One Man Against the World: The Tragedy of Richard Nixon

According to National Book Award winner Weiner (Legacy of Ashes), President Richard Nixon's (1913–94) most tragic flaw was his idea that the presidency was above the law; a delusion that drove him to the "gutter politics" that led to the Watergate scandal in 1972 and his inevitable resignation in 1974. While much included here will resonate with scholars and avid Nixon readers, Weiner's deep research of archival documents that were not declassified until the 21st century reveals new, chilling information—notably about bombings in Southeast Asia and a near-nuclear confrontation with the former Soviet Union. These findings either correct or verify the works of previous Nixon biographies. Here, Weiner focuses on diplomacy and Watergate because he asserts that Nixon did not care about domestic politics except where his presidential campaigns were concerned. Nixon's unwavering misconception that he could bomb North Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos into submission resulted in the deaths of millions of civilians. This, indeed, was the former president's greatest tragedy. The author sadly concludes that subsequent presidents (Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama) failed to learn from Nixon's flaws and have exhibited Nixonian deceits.