 |
When one thinks of President Richard Nixon, the Watergate scandal is usually the first thing that comes to mind. However, in this biography, award-winning author Paul Carter works relentlessly to bring the true essence of Richard Nixon to the forefront, a feat which he performs masterfully and with grace and simplicity. Audiences will gain exposure to Nixon’s humble roots in rural Whittier, California, and Yorba Linda, California—his birthplace—when it was just a fledgling Orange County city with hardly three hundred residents. What’s more, though, is that Carter truly shines a light on the kind of person Nixon was. The premise is that, for all intents and purposes, while the former president was a superb tactician, he transcended that and was a giant of a man.
Carter, who is no stranger to mountains of documentation as a trial attorney, did an impeccable job of comprehensively researching Nixon’s formative years. In fact, he pored through hundreds of interviews and thousands of pages coming from respected sources, such as the Warren Era Collection at UC Berkeley, the Charles E. Young Research Library, and, of course, the National Archives. To his intrigue, and that of his audience, he states that much of the research he conducted had never seen the light of day before this book.
Nixon’s origin story dates back to the Nixon and Milhous families and a Quaker upbringing. Faith and hard work were central to Nixon’s parents, Franklin and Hannah, and it was something that Nixon carried with pride in his own life. From his childhood days, Nixon was viewed as a leader, the person everyone turned to for help, and appropriately so. Always at the helm of his friend group, he routinely found himself or placed himself in leadership. Arguably, the most unique example of his formative years is when he transferred from Fullerton High School to Whittier High, a new student perceivably trying to get his bearings in a new environment. Remarkably, he decided he would run for student body president, and despite not winning, he made such a profound impression that he was made senior manager, a prestigious position in its own right.
Juxtaposing biblical phrases speaking of hard work with a willingness to do any and all jobs, however menial (e.g., sheep shearer, barber, bricklayer, etc.), Nixon never took the American Dream for granted, and this is what set him onto an ascent that culminated with a seat in the Oval Office. As audiences learn about Nixon’s exploits, be it swimming off the forbidden bridge as a kid, leading Sunday school class, or simply growing up as one of the Nixon boys in their “clubhouse,” it is remarkably difficult not to gravitate to his persona, and simply put, humanness. Nixon was a friend’s friend and a man’s man. Over time, as the accolades accrued and his network expanded to world politicians, Nixon remained the same—who he had always been.
From Carter’s work, one thing is clear: Richard Nixon was a natural born giver, and if life were an orange, he would be the person who managed to squeeze out every last drop of juice. With a plot that flows seamlessly, the feel of this impressive work is less of a biography and more of a series of snapshots of a man’s life, one who was human and exhibited his humanity in every way imaginable. Overall, Carter delivers a spectacular and unbiased unveiling of a man whose life experiences are the embodiment of American values, experiences that are sure to provide a complete picture of the person he was and the life he lived that was centered around being a peacemaker.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review
The 2024 Eric Hoffer Book Award Reference Category Winner