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The Presidency Of Richard Nixon
Melvin Small
University Press of Kansas
June 2003
On Sale: June 1, 2003
387 pages
ISBN: 0700612556
EAN: 9780700612550
Paperback
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Non-Fiction
Twenty-five years after Richard Nixon resigned from office,
his legacy remains shrouded in controversy. His was a
complex, inconsistent, and even contradictory presidency,
clouded by the man's personality and political practices and
played out during one of America's most turbulent eras.
Melvin Small now draws on the latest archival releases to
take a fresh look at Nixon and place his administration in
proper historical perspective. Nixon once predicted that by the year 2000 scholars would
begin to evaluate his presidency more favorably. Small,
however, steers a steady course between Nixon's detractors
and apologists to offer the most balanced and thorough
coverage yet available of the man's character and
accomplishments. He notes many of the solid achievements of
Nixon's domestic programs while criticizing some of his more
celebrated foreign policies, especially concerning the Third
World, and illuminates Nixon's broader influence on American
political institutions and culture. Small's topical approach permits readers to observe the
development of an entire domestic program or international
relationship over an extended period, making it easier to
understand such drawn-out issues as reforming welfare or
ending the Vietnam War. Regarding Vietnam, Small integrates
military and diplomatic policy with Nixon's efforts to
neutralize the antiwar movement. His coverage of White House
operations and Nixon's war with the media precedes a
particularly insightful chapter on Watergate and the threat
of impeachment. A closing chapter on Nixon's
post-presidential years reveals facts about his health and
his "blackmailing" of both Presidents Bush and Clinton, and
a bibliographic essay provides an extensive survey of the
Nixon literature. He was the first president to travel to China and Russia and
to call for welfare reform, and although he left Washington
under a cloud, many of Nixon's ideas and policies have been
embraced by Americans--a legacy few presidents can claim.
Small's book is a lively and anecdotal account that looks at
the many sides of Richard Nixon and comes to grips with both
the man and his presidency. This book is part of the American Presidency Series.
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