Nixon in Winter

Rating:
Summary: Get to know the Nixon we never knew!
Review: -Nixon In Winter- is a very human portrait of one of the most significant and controversial figures and minds of the twentieth century. Monica Crowley has performed a great service to the memory of Richard Nixon with her previous book -Nixon off the Record- and her current work. Too often, we allow a single event fix itself in our minds and bar a fuller understanding of who someone was and what they wanted. For Nixon, the event was Watergate. Nixon made his mistakes -- big ones -- and had his faults -- but the qualities that carried him to the presidency -- a keen mind and principled determination never faded. Crowley's book is not a justification of Nixon's sins. Instead, it illuminates how a president, even a fallen president, can continue to exert his influence on the national and international scene from the shadows, and at times on the main stage. It also shares the personal beliefs and feelings of an elder statesman on a wide range of topics - foreign policy, scandals (both Nixon's and others), philosophy, religion, human nature, family, and age, mortality, and purpose. This is accomplished by book showing the former president through the eyes of a young woman who worked with him for four years as his foreign policy assistant. It reveals Nixon during highs and lows, in private and public moments, in joy and in outrage as he struggled to remain a factor in the life of America, and perhaps, redeem himself. Nixon, playing on MacArthur's famous line stated, "Old politicians sometimes die, but they never fade away." This quote from the book essentially sums up the motto Nixon tried to live up to in the winter of his life, and Crowley's book illustrates this perfectly.

Rating:
Summary: Dry at times but an overall good view of Nixon "unplugged"
Review: As Crowley herself says, if history judges Nixon's presidency on the White House tapes and transcripts, he deserves a chance for his entire life to be judged on all of his life's activities, including his "winter". This book provides an extended view of Nixon in the last four years of his life.

A few of the reviewers here questioned whether Crowley's writings accurately recount Nixon's comments and confessions in an objective manner, and they wonder if he would have really opened up to her... My first take on this was a once powerful, now-fallen, guilt-ridden old man hires an attractive twenty-something female grad student - someone naïve and susceptible he can impress and dominate - to rewrite his legacy, gloss over his mistakes, and show how even after all that happened, he was indeed great. Did she - at this time in her life - have the necessary knowledge, historical context and maturity to discerningly ferret out, deduce and capture the real truth from Nixon's rhetoric?

Soon into the book, I began to realize these worries were moot, as conversations recounted by Crowley show the familiar arrogance, criticisms, paranoia, self-absorbtion and the meddling that are indeed vintage Nixon.

Nixon's musings on the collapse of Communism, Gorbachev, and Yeltsin were very interesting and provided a good review of a monumental set of events of world history. In fact, the first half of the book was a play-by-play of early 90s American-Soviet foreign policy with color commentary by Richard Nixon. So much so it became droll and I find myself skimming along to the sections on Vietnam and Watergate.

Part 3 focused on Nixon's reflections on Watergate. Crowley captures the range of feelings that must have plagued Nixon over his final 20 years - admission of culpability interchanged with minimization of his role and his being a victim of a liberal media and a turbulent time in history. He makes the point that his escapades were politics-as-usual and FDR, JFK, and LBJ all used the same dirty tricks he did. Crowley also captures Nixon's pleasure of seeing Clinton go through the same torture with Whitewater as he did with Watergate.

Part 4 continues commentary from Nixon on political scandal de jour and Part 5 focuses on Nixon's thoughts on philosophy, family and faith. On this last part, I wasn't particularly prepared to visualize Nixon puttering around the house in his pajamas talking about these things, but one realizes that he too was, in fact, human.

The book was not chronological, as each part recounted relevant items to the subject from Crowley's four years with him, which made it a bit difficult to follow on occasion. For the most part, beyond being "linearly-challenged" and the early preoccupation with Russian events, "Nixon in Winter" was fairly enjoyable.

Rating:
Summary: Finally...A Fair Look At Nixon
Review: Far to often, babyboomers like Anthony Summers and Stanley Kutler like to vent their frustrations On Nixon and paint him as a monster. After this generation is through blaming Nixon for everything in the 1960s and 70s, the next generation will be able to write a legitimate history of Nixon's Presidency. Anyone who believes Nixon is a monster needs to read first hand accounts, such as Monica Crowley's book, on the 37th President. Right away, the humanity and thoughts of Nixon will be characterized. Not only did Crowley work for Nixon, but she completed a Ph.D. at Columbia while self-proclaimed Nixon scholars such as Summers (no Ph.D) and Kutler (OSU)did not go to such an elite school. In thirty years, historiography will take its place and Nixon will be remembered as one of the best President's of the 20th Century.

Rating:
Summary: The Old Man Speaks
Review: For years, I have owned transcripts of White House conversations which have contained "(expletive deleted)" notations where the actual path taken in thinking through some psychotic multiplicity was too embarrassing to allow uptight moralizers the opportunity to observe what really flowed from Nixon's mouth in unguarded moments. For some, this book might be a guide to the intimate Nixon's selection of prefatory words, the secret to the preparation required for Nixon's mind to deal with certain concepts, and for trying to get his own views in, over, around, and beyond certain ideas. In the philosophy section, Nixon admits, "once in a while I come across something that makes sense." (p. 353) A lot of this reminds me of my feelings about a job I had, where I got fired after telling everybody, "This place is too much for a Monday morning." Another thing that Nixon and I have in common was one of his favorite teachers, who was still teaching at a law school in September, 1968, when the Selective Service started drafting law students. Having a teacher like that didn't matter as much to me as having someone tell me what to do, and Nixon might be considered a failure in either department when he couldn't pull off the little request made by one of his subordinates, William Rogers, who subtly suggested a possible weakness in a strategic plan by saying, "I'm for it if it will work!" (p. 353) Count Nixon among those who have tried to read Hegel and fallen back to the position, "It's easier to bury everything." (p. 353) Being stuck on one page like this, I might never get to Nixon's use of the word, "Beyond." That was on page 351, on Nietzsche "with regard to the soul." I didn't notice anything on what Nietzsche had to say with regard to the truth. Nietzsche and Nixon agree when they are talking about the selfish last man. As Nixon said, "but he is pathetic." (p. 352)

Rating:
Summary: It's Not That Cold
Review: I read the authors other book on Nixon, Nixon Off The Record and enjoyed it, therefore, I thought I would give this book a chance. To be up front I do not have a deep interest in Nixon or that I think Nixon spells out some overly insightful view of the political landscape. It was just that this author did such a good job of detailing out (quoting) so many of Nixon's musings about the political landscape from 90 to 94 it made for interesting reading. This fact brings me to the first concern I have had with this and her other book and that is how could anyone truly remember these detailed conversations, even if she documented them the minute she left his side? What I finally decided was to go with it and just assume that if the author did ad lib a bit here and there that she spent so much time with Nixon that the ad lib was probably close to the truth.

As with the first book the thing that really surprised me was just how petty Nixon came off. He was whining and complaining about the press in about every three sentences. Regardless of the situation, he somehow related it back to how the press and Democrats unfairly went after him during the Watergate scandal. At this point in his life he must have focused on it so much that he saw the whole world through this hate filled prism. As the book went on his views on liberals also was detailed more and more and to call the comments ugly would be fair. The books finished with a chapter on religion and human nature and this is when the long knives really came out. If there was a social issue that Nixon did not agree with then it was somehow a negative plot or character trait displayed by "The Liberals" who he tried to insinuate where on the verge of destroying the American society.

I was still surprised at how Nixon downright disliked all the Presidents that came after him. In his mind, they all fell short of his accomplishments and were far from a close second. He of course would then work in a diatribe about the press and how they will never give him the credit he deserves. It was interesting that he had such a low opinion of Bush Sr., he went after Bush on the way he dealt with Russia, but he also let him have it about every aspect of his Presidency. Yet his opinion would change the minute anyone in the Bush administration called him. Once he was shown some attention his opinion would suddenly change and all was right again with Bush, at least for a few weeks. I was surprised by this very apparent selfish and almost immature behavior.

Overall Nixon came off as a man with a very bruised ego and a bit bitter. My view of the man was not enhanced after reading these two books, in fact I think less of the man. I thought he some good views on the political situation of the time, but it was basically common sense. I kept thinking that if you follow politics you would have many of the same observations. I guess I just thought given his long career that he would somehow have insight that really would have surprised me. Overall the book was very interesting and a fast read. I had trouble putting it down. If you are interested in American politics then this a great book.

Rating:
Summary: A Valuable Memoir
Review: I'll admit I'm not a huge fan of Richard Nixon. I was 8 years old when Watergate happened, so he really isn't of my generation - but I thought I would read this book to learn more about Mr. Nixon in his post-Watergate life.

I found the book compelling and informative. I especially liked the personal reflections of Mr. Nixon, and was sitting on the edge of my chair when he seemed almost ready to reveal "Deep Throat."

I think Ms. Crowley displayed a sensitive, remorseful man in his waning years, desperately hoping to force historians to reassess his legacy. After reading this book, I hope they do.

Rating:
Summary: Insightful Observations
Review: If one ever wonders what qualifies Monica Crowley to be a talk show host, if one ever questions what relevance her opinions or insight have for the rest of America, if one ever doubts that Monica Crowley is a qualified author, this work will provide a resounding affirmation of her talent, intelligence, and ability. Before WABC and before a Columbia Ph.D., there was only the college of Richard Nixon. Crowley traveled the globe with Nixon, soaking in every detail, every nuance of his intellect and capacity for foreign affairs and political strategy.
Concerning posterity, Nixon always knew when he spoke to or with Crowley that he was speaking to history. Nixon has already sought to rewrite his legacy in his memoirs RN as well as In the Arena. Nixon's qualifications are manifest in his own writings as well. Crowley does an excellent job of highlighting Nixon's capacity for political intelligence and machinations while simultaneously showing readers that Nixon is more than a one-dimensional paranoid recluse. Crowley feels obliged to mention Watergate because it figures into Nixon's legacy so prominently but she does not dwell on a low point in an otherwise important career. She also does an excellent job of showing that there are two sides to Nixon: the steely statesman who opened China, diffused tensions with the Soviet Union, and worked toward peace in the middle east (all coauthored with Henry Kissinger) as well as the man behind the myth, saddened by the death of his wife, concerned about the health of his new foreign policy assistant, and full of colorful tales about fellow political personalities from his time in office. It is at this point and at this separation where Nixon comes off as the "grandfather" type that Eisenhower seemed to personify to the average American forty years earlier.

Rating:
Summary: See Nixon Up Close.
Review: In "Nixon In Winter", Monica Crowley admits the reader into a day-to-day working relationship with of one the premier lives of the Twentieth Century over its last four years. This is interesting, both in terms of the character study of Nixon and the issues with which he dealt.

The book consists mostly of monologues or dialogues, dominated by Nixon, and Crowley's observation of actions. The author was a graduate student who worked as Nixon's foreign policy adviser from 1990-4. During this time she assisted him in writing his books, traveled with him and listened and elicited his views on the topics of the day.

This book opened my mind to several new concepts about Nixon. I had known that Nixon had written several books after leaving office. I had not realized the intensity with which he pursued his role as a continuing force in international politics. He devoted the best of his energies to this work. The planning for his trips to Russia and China included arrangements to meet the leading figures, those from whom he could learn and on whom he could exert influence. He viewed himself as the only world figure who could bridge the chasms between the U. S. and these foreign powers, chasms often caused by contemporary policies with which he was unassociated. To the end of his life, Nixon strove to mold world affairs to his vision. Frustrated by his inability to directly influence affairs, he had to work through his successors for whom he had varying degrees of respect. He alternatively predicted, assessed and railed against the coverage of his trips by the media. He seemed motivated both to redeem himself as well as to make a difference in the world.

Nixon continued to resent what he saw as a double standard, a practice under which he was found culpable for actions which were accepted or overlooked in other presidents. He never really accepted that his actions in connection with Watergate in any way justified the censure which he suffered.

Revealing also are the insights into the private Nixon. The Nixon who served food, sometimes with help, the Nixon who attributed the attention of Chinese crowds to the presence of Americans, rather than the presence of President Nixon and who wondered why strollers on the sidewalks of New York would look at traffic when he went to the city. The way he dealt with Pat's illness and confronted his own impending dissolution provide a window into his soul. The Dick who would greet Trick Or Treaters on Halloween is a man to whom I can relate.

I have heard it said that Nixon was a near genius, and Crowley's reports of they philosophies which he read and understood support that assessment.

Nixon comes across as a very interesting man, but one with whom I think it would be difficult to interact. Crowley seems to have enjoyed a good relationship, primarily by listening and doing the chores requested. He does not seem to be one with whom a visitor could have had a real exchange of ideas. He seems to be one to whom each contact was an opportunity to persuade with his "talking points." He seems to have learned by his own observations and readings, not by exchanging ideas with others. He seems to have been one who was interested in influencing the powerful, but who had no time for common Americans. I may be wrong, but I could envision engaging Presidents Ford, Carter and Bush in a fairly normal conversation, should I run into them in an airport or Sam's Club. I cannot envision any such discussion with Nixon.

All things considered, I rate this as a very engaging book. I judge a book, in part, by whether it whets my appetite for more. This really did that. I look forward to reading Nixon's books again, now with a better understanding of their purposes. I want to read more about his life and magnificent career. This proves that "Nixon In Winter" made an impression on me. This is a book for anyone with an interest in Nixon and who wants to understand him better.

Rating:
Summary: Winter warmth
Review: Monica Crowley has written a gem of a book detailing aspects of the last four years of Richard Nixon's life. Born in 1968, the year of RN's first presidential victory, the young author served as foreign policy assistant to the 37th president during those last years,1990-4. What strikes the reader is the fact that Nixon was always the man in the arena. Although he resigned the presidency in 1974 RN continued to be a significant influence in foreign policy due to the sagacious advice he gave to his successors, both in public speeches, articles and books as well as in private briefings and memorandums.To use a showjumping analogy, he may no longer have been the man in the saddle, after 1974, but he was still in the arena constructing the course and putting a few others over the jumps! This is also a book about books. Nixon was a prolific author and Crowley worked on his last two books, 'Seize the Moment' and 'Beyond Peace,'. The author outlines the energy and passion of RN in his preparation of these publications.. Crowley divides her book into neat compartments. Thus, under the heading Nixon and the World, there are chapters on the end of the Cold War, China, the Gulf War and the legacy of Vietnam.There is also interesting chapters under Scandal and Reflections. The Nixon- haters will hate this book because it does not portray RN as the Devil, a fascist, evil or any other of the highly biased descriptions that this highly intelligent man and political strategist had to constantly endure throughout his political life. However, neither has Crowley simply written a puff-job on her former boss. She shows Nixon railing against his old enemies-Democrats, liberals, the media and even his own Republican side but there is also humour in RN's outbursts that frequently had me chuckling.Indeed, even though I work in the Australian media, it is hard not to sympathise with some of Nixon's allegations of continual media bias that he considered dated back to the Hiss affair. Above all Crowley has produced a lively read of America's GOP, (grand old pol), in the winter of his life, that allows the reader to make their own decisions on this complex political figure-surely a refreshing change from the ravings of some writers who attempt to reduce Nixon to the same level as themselves. In doing so, and in using an insider's knowledge of the man, Ms Crowley has provided much winter warmth.

Rating:
Summary: Total self-absorption
Review: This is not an examination of Richard Nixon, it's a book about the author, Monica Crowley. I can't imagine anyone putting any credence in something which consists exclusively of lengthy quotes from Nixon, when Crowley admits she never used a tape recorder and relied on "after the fact notes." Give me a break! No one has such a prodigious memory as to remain monologues that lasted over an hour and then claim to reproduce Nixon's thoughts verbatim. Yet Crowley miraculously pulls this off.

Richard Nixon was notoriously uncomfortable around women. He wasn't around women, he was distant to his own wife and no extra-marital affair has ever been documented. Yet we are supposed to believe that the aging Nixon would place extraordinary trust in a young woman, tell her his innermost secrets and spend vast amounts of time with her talking geo-politics? It's a wonder that fewer people have questioned the credibility of this account. Though the quotes all sound Nixonian in the extreme, a cynic would cry foul with this anemic effort.