The Wars of Watergate: The Last Crisis of Richard NixonThis is the first truly comprehensive history of the political explosion that shook America in the 1970s, and whose aftereffects are still being felt in public life today. Drawing on contemporary documents, personal interviews, memoirs, and a vast quantity of new material, Stanley Kutler shows how President Nixon’s obstruction of justice from the White House capped a pattern of abuse that marked his entire tenure in office. He makes clear how the drama of Watergate is rooted not only in the tumultuous events and social tensions of the 1960s but also in the personality and history of Richard Nixon. Kutler examines Nixon’s confrontations with the institutions he feared and resented—the Congress, the federal agencies, the news media, the Washington establishment—and how they mobilized to topple the President. He considers the arguments of Nixon’s defenders, who insisted that Watergate was a minor affair, and the contention that the President did nothing worse than his predecessors had done. He offers compelling portraits of the President’s men—H. R. Haldeman, John Ehrlichman, John Mitchell, Charles Colson, John Dean; of his adversaries—Judge John Sirica, the U.S. Attorneys, Special Prosecutors Archibald Cox and Leon Jaworski; and of the legislators who would stand in judgment—Sam Ervin and Peter Rodino. In the course of his engrossing narrative, Stanley Kutler illuminates the constitutional crisis brought on by Watergate. He shows how Watergate diminished the moral level of American political life, and illustrates its continuing detrimental impact on the credibility, authority, and prestige of the Presidency in particular and the government in general. His book underlines for the American electorate the significance of Watergate for the future of our political ethics and the maintenance of our constitutional system, as well as for the place of Richard Nixon in American history. |
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - Oreillynsf - LibraryThingA remarkable recouting of the scandal and the last days of the Administration. Watergate-philes will enjoy it, but I would encourage people who didn't follow it, or were too young to follow it, to ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - dougwood57 - LibraryThingAt least for those us who cut their political teeth during the 1960's and 1970's, Watergate and Vietnam were the watershed events. There was life before Watergate and Vietnam and life after. Stanley ... Read full review
Contents
Nixon and Congress | |
Media Wars | |
Book Three | |
What really hurts is if you try to cover it up | |
Book Four | |
What did the President know and when did | |
Let Others Wallow in Watergate Agnew the Tapes | |
Sinister Forces Ford Jaworski Tape Gaps | |
JuneJuly 1974 | |
Judgment Days The Supreme Court and the Judiciary | |
In the Shadow of Watergate | |
Richard Nixon Watergate and History | |
The coverup is the main ingredient A Blackmailer | |
We have a cancer within close to the Presidency | |
We have to prick the Goddam boil and take | |
A Note on Sources | |
Notes | |
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Common terms and phrases
action Administration Administration’s affair Agnew aides American appeared Archibald Cox asked Attorney Baker believed burglars Buzhardt campaign charges Charles Colson claimed Clair Colson committee’s conflict Congress congressional considered constitutional Counsel cover-up Cox’s criminal critics Dean’s decision defendants Democrats Doar Eisenhower election Ellsberg Ervin executive privilege Ford Ford’s Gray Haig Haldeman and Ehrlichman Henry Kissinger Hoover impeachment indictment influence insisted investigation involved Jaworski John Dean John Ehrlichman John Mitchell Johnson Judiciary Committee Justice Department Kennedy Kissinger Kleindienst knew Krogh later lawyer Leon Jaworski liberal Liddy Lyndon Johnson Magruder nation nomination offered pardon Patman Pentagon Papers Petersen political President’s question realized reflected Republican resignation responsibility Richard Nixon Richardson Rodino role Sam Ervin Sirica Special Prosecutor staff subpoena Supreme Court tapes television thought told Haldeman urged Vice President Vietnam Vietnam war vote wanted Washington Watergate break-in White House
Bibliographic information
| Title | The Wars of Watergate: The Last Crisis of Richard Nixon |
| Author | Stanley I. Kutler |
| Publisher | Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2013 |
| ISBN | 0307834050, 9780307834058 |
| Length | 736 pages |
| Subjects | › › Biography & Autobiography / Political History / United States / 20th Century Political Science / Corruption & Misconduct |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |