But even avid fans of Nixon (as well as readers interested in his complex life) will come away from this book having learned something new. But given Nixon’s obvious and often obtuse faults, it is surprising that Perlstein bothers to indict his subject for the same traits exhibited by many successful politicians before – and since. Throughout the book there are numerous insults and slights which convict Nixon for being a clever, calculating and even conniving politician. And it will not take many readers long to recognize that Perlstein’s view of Nixon is decidedly negative. While Nixon’s life may be the hub of the wheel, most of the narrative is spent exploring the spokes. Even readers who miss a detailed review of Nixon’s political career will appreciate the keen insight into his life afforded by the author’s perspective on the social unrest which rocked Nixon’s presidency.īut Perlstein’s coverage is far sharper on evolving American culture than on Nixon’s life or political career. One need not fully support Perlstein’s thesis in order to find the book both intriguing and thought-provoking. And the gripping narrative frequently proves gratuitously melodramatic. But coverage of his early years is far too rapid to serve as a meaningful introduction to his life. The book begins in earnest with colorful coverage of the 1965 Watts riots, and Perlstein soon peers back in time to back-fill important details of Nixon’s early life. It is a contention not easily dismissed, but many readers will appreciate that there is nothing new about America’s polarized politics (or culture). Perlstein’s overarching thesis, tying together two parallel narratives involving American society and Nixon himself, is that Richard Nixon masterfully recognized, exploited and magnified cultural divisions which then persisted long past his presidency.
Divided into four broad sections (corresponding to the national elections in 1966, 1968, 19) this book explores social trends and unrest deriving largely from Vietnam and racial tensions.
Readers will quickly discover that “Nixonland” is more a cultural and social history of the United States than a biography of Nixon. Perlstein is currently working on a fourth book in this series on America’s political and social fabric.
Perlstein’s most recent book “ The Invisible Bridge: The Fall of Nixon and the Rise of Reagan” picks up where “Nixonland” ends. His first book “ Before the Storm: Barry Goldwater and the Unmaking of the American Consensus” explores American culture in the 1960s. Historian and journalist Rick Perlstein’s widely-praised “ Nixonland: The Rise of a President and the Fracturing of America” was published in 2008.
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