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One of Us: Richard Nixon and the American Dream
From his seemingly "poor boy makes good" childhood to his college years, this piercing, perceptive examination of the people, places, and events that shaped the character of Richard Nixon gives the reader a rare and a fair glimpse of the forces that shaped him.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
731 pages, Hardcover
First published February 27, 1991
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About the author
Tom Wicker
70 books13 followersAlso wrote under the pseudonym Paul Connolly.
Thomas Grey Wicker’s respected talent as a journalist took him from his origins in Hamlet, North Carolina, to The New York Times. There he served as associate editor, former Washington bureau chief, as well as the author of the famous op-ed column “In the Nation” for thirty years. He was the author of a considerable number of acclaimed fiction and non-fiction books as well. Wicker earned his journalism degree from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill in 1948, and at first wrote for papers in Aberdeen and Lumberton. He wrote for the Winston-Salem Journal for eight years and The Nashville Tennessean for two years before heading up to the Times, where he eventually retired in 1991. Wicker’s famous report on the assassination of President Kennedy, written from the perspective of the motorcade following the president, has been praised as the most accurate firsthand account of the shooting.
Thomas Grey Wicker’s respected talent as a journalist took him from his origins in Hamlet, North Carolina, to The New York Times. There he served as associate editor, former Washington bureau chief, as well as the author of the famous op-ed column “In the Nation” for thirty years. He was the author of a considerable number of acclaimed fiction and non-fiction books as well. Wicker earned his journalism degree from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill in 1948, and at first wrote for papers in Aberdeen and Lumberton. He wrote for the Winston-Salem Journal for eight years and The Nashville Tennessean for two years before heading up to the Times, where he eventually retired in 1991. Wicker’s famous report on the assassination of President Kennedy, written from the perspective of the motorcade following the president, has been praised as the most accurate firsthand account of the shooting.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 23, 2018
https://bestpresidentialbios.com/2018...
One of the earliest scholarly studies of Richard Nixon is Tom Wicker’s “One of Us: Richard Nixon and the American Dream” which was published in 1991, three years before Nixon’s death. Wicker was a journalist for The New York Times for more than twenty years and the author of nearly two-dozen books. Wicker, who was included on the master list of Nixon’s political opponents, died in 2011 at the age of 85.
With 687 pages, one might expect this book to closely cover every aspect of Nixon’s public (if not private) life, but this is not the case. Wicker’s book is neither a comprehensive biography nor a thorough study of his presidency. Instead, it is a review of what the author believes to have been the most important elements of Nixon’s life and an examination of his public and private persona.
The author deliberately provides little-to-no coverage of Nixon’s youth, his California gubernatorial campaign, much of the Watergate affair and his entire post-presidency. But what Wicker does cover receives careful scrutiny and often penetrating insight – at least within the confines of the information available when the book was being researched and written.
Given Wicker’s long-standing affiliation with a newspaper known for its strong progressive leanings, this review of Nixon’s life and career is surprisingly balanced. In fact, if any bias is to be found it is a tendency for the author to highlight Nixon’s best qualities while under-emphasizing his worst tendencies. The main objective of this book seems to be drawing attention to what Wicker believes are Nixon’s most underappreciated domestic policy achievements.
Despite its non-traditional approach and organization, there is much about this book to be commended. Wicker has an often keen and penetrating sense for the “hidden story” and is rarely content to take actions or events at face value. Instead, he always seeks out the hidden motivations and the underlying cause-and-effect for Nixon’s actions.
“One of Us” contains many brilliant insights, clever observations and more than its share of witty, memorable one-liners. It is also filled with some excellent descriptions and analyses: of Nixon’s chief aides and senior staff, of Nixon’s political philosophy as president and of the “Gold Standard” issue. In addition, Wicker provides a very detailed (and interesting, if not crisp) review of Nixon’s “fund scandal” and his “Checkers Speech.” The final chapter summarizing Nixon’s personality and philosophies is probably the most praiseworthy section of the book.
Unfortunately, Wicker’s book is far from ideal in several ways. For those new to Nixon, its lack of comprehensive coverage is problematic. Although his earliest years do receive some attention, his substantial post-presidency is altogether missing. And numerous aspects of his political career are given receive scant attention: the infamous Nixon-Kennedy debates, several of his campaigns, most of his youth and the Watergate affair. His 1960 loss to Kennedy is dispatched in two paragraphs.
In addition, Wicker’s organizational style will leave much to be desired for many readers. Chronology is often a secondary (or tertiary) consideration in this book. Wicker tends to bounce from topic to topic irrespective of sequencing. Nixon’s presidency is covered topically which will will not bother Nixon aficionados but will leave others working tirelessly to assemble events into a comprehensible sequence.
Equally exhausting is Wicker’s tendency to ramble and wander. While his analysis is often well-argued and convincing, it is not uncommon for the narrative to segue without warning from one topic to another. In one chapter (as just one example) the text veers suddenly from Nixon’s relationship with Kissinger to his reorganization of the State Department and then to the president’s relationship with the press. A more purposeful flow would make the book considerably more readable.
Overall, Tom Wicker’s “One of Us: Richard Nixon and the American Dream” is a surprisingly meritorious analysis of several aspects of Richard Nixon’s life and persona. But it is far from ideal as an introduction to Nixon and contains few features of the most engaging presidential biographies. Its greatest value is as a supplemental study – and a repository of interesting insights and observations – for someone wishing to better understand this mysterious and frustratingly self-destructive chief executive.
Overall rating: 3¼ stars
One of the earliest scholarly studies of Richard Nixon is Tom Wicker’s “One of Us: Richard Nixon and the American Dream” which was published in 1991, three years before Nixon’s death. Wicker was a journalist for The New York Times for more than twenty years and the author of nearly two-dozen books. Wicker, who was included on the master list of Nixon’s political opponents, died in 2011 at the age of 85.
With 687 pages, one might expect this book to closely cover every aspect of Nixon’s public (if not private) life, but this is not the case. Wicker’s book is neither a comprehensive biography nor a thorough study of his presidency. Instead, it is a review of what the author believes to have been the most important elements of Nixon’s life and an examination of his public and private persona.
The author deliberately provides little-to-no coverage of Nixon’s youth, his California gubernatorial campaign, much of the Watergate affair and his entire post-presidency. But what Wicker does cover receives careful scrutiny and often penetrating insight – at least within the confines of the information available when the book was being researched and written.
Given Wicker’s long-standing affiliation with a newspaper known for its strong progressive leanings, this review of Nixon’s life and career is surprisingly balanced. In fact, if any bias is to be found it is a tendency for the author to highlight Nixon’s best qualities while under-emphasizing his worst tendencies. The main objective of this book seems to be drawing attention to what Wicker believes are Nixon’s most underappreciated domestic policy achievements.
Despite its non-traditional approach and organization, there is much about this book to be commended. Wicker has an often keen and penetrating sense for the “hidden story” and is rarely content to take actions or events at face value. Instead, he always seeks out the hidden motivations and the underlying cause-and-effect for Nixon’s actions.
“One of Us” contains many brilliant insights, clever observations and more than its share of witty, memorable one-liners. It is also filled with some excellent descriptions and analyses: of Nixon’s chief aides and senior staff, of Nixon’s political philosophy as president and of the “Gold Standard” issue. In addition, Wicker provides a very detailed (and interesting, if not crisp) review of Nixon’s “fund scandal” and his “Checkers Speech.” The final chapter summarizing Nixon’s personality and philosophies is probably the most praiseworthy section of the book.
Unfortunately, Wicker’s book is far from ideal in several ways. For those new to Nixon, its lack of comprehensive coverage is problematic. Although his earliest years do receive some attention, his substantial post-presidency is altogether missing. And numerous aspects of his political career are given receive scant attention: the infamous Nixon-Kennedy debates, several of his campaigns, most of his youth and the Watergate affair. His 1960 loss to Kennedy is dispatched in two paragraphs.
In addition, Wicker’s organizational style will leave much to be desired for many readers. Chronology is often a secondary (or tertiary) consideration in this book. Wicker tends to bounce from topic to topic irrespective of sequencing. Nixon’s presidency is covered topically which will will not bother Nixon aficionados but will leave others working tirelessly to assemble events into a comprehensible sequence.
Equally exhausting is Wicker’s tendency to ramble and wander. While his analysis is often well-argued and convincing, it is not uncommon for the narrative to segue without warning from one topic to another. In one chapter (as just one example) the text veers suddenly from Nixon’s relationship with Kissinger to his reorganization of the State Department and then to the president’s relationship with the press. A more purposeful flow would make the book considerably more readable.
Overall, Tom Wicker’s “One of Us: Richard Nixon and the American Dream” is a surprisingly meritorious analysis of several aspects of Richard Nixon’s life and persona. But it is far from ideal as an introduction to Nixon and contains few features of the most engaging presidential biographies. Its greatest value is as a supplemental study – and a repository of interesting insights and observations – for someone wishing to better understand this mysterious and frustratingly self-destructive chief executive.
Overall rating: 3¼ stars
January 9, 2023
Not a comprehensive biography by any means. The books skims Nixon’s childhood and deliberately ignores the watergate scandal. Instead, Tom Wicker’s book provides more of a personal summary of certain points of Nixon’s career, providing relatively unbiased speculation and information that only an experienced Washington reporter can provide.
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July 26, 2023A fair and very informative look at the Nixon years as President and all of his years preceding. A very informative look at and evaluation of national as well as world events during the late 50's through the mid 70's. A well written book that was easy to read.
November 22, 2012
What is it about Richard Milhous Nixon that captures the imagination? Is it his obvious insecurity occupying the highest office? His impoverished early life? His supposed moderate outlook in an age of extremist conservatives? Tom Wicker's biography tracks Nixon's life right up to the moment of the Watergate break-in, conveniently serving-up enough background for interested readers to continue reading Woodward and Bernstein's account of that episode.
The tragedy of Nixon is on full display here, and in such fairness that liberals and conservatives alike will be hard-pressed to take issue with Wicker's depiction. One surprise was the shallowness of Nixon's foreign policy. While he is often vaunted for opening up China and bringing the USSR to the negotiating table on the SALT treaty, Nixon and the ever-present Kissinger suffered by viewing all geopolitical events through biploar lenses.
The Indo-Pakistan War, the rise of Allende in Chile, and giving the Shah of Iran a blank check to purchase weapons-- each of these situations was forced into a paradigm of US vs USSR, with tragic consequences. The suffering of the Bengali people, the police state of Augusto Pinochet, and the inevitable overthrow of the Shah by Khomeni were all direct consequences of Nixon and Kissinger's inability to recognize nationalistic events instead of communist boogeymen.
Wicker also demonstrates that much of Nixon's duplicity and contempt for Congress was learned at the feet of Dwight Eisenhower, in whose presidency Nixon served as vice-president for eight years. Nixon learned that presidents could lie to the public, to Congress, and obtain blackmail material on critics via J. Edgar Hoover's FBI by following Ike's example. One cannot condemn Richard Nixon while venerating Dwight Eisenhower-- the former is a direct consequence of the latter.
The tragedy of Nixon is on full display here, and in such fairness that liberals and conservatives alike will be hard-pressed to take issue with Wicker's depiction. One surprise was the shallowness of Nixon's foreign policy. While he is often vaunted for opening up China and bringing the USSR to the negotiating table on the SALT treaty, Nixon and the ever-present Kissinger suffered by viewing all geopolitical events through biploar lenses.
The Indo-Pakistan War, the rise of Allende in Chile, and giving the Shah of Iran a blank check to purchase weapons-- each of these situations was forced into a paradigm of US vs USSR, with tragic consequences. The suffering of the Bengali people, the police state of Augusto Pinochet, and the inevitable overthrow of the Shah by Khomeni were all direct consequences of Nixon and Kissinger's inability to recognize nationalistic events instead of communist boogeymen.
Wicker also demonstrates that much of Nixon's duplicity and contempt for Congress was learned at the feet of Dwight Eisenhower, in whose presidency Nixon served as vice-president for eight years. Nixon learned that presidents could lie to the public, to Congress, and obtain blackmail material on critics via J. Edgar Hoover's FBI by following Ike's example. One cannot condemn Richard Nixon while venerating Dwight Eisenhower-- the former is a direct consequence of the latter.
March 15, 2016
I liked the book for the most part though I think the title is a bit deceptive as Wicker to me seemed to only wrap everything up about Nixon's personality, life, career and presidency as being connected to a broader American dream in the last chapter. It is more of a chronicle of his entire political life, which in itself was very interesting. When you read enough about a person you are fascinated with like Nixon you are bound to find some good new insights. Wicker offers up an interview with Elliott Richardson in which he calls out John Mitchell for his lack of political understanding and insight in allowing the early stages of plumber activities which led to Watergate to take place. Good stuff on Nixon and Kissinger.
December 26, 2014
Finally got around to reading this work by the late Tom Wicker. I have owned the book for a long time. Wicker does a very good job in this account of Nixon. Although I had a general knowledge of the period occupied by Nixon, I now have a better understanding of this man. On the whole, still unfavorable, Nixon was quite perceptive on some things. He was totally against trying to get rid of Castro as anything the US did along this line would create a very negative response from other Latin American countries.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews