Small (History/Wayne State Univ.) renders a carefully balanced
assessment of a complex but accomplished and important president.
From the 1948 Alger Hiss investigation, when Congressman Richard
Nixon first emerged into the national consciousness, until his
departure from the White House in disgrace in 1974 and his death 20
years later, the presence of Nixon, even in defeat and failure,
defined American politics, so much that Small argues that the Cold
War era can be considered largely "an age of Nixon." In contrast to
recent interest in Nixon's political beginnings (e.g., Irwin F.
Gellman, The Contender, p. 936), Small focuses here on the
substantial accomplishments and misdeeds of Nixon's turbulent
presidency, as well as his enigmatic character and his lasting
influence on America and its political institutions. Small finds
little to dispute the post-Watergate perception of Nixon as a
nasty, ruthless, and deceitful politician who attempted to subvert
the American political system. The author charges that "no
president before or after ordered or participated in so many
serious illegal and extralegal acts that violated constitutional
principles" and that Nixon bequeathed a toxic legacy of cynicism
and mistrust of government that haunts us still. However, taking up
such issues as detente toward the Soviet Union and China, his often
adroit stewardship of domestic programs and the economy, Small
gives Nixon credit for significant achievements, the influence of
which may be equally lasting. Without developing an elaborate
argument in support of his point, Small suggests that Nixon's
foreign policy achievements, while substantial, have been oversold
(marred by his intransigent handling of the war in Southeast Asia),
and his solid domestic accomplishments unfairly overlooked. Small
argues that Nixon's environmental initiatives make him the most
environmentally conscious president since Theodore Roosevelt, and
that he dramatically expanded funds for medical research and the
arts and humanities. A valuably fair assessment, which avoids the
extremes of rehabilitating Nixon and vilifying him. (Kirkus
Reviews)
Twenty-five years after Richard Nixon resigned from office, his
legacy remains shrouded in controversy. His was a complex,
inconsistent, and even contradictory presidency, shaped 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 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.
General
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