everyman. To intellectuals of the 1950s, he was Tricky Dick. To 1960s radicals, a shadowy conspirator. To Washington reporters, a clever spin doctor. To Middle Americans, a scapegoat. To psychologists, a paranoiac. To foreign policy hands, a statesman. To recent historians, an unlikely liberal. Drawing on new archival research as well as novels, movies, cartoons, and songs, Nixon’s Shadow rediscovers these competing views of our most controversial president and shows how each took hold in the American imagination.

Uniquely image-conscious among postwar politicians, Richard Nixon pioneered new methods of shaping his public persona. But often his ploys backfired, revealing only how much politicians rely on the manipulation of their images. After Nixon’s half-century on the national stage – and after the colorful parade of "New Nixons" so brilliantly described here – it has become impossible to discuss politics without asking the questions he brought to the fore: What is the politician’s "real" character? What image is he trying to project?

This fascinating book reveals not just what Nixon did but, more importantly, what he meant. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

A Must-Read
David Greenberg is the Picasso of historians. He has the rare and precious ability to examine a historical figure from every possible angle and present them simultaneously to the viewer so that they make a colorful, complex, highly original, yet recognizable portrait. The unique value of Nixon's Shadow lies in its capacity to serve as a basis for and guide to self-reflection. If one tends toward introspection, one can read the book and imagine all the facets of one's character being submitted to such an analysis, thereby gaining respect and compassion for oneself and all of humanity as rich, worthy, and utterly fascinating beings. I am Nixon, we are all Nixon--which, contrary to popular opinion, is a good thing. Thank you, Mr. Greenberg!

Ambitious And Spectacular
Fans of Greenberg's Slate columns know he has a gift for making history relevant and fun. In Nixon's Shadow, he focuses those gifts on one of 20th Century America's most compelling figures, Richard Nixon. The premise is ambitious: each chapter takes a different image of Nixon as a viewpoint into a different period of his life. In lesser hands, this approach could have produced a dry or pedantic effort. Instead, Nixon's Shadow crackles with life, and is that rarest of things: a work of scholarly non-fiction that is truly a page turner.

Nixon's Shadow can be enjoyed on so many levels. It is not a true biography of Nixon, but fans of biographies will find plenty to like here. In essence, it is a dozen biographies -- or, even better, the best parts of a dozen biographies. But it is also a history of a tumultuous period of American life; a handbook on the political tools that still are still used to shape our democracy; an analysis of the intellectual trends in modern historical scholarship; and ultimately a tribute to the power of images to shape reality.

Greenberg has an eye for the telling detail, and a prose style that is lively, witty but unobtrusive. His story-telling advances but never interferes with the story. In Nixon's Shadow, those gifts are brought to bear on one of the 20th Century's most interesting figures and the result is simply spectacular.

So, what's the point?
The premise of Greenberg's book, evaluating and interpreting opinion's of Nixon, is really a pointless task. Journalists, constituents, and opponents all were attacking Nixon from a partisan perspective and did not really know him anyway. Furthermore, all Presidents and politicians since F.D.R. have created an image to represent strength, goals, or to inspire the country. It is hardly a Richard Nixon thing as Greenberg seems to suggest. If one wanted to really get to know Nixon, then they would interview or have interviewed Julie Nixon Eisenhower, Tricia Nixon Cox, Ed Nixon, the late Bebe Rebozo,or other intimates that were true Nixon loyalists. A journalists opinion, heavily influenced by political persuasion, is not a truthful depiction of any of RN's images. Likewise, the media loved Jack Kennedy and Jackie, so does that imply that JFK was perfect? Absolutely not--what it means is that there was a media bias that helped shape the perceptions of each figure.

Tricky Dick unveiled?
Greenberg is a good chronicler of events and few occasions in Nixon's life, however incidental, is missed here. The book is long on details relating to the professional side of Nixon, but I was disappointed that there was a lack of personal anecdote within the covers of the book. Of course RN was an inscrutable, moody, paranoid and ultimately unknowable man, but I would have liked more material on Pat Nixon, as well as Tricia and Julie. Greenberg quotes copiously of Nixon's own self-serving memoirs but doesn't include much primary source material on Nixon as a human being.

The strong points are the chapters on Watergate and the gradual demise and destruction of RN as President. The ancillary characters of Watergate all get their just due: Halderman, Ehrlichman, Mitchell and Dean are described in sometimes sympathetic but occasionally, brutal detail. Reeves shows masterfully that Nixon dissembled and lied to the bitter end, not to the American people, but most disturbingly, to himself. It's well-written and full of detail, just don't expect much on Nixon the man. Otherwise, an enthusiastic thumbs up.

Complexity means we much search some more
Greenberg's work is the first I have read that expores the relationship between image and history in an interesting and inviting manner. I think one of the reasons that Nixon invites so much controversy was that he was a complex and contradictory man. He just does not seem to fit. Watergate destroyed him, but you have conservatives railing against him and liberals saying he did good work and vice versa. Greenberg attempts an overview of all these competing images and it is surprising how often the image being projected says more about the writer than Nixon himself. A very interesting book that deserve patient study. ... Read more

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Reviews (4)

Great Book
Very well written. Great background of the key players involved in Watergate. Wished that it had discussed more about Ford's term as president and less about Nixon and the so called "coverup". It shows Ford as a very honest, hard working public servant.

An excellent biography that reads like a political thriller.
As a long time fan of Gerald Ford, I was pleased to read this excellent biography written by one who obviously also admires President Ford.Not only was it an interesting biography, but it was also a fascinatingpolitical thriller.Mr. Cannon pieced together a frightening,behind-the-scenes look of the Watergate break-in,the cover-up, theresignation of Spiro Agnew, and themachinations of Alexander Haig, duringwhich time certain people (including Agnew) feared for their lives.Hepaints a picture of a President Nixon that is sinister and borderlinementally ill--who repeatedly used his office to intimidate his enemies andstop the investigation into Watergate.As I was reading the book and itsdetails of Nixon's obstruciton of justice and illegal acts, the impeachmenttrial of Bill Clinton was ongoing.The issues surrounding the currentimpeachment appeared laughable in contrast to what I was reading of Nixon. Cannon supports Ford's claim that the pardon of Nixon was not the result ofa deal with Nixon, but was Ford's only alternative to get the countrymoving again, with minute-by-minute accounts of those involved.Cannonmakes the pardon seem as honorable as the man who gave it.

A pleasurable and informative book from an insider
I have always been a fan of Gerald Ford's and this book did not disappoint!Cannon, an insider from Rockefeller's tenure as Governor of New York, presents a balanced and objective insight into the historictransfer or power in 1974.Cannon does not hesitate to present Ford in aheroic role and I am refreshed to see such an appraisal.

Steve Schockow,Rochester, NY

Amazingly Fast and Interesting Reading!
Mr. Cannon wrote an excellent look into our most overlooked modern President.President Ford, never considered an "electric" leader, certainly deserves to have his story told.Being Watergate was the biggest Constitutional crises since the Civil War, we should know more about the one man who reassured the country that everything was o.k.Also, in retelling the Watergate story and Nixon's role in it, Mr. Cannon does so in a way that makes it easy to understand. ... Read more

Book Description

This Nixon portrait provides a comprehensive view of the Nixon presidency based on extensive oral histories with some twenty-two intimates of the former President. Co-published with the Miller Center of Public Affairs. ... Read more

Book Description

A thorough, illustrated biography discussing the president's childhood, his career, his family, and his term as President of the United States. Includes a time line and glossary. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An introduction to the important Presidency of Richard Nixon
When it comes down to who are the two most important American Presidents in the 20th century the only possible choices are Franklin D. Roosevelt and Richard M. Nixon. At first glance it would seem the choice for the top spot would obviously go to FDR. After all, he had to deal with both the Great Depression and World War II. But in terms of the events of my lifetime it is equally clear that Nixon had the greater impact, changing American politics because of the Watergate scandal and eventually redrawing the map of the world because of his foreign policy of detente. Young readers might not really appreciate the idea that "Only Nixon could go to China," but they will get a sense that despite the flaws in his character, Richard Nixon's presidency had a big impact on the country and world in which they live.

Ann Graham Gaines begins this juvenile biography of Nixon for the Our Presidents series with the fact that this was the first president of the United States to resign from office, but that he is remembered as an important leader. Nixon's life is divided into four chapters: (1) Young Nixon covers his childhood, education, marriage to Pat Ryan, and his military service in World War II; (2) Early Political Career traces his rise from Congressman to Senator to Vice-President for Dwight Eisenhower; (3) President Nixon begins with his lose to John F. Kennedy in the 1960 election and ends with him being reelected to a second term in 1972; and (4) Nixon Resigns tells why all of his accomplishments were washed away by a political scandal. It is not surprising; therefore, that Gaines spends more time explaining Watergate and how the cover-up rather than the burglary that eventually forced the President to resign. Given what young readers may now about the Clinton impeachment, they will certainly find this an interesting story to read about.

Given my own thoughts about Nixon this book certainly conforms to my expectations. Although it touches on the Vietnam War, the two things young readers will get from this volume is that Nixon established relations between the United States and both China and the Soviet Union, and that Watergate ended his presidency. The result is a competent introduction to Nixon's life, which is really too full to be handled in a volume this small, but Gaines hammers home the basics. The book also contains detailed sidebars on Pat Nixon, The Office of Vice President, and Nixon in China, while the margins are filled with Interesting Facts (e.g., Nixon visited every continent except Antarctica as Vice-President). Illustrations consist of both color and black & white photographs detailing Nixon's personal and political life. Final Note: The policy in these books is to refer to the subject by their first name, which I understand, but it sure is strange to see Nixon referred to as "Richard" the entire book, and anybody in school during his years in the White House will understand exactly why that is the case. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Drawing on thousands of pages of archival material and on interviews with surviving associates, presidential biographer Reeves paints a complex, sometimes disturbing portrait of the man forever enshrined as Tricky Dick.

"I have decided my major role is moral leadership," Nixon wrote in 1972 in one of his myriad memos to himself. (As Reeves writes, "Whatever else he accomplished, Richard Nixon produced more paper and tape than any president before or since.") That resolution quickly collapsed; instead, as the Vietnam War shaded into defeat and protests at home mounted, Nixon sank into a siege mentality, seeing himself as a lone crusader at war with the rest of the world. Reeves examines the cat-and-mouse quality of Nixon's relations with his inner circle and family, as well as the excruciating collapse of national leadership in the wake of missteps, miscalculations, and sheer crimes. Rigorous and thoughtful, Reeves's book adds much to our understanding of Nixon's troubled presidency--and of his troubled soul. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Reviews (30)

History by a Syndicated Columnist
Open up a number of major newspapers and every once in awhile you'll find a column penned by Richard Reeves. Given the limited space available in a newspaper op/ed section, Reeves is rarely given a chance to provide a detailed analysis on any topic. Instead, he writes intersting opinion pieces on national affairs that are usually worth reading even if you don't agree with him.

In his new book regarding President Nixon, Reeves employs a similar style in recounting Nixon's five plus years in the White House. In many ways, this book is a compilation of anecdotes and brief historical passages that gives readers a glimpse of the Nixon White House and of Nixon himself.

The key thing to remember is that it will be little more than a glimpse. If you are looking for a detailed study of the Nixon presidency, you might want to look elsewhere.

The positive thing about this subject is that there are so many books regarding the Nixon years. If you lived through the era and have read many of the other books such as Haldeman's diary, Nxion's own autobiograhpies or even Anthony Summers hatchet job, you'll enjoy this book too.

My only complaint about the book is actually a central part of its premise. The book centers solely on Nixon without examining his relationship with others. For example, I would be surprised if there are more than 10 mentions in the entire book about Pat Nixon. There is also very little about his relationship with political supporters other than brief mentions about Watergate-related scandal. Part of Reeve's thesis, is that Nixon was very isolated in the White House and had little human interaction. The recent theatrical movie also portrayed a very narcisistic human being too. However, Nixon wasn't a hermit. He did have friendships with Bebe Rebozo and others and had a enough people skills to set the record for being on the cover of Time Magazine more than any other person. I wish this book would have delved into that greater.

In short, this is not the definitive book on the Nixon Administration. Yet, it is an enjoyable read that will certainly bring this era in history back to life. Regardless of your political leanings, Nixon' presidency is worth learning more about and understanding.

Amazing Look at a Fascinating and Enigmatic Man
"President Nixon: Alone in the White House" is one of those rare biographies that manages to capture the very essence of its subject. Mr. Reeves, who had access not only to President Nixon himself but to most of Nixon's key advisors and confidantes, has written a book that reveals Richard Nixon's motivations and thus goes a long way toward explaining some of the strange things Nixon did as President. What we see in the book is a man who assumes that all men approach life the way he does--and his approach is quintessentially Machiavellian. Nixon truly believes that all men cheat, lie and are out to get him. All is fair in politics. By assuming the worst in others, Nixon guarantees the worst in himself.

And yet one catches glimpses of Nixon the man where one feels a certain amount of compassion. Nixon was a melancholy and lonely individual, distrustful of those around him. He was a politician who had an aversion to people. He feels awkward in any social situation, to the point where his interactions are meticulously scripted beforehand on one of his handy yellow legal pads. In one hilarious sequence, Nixon is up all night writing and memorizing a script for an "off the cuff" speech he is planning to give the next day. What is amazing is that he does not see how ridiculous it is to be scripting an unscripted speech. Nixon also spends hours writing memos to himself about how he wants to be perceived. Each one of the memos drips with irony, for he sees in himself all the things that he is not. One cannot help but feel compassion for a man so out of touch with who he is.

Reeves argues that Nixon is at his best when looking at the bigger picture, in "connecting the dots" of major policy decisions and their historical precedents as well as the possible outcomes. This is the Nixon who takes the bold steps to open up Communist China and to bring a much-needed thaw to the festering Cold War with Russia. Reeves also shows a Nixon who realizes the disaster of Vietnam but doesn't know how to remove the U.S. and preserve the honor and dignity of the nation. One must admire Nixon for his foreign policy successes and for his broad thinking in this area. The book also paints an interesting portrait of Henry Kissinger, showing him to be brilliant but incredibly vain and condescending. Kissinger spends a great deal of time making sure Secretary of State Rogers is out of the loop on every major foreign policy decision.

Domestically, however, we see in this book a Nixon who is all politician and zero statesman. He waffles on integration, does little to help Blacks because they vote 90% Democrat, and panders in the worst way to groups he believes he must win over in order to win reelection in 1972. Nixon tells his dynamic duo, Haldeman and Erlichman, not to bog him down with policy details, then buries himself in such details as replacement shower heads for the White House or the clownish design for the White House security force. We also see Nixon the bigot, saving his cruelest cuts for the Jews. In these glimpses we see just how shallow and ignorant Nixon could be, despite his moments of greatness. The last section of the book deals with Watergate and the events that brought Richard Nixon to disgrace. It is not a pretty sight, and just goes to show how thoroughly Nixon was involved in the cover-up and how much he enjoyed the dirty tricks attributed to his campaign. At one point, after George Wallace is shot, Nixon laments the fact that Nixon's men didn't think to go into the would-be assasin's apartment and plant McGovern literature to discredit his opponent.

Upon finishing this book, I immediately wondered if Reeves began working on a sequel, following Nixon from his resignation through his period of exile and disgrace to the era of his partial rehabilitation near the end of his life. I certainly hope Reeves follows up, for the story of Nixon the private citizen in the years after his fall from power would be fascinating and remains largely untold.

This is a good book, and I believe that both fans and detractors of our former President would enjoy it. Reeves has not written it to discredit the man, but to try to explain him. After finishing the book, I felt I knew the real Richard Nixon somewhat better, and that had Richard Nixon had a different take on the motivations of his fellow man, he may have gone down as one of our better Presidents.

Nixon vs Nixon
Richard Reeve's biography President Nixon: Alone in the White House chronologically details the Richard Nixon presidency from the day he was inaugurated until the resignations of Haldeman and Ehrlichman. Reeve's depiction of the Nixon presidency will leave many shocked, appalled, and at times dumb founded. Those who read this book will find it an enlightening ride into the mind of Richard Nixon and his "close" associates. This book shows a man who was insanely paranoid, to the point where he would spend more time memorizing speeches then on the actual policy he was speaking of. A man who made racist and bigoted jokes routinely. Reeve's also shows a "softer" side of Nixon, one who believed he had to, and was, doing well for the world. Richard Nixon was a man out of touch with himself, staff, and family. This lack of comprehension for anyone around him and himself was evident through his staff and how unorganized they truly were. Often staff members would tap each others phones and hide behind one lie after another. One downfall to President Nixon was at times the book became tedious, thus making it hard to follow along and keep up with all the people. Those who grew up during the Nixon presidency or anyone curious about the man Richard Nixon, this book is for you. I highly recommend this book to anyone who thinks they know all about President Richard Nixon.

Scholarly, informative, well-written.
An astounding amount of research went into producing this very informative book. Richard Reeves has given us a detailed view of the Nixon presidency starting with the first inauguration in January, 1969. Oddly, except for a very brief epilogue, the book ends in April, 1973 with the resignations of Haldeman and Erlichman. This despite the fact that Nixon would remain in office more than 15 additional months before resigning himself.
President Nixon: Alone in the White House consists of a chronological compilations of events occuring during Nixon's tumultuous tenure.
The well documented facts presented in this book leave the reader with the following impressions:
On the positive side. Nixon was an extremely knowledgeable politician with a very sophisticated understanding of geopolitics. He had a clearly defined vision of America's place in the world and was not afraid to take bold steps to enhance the country's position of power on the world stage.
On the negative side. Nixon, the individual, was petty, vindictive, distrustful and self delusional. He was very much a loner who spent an inordinate amount of time by himself. As chief of staff, Haldeman's primary function was to prevent Congressional leaders, Cabinet members and White House staff from getting in to see Nixon. It appears that the only adviser who had unfettered access was Henry Kissinger. Furthermore, in the Nixon White House, there was no need for the likes of Karl Rove or Karen Hughes. When it came to public relations and building up the President's image, Nixon handled all of that himself, in microscopic detail. And we find in Nixon a man whose moral compass was more than slightly askew. The Watergate break-in, which ultimately led to his downfall, was only one of a number of illegal or unethical acts sanctioned by Nixon to gain advantage over his political enemies.
President Nixon: Alone in the White House is a valuable resource for understanding the Nixon presidency. Anyone reading this book, no matter what their level of knowledge about Nixon might be, will be guaranteed to learn new things about this fascinating, enigmatic figure.

WOW!
Even after watching the NIXON movie and hearding many stories from many different people, I still didn't know who Dick Nixon really was. That is, untill I read this book. I found out who the man really was and what he wanted and did accomplish in his presidency. I learned about his paranoia and how his gruffness to everyone. At the same time, I learned that there was a sweeter, younger side to him that he rarly shared with anyone. If I could talk to Nixon now, I don't think that I would learn anything about him that I didn't learn in this book. I highly recomend this book. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Interesting reading
If you want to gain insight into Nietzsche's thinking outside of his usual philosophical writings, or follow his chain of thought throughtout his life, this collection of letters is somewhat helpful, but he does not seem to engage in the manner in which he does in his formal philosophical works. One of the features I found surprising in his letters is the courtesy he showed to his recipients. It is evident that Nietzsche treasured the friendships he had, and this is very apparent in his letters. And interestingly, I did not find any hostility in any of the letters addressed to Richard Wagner, considering the history of their relationship.

The book is well-edited, and there is an index of recipients near the end of the book. The editor also includes a general index with subentries that allow the reader to scan an entire topic. This is a helpful aid for amateur readers of Nietzsche, such as myself, but could also be helpful I think to dedicated scholors of Nietzsche.

I was only disappointed that more letters did not address more of Nietzsche's thinking on Dionysus and Apollo. It would have been interesting to read what he had to say about them via the "freestyle" of letter writing. Nietzsche's philosophical writings are actually the most frank and unrestrained of all in nineteenth-century philosophy. He is very honest with himself, and because of this he might be viewed as somewhat narcisstic by some readers. This may be true to some degree, but Nietzsche is refreshing in his style of writing, and actually it is quite entertaining to randomly move through his books and read his maxims and opinions.

The most interesting letter is the one addressed to Carl von Gersdorff on April 6, 1867. He is writing about what he has called "the scholarly forms of disease", and tells of a story about a talented young man who enters the university to obtain a doctorate. He puts together a thesis he has been working on for years, submits it to the philosophical faculty. One rejects the work on the grounds that it advances views that are not taught there. The other states that the work is contrary to common sense and is paradoxical. His thesis is therefore rejected, and he does not therefore earn his doctorate. Nietzsche describes the "not humble enough to hear the voice of wisdom" in their negative judgment of his results. Further, the young man is "reckless enough", in Nietzsche's view, to believe that the faculty "lacks the faculty for philosophy. Nietzsche uses this story to emphasize the virtue of independence: "one cannot go one's own way independently enough. Truth seldom dwells where people have built temples for it and have ordained priests. We ourselves have to suffer for good or foolish things we do, nor those who give us the good or the foolish advice. Let us at least be allowed the pleasure of committing follies on our own initiative. There is no general recipe for how one man is to be helped. One must be one's own physician but at the same gather the medical experience at one's own cost. We really think too little about our own well-being; our egoism is not clever enough, our intellect not egoistic enough."

He's right.

What a strange but brilliant fellow...
This book is real fun to have, and shows a side of Nietzsche that is hard to come across in his formal works and the countless biographies. You can read first-hand the conflicts with his sister's anti-semitic husband, read his own giddyness about finishing a new book, and follow his decline into a state of insanity (during which he wrote the strangest letters of all). His wierd sense of humor is much more visible in his letters, which helps one to recognize when he is humoring himself at the expense of the suprised reader in his other works.

"Dear Professor: Actually I would much rather be a basel professor than God; but I have not yet ventured to cary my private egoism so far as to omit creating the world on his account. You see, one must make sacrifices, however and wherever one may be living..." (Jan. 6 1889, To Jacob Burkhart, from Turin).

Also, the index in the back of this book is very thorough, making it easy to find any person or concept that he deals with.

Note: If you are looking for other writers that write as intangible and beautiful as Nietzsche's works but less harsh on the world, try reading some Emmanuel Levinas, a briliant French Jewish Philospher who died in 1995, (Good book: Dificult Freedom) ... Read more

Book Description

Nietzsche's friend, the philosopher Paul Ree, once said that Nietzsche was more important for his letters than for his books, and even more important for his conversations than for his letters. In Conversations with Nietzsche, Sander Gilman and David Parent present a fascinating selection of eighty-seven memoirs, anecdotes, and informal recollections by friends and acquaintances of Nietzsche. Translated from the definitive German collection, Begegnungen mit Nietzsche, these biographical pieces--some of which have never before appeared in English--cover the entire span of Nietzsche's life: his boyhood friendships, his arrival at the University of Bonn, his appointment to professor at Basel at age twenty-four, the impact of The Birth of Tragedy, his friendship with Wagner, his life in Italy, his confinement at the Jena Sanatorium, and his death. They present the philosopher in dialogue with friends and acquaintances, and provide new insights into him as a thinker and as a commentator on his times, recounting his views on some of the greats of history, including Burckhardt, Goethe, Kant, Dostoevsky, Napoleon, and numerous others. In his selections, Gilman has carefully balanced documents concerning Nietzsche's personal life with others on his intellectual development, resulting in an entertaining and informative book that will appeal to a wide audience of educated readers. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A True Biography
Refreshingly different from a standard biographical work, it reads more like a series of interviews with the individuals that actually spent time with Nietzsche the social being, in contrast to a scholarly work of academia. Not a "classic" by any means, but indeed a nice addition to any Nietzsche library. Compares favorably to Middleton's *Selected Letters*.

it is okey
Book is about Nietsche as told by his friends. Friends that are family friends and his childhood friends and not professionals so you get more of their impression as him as a person rather than as a philosopher. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

The Americans"misunderestimate" Nixon
I always believe Nixon is "misunderestimated" among the Americans.No matter what he had done in Watergate, he was still a great leader who changed the world overnight by shaking hands with Chou En-Lai and ended the Vietnam war.
He was also a great writer and political critique, as you can see in his books."Leaders" is one of his best and you can learn a lot about leaders who ruled and shaped the post WWII era.

Great journey through a century of great leaders
Richard M. Nixon with his "Leaders" not only master the understanding of leadership, but also writing in general. The book treats several leaders of the 20th century, Winston Churchill, Konrad Adenaur, Shigeru Yoshida, Charles de Gaulle, Nikita Khruschev and many more with granduer. What one should particularly pay attention in this book is that the author himself, has personally known every single leader in the book, which adds a great deal of invaluable personal reminiscences which at the same time analyse each person. The book is a must read for those interested in history, politics, biography, and of course leadership in general. The numerous personal advices which the author present as indispensable to great leader, pinpoints the weaknesses and qualities a leader has. At the same time, Richard Nixon, with his outstanding political career which spans over much of a lifetime, tells the reader what to do and what not to do as a leader, how and why leaders have failed in history and how and why they've reached the top. A magnificent piece of work, which will live in my memory for a long time.

Any student of politics should read this book
There is no reason, whatsoever, for any student of politics not to readthese amazing insights from one of the greatest political minds in Americanhistory.

Make you fit for your business as a leader!
The book Leaders by Richard M. Nixon showes how to make you fit for your business as a leader.Is political leaders happy for their lives? Is it interesting to be a leader in the country? What are most importantcharacters to you if you want to become a great guy? How to make you standup once you failed? Richard Nixon told you all by his own experience andhis study of many great people in other countries. It won't disappoint you,but satisfy you. Read it, learn it, study it, and then make you fit for thechallenges! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Good bio / bad man
The