In his new book one man against the world, tim weiner explores some of the questions surrounding the presidency of richard nixon, pictured above in the oval office on feb. This book shines in its vivid accounts of the agency from 19501970, covering its inception after truman, its founding under ike and bumbling under kennedylbj and nixon. Tim weiner born june 20, 1956 is an american reporter and author. Thomas, a prolific author and veteran newsweek editor, aims for a more fully rounded portrait. Jun 15, 2015 in his new book one man against the world, tim weiner explores some of the questions surrounding the presidency of richard nixon, pictured above in the oval office on feb.
The tragedy of richard nixon ebook written by tim weiner. Weiners is certainly the better book about nixons presidency. Legacy of ashes, his history of the cia, won the national book award. That time the middle east explodedand nixon was drunk. The tragedy of richard nixon by former new york times reporter tim weiner is a history of nixon s paranoid white house that draws connections between his handling of. A man divided show the expresident as brilliant but flawed, while tim weiners one man against the world. Weiner, a national book award winner for legacy of ashes, pulls no punches in his devastating account of nixons presidency, drawing on documents declassified in the last seven years. Jun 24, 2015 and this summer brings two major new nixon books tim weiners one man against the world. This essay has been adapted from chapters 1 and 22 of tim weiners new book, one man against the world. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read one man against the world. The bureau of investigation not yet federal existed before j. Being nixon and one man against the world the new york.
May 20, 2008 tim weiner has won the pulitzer prize and the national book award for his reporting and writing on american national security. Tim weiner, whose superb book about the cia, legacy of ashes, won a national book award, is now out with one man against the world, a credible, dramatic, original and devastating. Can you give us an overview of your book, and what was your inspiration in. The tragedy of richard nixon, by tim weiner june 16, 2015 president richard m. Two new books have just been released this month, this book by tim weiner and the one by evan thomass being nixon. You can read this before one man against the world. The tragedy of richard nixon by tim weiner a shocking and riveting look at one of the most dramatic and disastrous presidencies in us history, from pulitzer prize and national book award winner tim weiner based largely on documents declassified only in the last few years, one man against the world paints a. One of the books in this genre is tim weiners one man against the world. Weiner, a national book award winner for legacy of ashes, pulls no punches in his devastating account of nixon s presidency, drawing on documents declassified in the last seven years. Enemies is the story of how presidents have used the fbi as the. But secret intelligence is the bureaus first and foremost mission. Weiner is a former new york times national security reporter, is decidedly hostile to nixon. This article is adapted from his latest, one man against the world.
Based largely on documents declassified only in the last few years, one man against the world paints a devastating portrait of a tortured yet brilliant man who led the country largely according to a deep. Can you give us an overview of your book, and what was your inspiration in writing it. As his depressing introductory note states, for those who lived under nixon, it. Weiners nixon emerges as a man who sought peace but who never was at peace, a president who tried to create order but who sowed disorder, a political figure who spoke of the public trust but who won the distrust of.
A history of the fbi, his book on the fbis 100year hidden history of war against terrorists, spies, and ultimately any person or group deemed subversive. Tim weiner author one man against the world nixon on. Aug 11, the second big nixon book this summer after being nixon by evan one man against the world. Richard nixon was my presidenthe was first elected when i was twelve and he resigned when i was eighteen. Jun 25, 2015 doug miles talks with tim weiner author one man against the world the tragedy of richard nixon on book talk radio. As a correspondent for the new york times, he covered the central intelligence agency and the pentagon in washington, and reported on war and terrorism from afghanistan, pakistan, the sudan, and many other nations over the course of 15 years. I dont think he ever slept, said general alexander m.
Edgar hoover, but the the fbi has a carefully curated image as heroic gmen, busting major criminals like mafia dons, bank robbers, kidnappers, and art thieves hello robert k. In gripping prose, the author shows how, in nixon s mind, the conflict in vietnam and the crimes of watergate were one war, fought on two fronts. Aug 07, 2015 tim weiner, one man against the world politics and prose. In gripping prose, the author shows how, in nixons mind, the conflict in vietnam and the crimes of watergate were one war, fought on two fronts. He is the author of four books and coauthor of a fifth, and winner of the pulitzer prize and national book award. Let me give you a reason thats anything but historical for reading tim weiners remarkable new book, one man against the world. The tragedy of richard nixon fulfills its brief as a quick, dirty and readable ledger of nixons crimes, from his meddling in the paris peace talks through his deceits on vietnam, his attacks on dissidents and antiwar leaders and, of course, everything watergate related. Mind you, with the last of the secret nixon white house tapes finally made public some 40 years after the first of them were turned over to courts, prosecutors, and congress, this will undoubtedly be the ultimate book on that. For the last sixty years, the cia has managed to maintain a formidable reputation in spite of its terrible record, burying its blunders in topsecret archives.
The tragedy of richard nixon, awardwinning author and journalist tim weiner tells the story of a tormented man, considered by many to be a brilliant politician, in the process of destroying himself. Weiner documents the nixon administration time frame in minute detail. The tragedy of richard nixon and evan thomass being nixon. According to national book award winner weiner legacy of ashes, president richard nixons 1994 most tragic flaw was his idea that the presidency was above the law. He is the author of four books and coauthor of a fifth, and winner of the pulitzer prize 1 and national book award. Weiner, a former new york times national security reporter, is decidedly hostile to nixon, structuring his account of the presidency around a litany of transgressions related to watergate and the vietnam war. Weiners main asset is thorough documentation, from tapes and memoirs to.
Rich in behindthescenes views of political and foreignpolicy maneuvering, one man against the world is an excellent guide to better understand nixon as a man, as well as his policy in vietnam and the beginnings of the watergate scandal. The reader leaves with an understanding of the cia central role in american foreign policy. One man against the worldthe tragedy of richard nixon by tim weiner i perhaps had a somewhat different experience reading this book than some others. Weiner defends his strong contempt for the 37th president of the united states, making the argument that nixon tried to place himself above the law, much like a king, rather than the leader of a. Weiners findings, drawing on the entirety of nixons secret tapes and other documents, are certainly newsworthy. Tim weiner author one man against the world nixon on book. One man against the world, by former philadelphia inquirer journalist tim weiner, covers the time richard nixon was president. Author interview with tim weiner congratulations mr. Nixon made a disastrous decision to widen the vietnam war by invading cambodia, recounted here in an excerpt adapted from my new book, one man against the world.
It doesnt explore his childhood or his pink smear of helen gahagan douglas during the 1950 campaign for u. One man against the world richard nixon tim weiner. One man against the world by tim weiner, 9781250092328, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. In enemies, tim weiner ably traces the paradoxes of the fbi in its long history. From the hail of garbage and curses that awaited nixon upon his arrival at the white house, when he became the president of a nation as deeply divided as it had been since the end of the civil war, to the unprecedented action nixon took against american citizens, who he considered as traitorous as the army of north vietnam, to the infamous. The tragedy of richard nixon can you give us an overview of your book, and what was your inspiration in writing it. One man against the world by tim weiner, 9781250092328. Tim weiner is a former new york times correspondent and the author of five books. Apr 21, 2016 thomas bends over too far in his effort to forgive nixons misdeeds, particularly his vietnam disaster and his ugly racial politics. As his depressing introductory note states, for those who lived under nixon, it is worse than you may recollect. Jul 21, 2015 one of the books in this genre is tim weiners one man against the world. Apr 03, 2019 one man against the world, by former philadelphia inquirer journalist tim weiner, covers the time richard nixon was president. Hoovers backchannelling of sensitive information to richard nixon, serving at the time. Weiner on your new book, one man against the world.
One man against the world a shocking and riveting look at one of the most dramatic and disastrous presidencies in us history, from pulitzer prize and national book award winner tim weiner. Tim weiner talked about his book, one man against the world. Kings worldweary voice and wailing guitar lifted him from the cotton fields of mississippi to a global stage and the. Thomas bends over too far in his effort to forgive nixons misdeeds, particularly his vietnam disaster and his ugly racial politics. He directs the carey institutes nonfiction residency program in upstate new york and teaches as an anschutz distinguished fellow in american studies at princeton.
From the middle east to afghanistan, the united states is ever more enmeshed in wars with dubious friends and elusive enemies. Pulitzer prize and national book award winner tim weiner presents a devastating portrait of a tortured and tormented man. The new york times bestsellera shocking and riveting look at one of the most dramatic and disastrous presidencies in us history, from pulitzer prize and national book award winner tim weinerbased largely on documents declassified only in the last few years, one man against the world paints a devastating portrait of a tortured yet brilliant man who led the country largely according to a deep. The tragedy of richard nixon written by tim weiner which was published in 2015116. The general dismay at the cias failure to see the fall of the soviet union, the end of the cold war, the invasion of kuwait, the events of 911, its wholly false assessment of saddams wmd and its role in the rendition of innocent suspects implies that it has. Here is a quick description and cover image of book one man against the world. In his illuminating and compelling one man against the world. That time the middle east explodedand nixon was drunk tim. As a correspondent for the new york times, he covered war and terrorism in afghanistan, pakistan, the sudan, and other nations. President richard nixons legacy has been the subject of speculation and controversy for years between the war in vietnam, tension with the soviets, and the watergate scandal, truth and reality have been distorted so often that its still difficult to discern what really happened behind the closed doors of nixons administration. In this readable book, weiner provides a blowbyblow account of nixons. Two new biographies for richard nixon the boston globe. Enemies is the first definitive history of the fbis secret intelligence operations, from an author whose work on the pentagon and the cia won him the pulitzer prize and the national book award.
Using direct quotes in context, author tim weiner exposes nixon as a petty, paranoid. His journalism on secret government programs received the pulitzer prize for national reporting. The other books in this collection of recent works are openly hostile to nixon tim weiner and ken hughes or subtly devastating william burr and jeffrey kimball. Right from the beginning of one man against the world. Tim weiner, one man against the world politics and prose. Weiners book is not a comprehensive biography but a history of nixons anguished presidency that concentrates on the intertwined issues of war and national security. And this summer brings two major new nixon books tim weiners one man against the world. Nixon, for instance, busily selling ambassadorships, wanted to dismantle not just the state department, but effectively the whole of the government, filling its ranks with loyalists. He shaped my thinking about american power and american politics. A shocking and riveting look at one of the most dramatic.