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Ike and Dick: Portrait of a Strange Political Marriage
A groundbreaking narrative of the relationship between Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon—from the politics that divided them to the marriage that united their families.
D wight D. Eisenhower and Richard Nixon had a political and private relationship that lasted nearly twenty years, a tie that survived hurtful slights, tense misunderstandings, and the distance between them in age and temperament. Yet the two men brought out the best and worst in each other, and their association had important consequences for their respective presidencies.
In Ike and Dick, Jeffrey Frank rediscovers these two compelling figures with the sensitivity of a novelist and the discipline of a historian. He offers a fresh view of the younger Nixon as a striving tactician, as well as the ever more perplexing person that he became. He portrays Eisenhower, the legendary soldier, as a cold, even vain man with a warm smile whose sound instincts about war and peace far outpaced his understanding of the changes occurring in his own country.
Eisenhower and Nixon shared striking high intelligence, cunning, and an aversion to confrontation, especially with each other. Ike and Dick, informed by dozens of interviews and deep archival research, traces the path of their relationship in a dangerous world of recurring crises as Nixon’s ambitions grew and Eisenhower was struck by a series of debilitating illnesses. And, as the 1968 election cycle approached and the war in Vietnam roiled the country, it shows why Eisenhower, mortally ill and despite his doubts, supported Nixon’s final attempt to win the White House, a change influenced by a family his grandson David’s courtship of Nixon’s daughter Julie—teenagers in love who understood the political stakes of their union.
D wight D. Eisenhower and Richard Nixon had a political and private relationship that lasted nearly twenty years, a tie that survived hurtful slights, tense misunderstandings, and the distance between them in age and temperament. Yet the two men brought out the best and worst in each other, and their association had important consequences for their respective presidencies.
In Ike and Dick, Jeffrey Frank rediscovers these two compelling figures with the sensitivity of a novelist and the discipline of a historian. He offers a fresh view of the younger Nixon as a striving tactician, as well as the ever more perplexing person that he became. He portrays Eisenhower, the legendary soldier, as a cold, even vain man with a warm smile whose sound instincts about war and peace far outpaced his understanding of the changes occurring in his own country.
Eisenhower and Nixon shared striking high intelligence, cunning, and an aversion to confrontation, especially with each other. Ike and Dick, informed by dozens of interviews and deep archival research, traces the path of their relationship in a dangerous world of recurring crises as Nixon’s ambitions grew and Eisenhower was struck by a series of debilitating illnesses. And, as the 1968 election cycle approached and the war in Vietnam roiled the country, it shows why Eisenhower, mortally ill and despite his doubts, supported Nixon’s final attempt to win the White House, a change influenced by a family his grandson David’s courtship of Nixon’s daughter Julie—teenagers in love who understood the political stakes of their union.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published January 8, 2013
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About the author
Jeffrey Frank
11 books38 followersWorked as senior editor at The New Yorker. Also worked for The Washington Post.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
December 2, 2020
"You won't have Dick Nixon to kick around anymore." - Richard Nixon, in his concession speech about his November 1962 loss in the California gubernatorial election, as noted on page 238
Frank's Ike & Dick: Portrait of a Strange Political Marriage certainly gets one thing correct with its subtitle - the 'relationship' was an odd sort of dance involving this U.S. president / vice-president duo during their two terms in office (1953-1961) and then through the subsequent decade until Eisenhower's death in 1969, which is the specific focus of the book's narrative. I suppose it could even be said their union was slightly dysfunctional, yet they still often provided relatively solid leadership for the country during that prosperous post-war era. And, interestingly, the narrative shakes things up a bit by occasionally casting Eisenhower in an unflattering light (although he often ranks as one of the most respected commander-in-chiefs in surveys) and by detailing a fair number of positive aspects about Nixon (who usually figures towards the bottom in those same polls). I'd even go so far as to say that, while succeeding in presenting an unbiased portrait, that Nixon was shown to have a number of qualities / talents that should have made him an exceptional president in his own right. That his own time as POTUS (1969-1974) quickly flamed out with the questionable and/or illegal activities casts a sorrowful shadow over his earlier, apparently sincere dedication to his political career. This was one surprisingly compelling biographical/historical/sociological tome.
Frank's Ike & Dick: Portrait of a Strange Political Marriage certainly gets one thing correct with its subtitle - the 'relationship' was an odd sort of dance involving this U.S. president / vice-president duo during their two terms in office (1953-1961) and then through the subsequent decade until Eisenhower's death in 1969, which is the specific focus of the book's narrative. I suppose it could even be said their union was slightly dysfunctional, yet they still often provided relatively solid leadership for the country during that prosperous post-war era. And, interestingly, the narrative shakes things up a bit by occasionally casting Eisenhower in an unflattering light (although he often ranks as one of the most respected commander-in-chiefs in surveys) and by detailing a fair number of positive aspects about Nixon (who usually figures towards the bottom in those same polls). I'd even go so far as to say that, while succeeding in presenting an unbiased portrait, that Nixon was shown to have a number of qualities / talents that should have made him an exceptional president in his own right. That his own time as POTUS (1969-1974) quickly flamed out with the questionable and/or illegal activities casts a sorrowful shadow over his earlier, apparently sincere dedication to his political career. This was one surprisingly compelling biographical/historical/sociological tome.
February 10, 2017
https://bestpresidentialbios.com/2017...
“Ike & Dick: Portrait of a Strange Political Marriage” by Jeffrey Frank was published in 2013. Frank is an author and journalist; he was formerly senior editor at The New Yorker and deputy editor of the “Outlook” section of The Washington Post. In addition to “Ike and Dick” he has authored four novels including, most recently, “Trudy Hopedale: A Novel” which was published in 2007.
It has long been observed that politics makes strange bedfellows. This has perhaps never been more true than in the case of Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon whose unusual (and often uncomfortable) seventeen-year relationship serves as the foundation for Frank’s work.
This 346 page book is not quite a dual-biography – it fails to provide a thorough review of either of its subjects’ lives and virtually nothing of their respective families. And it is not quite a character analysis. But what it is: a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at this political odd couple which quickly proves penetrating, colorful and eminently enlightening.
Frank’s background as a journalist is immediately clear; his writing is absorbing, colorful and crisp. It is easy to imagine being a fly on the wall as President Eisenhower seeks the opinion of everyone except his vice president (who we know has the answer but is waiting to be called upon), or in Eisenhower’s hospital room in 1968 as Nixon searches awkwardly for a way to ask the former president for his political endorsement.
The book’s first chapter provides a healthy dose of context relating to Eisenhower’s decision to finally run for president; it quickly reaches full speed in the ensuing chapter when this unlikely pair are politically united (at the 1952 Republican convention). The ensuing narrative follows their relationship through the ebbs and flows of Eisenhower’s two-term presidency, Nixon’s “wilderness years” and Nixon’s 1968 presidential win.
One might suspect this book would be evenly divided in its focus and balanced in its portrayal, but this is not the case. The narrative most frequently centers upon Nixon’s life – and sees the world largely from his perspective – with Eisenhower cast as the outsider. And as difficult as it is to imagine Richard Nixon as a sympathetic character, he is essentially portrayed as the victim of continuous small-scale psychological abuse at the hands of a thoughtless, uncaring and unappreciative President Eisenhower.
But while the portrait of an odd-but-virtuous Nixon is somewhat unique, Frank’s depiction of Eisenhower feels anachronistic: Ike resembles the aloof, out-of-touch, vaguely unaware character he resembled before his presidential persona was reassessed decades ago. In spite of the suspicion the author is too fond Nixon, however, most readers will lament the multitude of slights he suffered during his vice presidency…and marvel that this pair tolerated each other as well as they did until heart failure killed Eisenhower in 1969.
Overall, “Ike & Dick: Portrait of a Strange Political Marriage” is an engrossing examination of a relationship initially based on convenience (for Eisenhower) and promotion (for Nixon) but which evolved into something far more complicated for each. Readers seeking special insight into their respective lives (or presidencies) will be disappointed. But as a window into two complex and fascinating personalities, and as a way of adding nuance and texture to their conventional portraits, it is often extremely compelling.
Overall rating: 4 stars
“Ike & Dick: Portrait of a Strange Political Marriage” by Jeffrey Frank was published in 2013. Frank is an author and journalist; he was formerly senior editor at The New Yorker and deputy editor of the “Outlook” section of The Washington Post. In addition to “Ike and Dick” he has authored four novels including, most recently, “Trudy Hopedale: A Novel” which was published in 2007.
It has long been observed that politics makes strange bedfellows. This has perhaps never been more true than in the case of Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon whose unusual (and often uncomfortable) seventeen-year relationship serves as the foundation for Frank’s work.
This 346 page book is not quite a dual-biography – it fails to provide a thorough review of either of its subjects’ lives and virtually nothing of their respective families. And it is not quite a character analysis. But what it is: a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at this political odd couple which quickly proves penetrating, colorful and eminently enlightening.
Frank’s background as a journalist is immediately clear; his writing is absorbing, colorful and crisp. It is easy to imagine being a fly on the wall as President Eisenhower seeks the opinion of everyone except his vice president (who we know has the answer but is waiting to be called upon), or in Eisenhower’s hospital room in 1968 as Nixon searches awkwardly for a way to ask the former president for his political endorsement.
The book’s first chapter provides a healthy dose of context relating to Eisenhower’s decision to finally run for president; it quickly reaches full speed in the ensuing chapter when this unlikely pair are politically united (at the 1952 Republican convention). The ensuing narrative follows their relationship through the ebbs and flows of Eisenhower’s two-term presidency, Nixon’s “wilderness years” and Nixon’s 1968 presidential win.
One might suspect this book would be evenly divided in its focus and balanced in its portrayal, but this is not the case. The narrative most frequently centers upon Nixon’s life – and sees the world largely from his perspective – with Eisenhower cast as the outsider. And as difficult as it is to imagine Richard Nixon as a sympathetic character, he is essentially portrayed as the victim of continuous small-scale psychological abuse at the hands of a thoughtless, uncaring and unappreciative President Eisenhower.
But while the portrait of an odd-but-virtuous Nixon is somewhat unique, Frank’s depiction of Eisenhower feels anachronistic: Ike resembles the aloof, out-of-touch, vaguely unaware character he resembled before his presidential persona was reassessed decades ago. In spite of the suspicion the author is too fond Nixon, however, most readers will lament the multitude of slights he suffered during his vice presidency…and marvel that this pair tolerated each other as well as they did until heart failure killed Eisenhower in 1969.
Overall, “Ike & Dick: Portrait of a Strange Political Marriage” is an engrossing examination of a relationship initially based on convenience (for Eisenhower) and promotion (for Nixon) but which evolved into something far more complicated for each. Readers seeking special insight into their respective lives (or presidencies) will be disappointed. But as a window into two complex and fascinating personalities, and as a way of adding nuance and texture to their conventional portraits, it is often extremely compelling.
Overall rating: 4 stars
February 7, 2014
This book is very accurately titled. It is literally about Ike and Dick's strange relationship.
Huge events like Bobby Kennedy's assassination get barely a sentence, but Christmas cards between the two are dissected down to how Eisenhower signs off (i.e. will he use the chummier, 'Ike', indicating that Nixon is a friend and not a colleague? STAY TUNED). I'm not saying that's a bad thing, because that's exactly what I wanted when I picked up the book.
It's amazing how passive-aggressive Ike is in this story, so it's hard not to feel badly for Nixon. Right when Nixon starts to break out on his own and get some shine with the public, Ike kneecaps him in the press and then wonders how anyone could ever construe what he said as negative. So Nixon, over and over again, has to deal with his legendary boss hurting him publicly and then privately calling him a wuss for being hurt by it.
My only real criticism of this book is that Ike comes across as more of a figurehead than a president. Very little time is spent on the decision-making. It's amusing to read about Ike golfing all day while complaining about Nixon, who is exhausted and campaigning everywhere on his behalf. It's funny how Ike was so used to having valets that he can't operate a toaster. But, I'd like to hear more about the actual cabinet meetings. I think that would have illuminated more about their actual working relationship.
But if you're interested in the relationship between Ike and Dick, I recommend, "Ike and Dick."
Huge events like Bobby Kennedy's assassination get barely a sentence, but Christmas cards between the two are dissected down to how Eisenhower signs off (i.e. will he use the chummier, 'Ike', indicating that Nixon is a friend and not a colleague? STAY TUNED). I'm not saying that's a bad thing, because that's exactly what I wanted when I picked up the book.
It's amazing how passive-aggressive Ike is in this story, so it's hard not to feel badly for Nixon. Right when Nixon starts to break out on his own and get some shine with the public, Ike kneecaps him in the press and then wonders how anyone could ever construe what he said as negative. So Nixon, over and over again, has to deal with his legendary boss hurting him publicly and then privately calling him a wuss for being hurt by it.
My only real criticism of this book is that Ike comes across as more of a figurehead than a president. Very little time is spent on the decision-making. It's amusing to read about Ike golfing all day while complaining about Nixon, who is exhausted and campaigning everywhere on his behalf. It's funny how Ike was so used to having valets that he can't operate a toaster. But, I'd like to hear more about the actual cabinet meetings. I think that would have illuminated more about their actual working relationship.
But if you're interested in the relationship between Ike and Dick, I recommend, "Ike and Dick."
August 4, 2015
A well-written and quick read, Frank sacrifices depth to paint in broader strokes and focuses primarily (as the subtitle indicates) on the often strained relationship between Eisenhower and Nixon. If not entirely sympathetic, a more understandable Nixon emerges, though still carrying his many flaws. Eisenhower comes off as a sort of mythic figure, seemingly in keeping with his status in the American imagination at the time, though this means that some of the more nefarious dimensions of his presidency (namely the coups plotted by the Dulles brothers in Guatemala and Iran) are ignored. Similarly, because the focus is primarily on the personal relationship between these two men, a lot of the domestic unrest in the United States during the Civil Rights era is also glossed over.
Overall an enjoyable read, but it is probably best as a supplement to other books of this period.
Overall an enjoyable read, but it is probably best as a supplement to other books of this period.
April 10, 2013
An absorbing depiction of one president's passive-aggressive psychological abuse of his vice-president. Nixon-haters will gain a useful modicum of sympathy for their perpetual villain, as he assumes Grendel-like proportions under the cruel ministrations of the outwardly genial Ike. The cult of Ike gets a valuable shot to the kneecaps. Above all, Jeffrey Frank has written a spellbinding, eminently readable , meticulously documented biography that is invaluable to our understanding of the 1950s.
February 25, 2013
Over the last five months, I've been reading Doris Kearns Goodwin's Team of Rivals, her massive volume on Lincoln's inclusion of political foes in his presidential cabinet, one chapter at a time. In that same time, I've begun and finished a few dozen other books, usually in one or two sittings, and almost always with ease...but Goodwin's tome remains unconquered on a table in my living room, the bookmark creeping every slowly from front cover to back. The reason it's taken so long is not because I don't find the book interesting; in reality, the book is too interesting: Goodwin's level of research and detail is exhausting, with each chapter saturated by first- and secondhand sources, and the 1000-page story actually ends on page 750 or so, leaving the last quarter to a small-font collection of notes and sources. To read a chapter is to find yourself dropped into ten different books unto themselves--about events, figures, laws, debates, ideas--all of which are brought together with such expert skill, such fluid narrative ease, that the mind feels over-nourished to the point of intellectual gluttony after only 20 or 30 pages. It's a beautiful feeling.
Perhaps it's because of that over-nourishment, which has kept me coming back to the book over 5 long months, that makes it hard to enjoy Ike and Dick, Jeffrey Frank's account of the relationship between President Dwight Eisenhower and his vice-president, a senator and future commander-in-chief himself, Richard Nixon. Where Goodwin's study of Lincoln and his cabinet has lasted almost half a year, I began Frank's book on a Thursday night and finished it two days later, as the Saturday evening was giving way to Sunday morning. This is a compliment to the author, but even before that first sitting had ended, I was worried: Ike and Dick, itself far from skimpy at 400 pages, was too easy. Yes, the story of these two men was written with the fluidity of a well-paced novel--another compliment to the author--but didn't challenge my mind in the way Goodwin's book--and all historical books--should. In fact, Frank's book seems like it should be twice as long and three times as thorough. Instead, his interest in this topic--and his belief in telling the story well--seems to have undermined his duty to report as much as he can about these two men so that we may better understand not only their own lives and relationships, including with each other, but also recognize how important they both were to the times in which they lived and served.
Take Richard Nixon, for example. There's little if any information about Nixon's accomplishments in Congress outside of his rabid fight against Communism, which culminated in the conviction of Alger Hiss for perjury, even though he served in that body . Was his relative success at Red-baiting his only true appeal for the Eisenhower campaign and the Republican Party? It certainly wasn't the only issue he focused on. After all, he voted to limit the power of unions (Taft-Hartley Act of 1947; co-sponsor Robert Taft plays an important part in Eisenhower's rise); helped pass the Marshall Plan, which rescued post-WWII European countries and is one of the most important humanitarian programs our country has ever undertaken; supported illegal immigration during the Communist hysteria; and supported, albeit half-heartedly at times, civil rights for African-Americans, which should have been given more attention that it is considering how important civil rights became to the presidencies of both men. Besides his legislative achievements, there is the opposite side of Nixon--his vices, his failings, his torturous mix of vicious egotism and saddening self-consciousness--that never seems to appear, except in one or two small mentions of his alcoholism (and a hint that, after he is defeated in his run for California governor, he struck his wife, as he was known--Frank tells us--for sometimes lashing out violently.) By skimping on details about Nixon and his place in American politics before becoming vice-president, Frank misses an opportunity to contrast this young, flawed, dog-faced lawmaker with the older, more experiences war hero--two men from completely different paths who will, in 1952, become the two most powerful men in the country.
In truth, the first Eisenhower administration is portrayed mostly as one of distance and suspicion between Eisenhower and his vice-president, who is utilized mostly to do much of Eisenhower's dirty work, which includes dealing with Nixon's former colleague Senator Joe McCarthy. (Frank doesn't go into much detail about this, either, though one suspects it's more or less because Nixon--much like everyone else--had very little influence over a man who was becoming increasingly devoured by a creature of his own making.) It isn't until the second administration, when Eisenhower's health begins to catch up with him, that we see Nixon become an impressive, caricature-defying figure. Along with the president's cabinet, he takes charge of the leaderless situation, ensuring decisions are made thoughtfully and with considering for the president's wishes; he does not make a grab for power, as some expect he will, and even in making the decisions with the cabinet, he is deferential to their opinions over his own. In doing so, Nixon demonstrates a diplomacy and demeanor that changes the perceptions of not only those around him but large swathes of his detractors, who finally see him as having the skills and disposition necessary to being presidential. It also seems to sway Eisenhower, who wasn't exactly a fan of Nixon to begin with, though their relationship will remain cordial and distant for the rest of their time together.
Where Frank finds a worthy subject--and where the book finds its strongest footing--is in the years after Eisenhower's presidency, when both men are gone from politics: Eisenhower will never run for political office again and pass away in less than a decade, during which time Nixon will mount a failed campaign for California governor and move back to practicing law. Suddenly, neither man is tethered to a need for public and private facades; they speak honestly, write with personal depth, and understand the roles they play in one another's lives. As Frank notes, Eisenhower was suddenly an ex-president, and Nixon's connection to politics was his connection to politics; without his former vice-president, Eisenhower was destined to be forgotten in a fast-paced and tumultuous world consumed by civil unrest and war.
At the same time, Nixon sees a man who stands for everything he wants to be--loved, revered both nationally and internationally, respected enough for others to carry out his dirtier political requests without hesitation--but one who will not let him into his inner circle of friends. To Nixon, Eisenhower is that object in the distance he can never reach, whether it be the presidency--an easy but unsteady analogy, I should say--or simply the approval of the masses, the lack of which acts as an unending source of pain. (Eisenhower, on the other hand, never seems without that approval, even during his most controversial and divisive decisions, such as sending the National Guard to Little Rock to enforce desegregation.) By staying close to Eisenhower, Nixon not only guarantees his support for future political races but also the chance to study him more, to understand how Eisenhower can do so much for himself by doing so little.
At the end of the book, Frank wonders out loud how Nixon would have behaved as president had Eisenhower lived through his presidency. (He dies on March 28, 1969, a little more than two months after Nixon begins his first term.) Would the presence of this man, whose opinion and approval meant so much to Nixon, have changed the way he conducted himself and handled the country's most pressing issues, knowing full well he was being watched so closely? Or would the trajectory of history remained the same, Nixon's demons--almost none of which are explored here--taking him over slowly under the ambrosia of power? It's difficult to say, and anything beyond shallow speculation does a disservice not only to history but the people who lived it. All we know is that, had these two men never met--had Eisenhower run with someone else, had Nixon stayed in Congress, or run on his own volition as a stand-alone candidate for president--we would have been robbed of a political relationship--a friendship, you could argue, between two men with different ideas about what friendship actually meant--that stands as one of the strangest, most unique, and most rewarding in modern history.
This review was originally published on There Will Be Books Galore
Perhaps it's because of that over-nourishment, which has kept me coming back to the book over 5 long months, that makes it hard to enjoy Ike and Dick, Jeffrey Frank's account of the relationship between President Dwight Eisenhower and his vice-president, a senator and future commander-in-chief himself, Richard Nixon. Where Goodwin's study of Lincoln and his cabinet has lasted almost half a year, I began Frank's book on a Thursday night and finished it two days later, as the Saturday evening was giving way to Sunday morning. This is a compliment to the author, but even before that first sitting had ended, I was worried: Ike and Dick, itself far from skimpy at 400 pages, was too easy. Yes, the story of these two men was written with the fluidity of a well-paced novel--another compliment to the author--but didn't challenge my mind in the way Goodwin's book--and all historical books--should. In fact, Frank's book seems like it should be twice as long and three times as thorough. Instead, his interest in this topic--and his belief in telling the story well--seems to have undermined his duty to report as much as he can about these two men so that we may better understand not only their own lives and relationships, including with each other, but also recognize how important they both were to the times in which they lived and served.
Take Richard Nixon, for example. There's little if any information about Nixon's accomplishments in Congress outside of his rabid fight against Communism, which culminated in the conviction of Alger Hiss for perjury, even though he served in that body . Was his relative success at Red-baiting his only true appeal for the Eisenhower campaign and the Republican Party? It certainly wasn't the only issue he focused on. After all, he voted to limit the power of unions (Taft-Hartley Act of 1947; co-sponsor Robert Taft plays an important part in Eisenhower's rise); helped pass the Marshall Plan, which rescued post-WWII European countries and is one of the most important humanitarian programs our country has ever undertaken; supported illegal immigration during the Communist hysteria; and supported, albeit half-heartedly at times, civil rights for African-Americans, which should have been given more attention that it is considering how important civil rights became to the presidencies of both men. Besides his legislative achievements, there is the opposite side of Nixon--his vices, his failings, his torturous mix of vicious egotism and saddening self-consciousness--that never seems to appear, except in one or two small mentions of his alcoholism (and a hint that, after he is defeated in his run for California governor, he struck his wife, as he was known--Frank tells us--for sometimes lashing out violently.) By skimping on details about Nixon and his place in American politics before becoming vice-president, Frank misses an opportunity to contrast this young, flawed, dog-faced lawmaker with the older, more experiences war hero--two men from completely different paths who will, in 1952, become the two most powerful men in the country.
In truth, the first Eisenhower administration is portrayed mostly as one of distance and suspicion between Eisenhower and his vice-president, who is utilized mostly to do much of Eisenhower's dirty work, which includes dealing with Nixon's former colleague Senator Joe McCarthy. (Frank doesn't go into much detail about this, either, though one suspects it's more or less because Nixon--much like everyone else--had very little influence over a man who was becoming increasingly devoured by a creature of his own making.) It isn't until the second administration, when Eisenhower's health begins to catch up with him, that we see Nixon become an impressive, caricature-defying figure. Along with the president's cabinet, he takes charge of the leaderless situation, ensuring decisions are made thoughtfully and with considering for the president's wishes; he does not make a grab for power, as some expect he will, and even in making the decisions with the cabinet, he is deferential to their opinions over his own. In doing so, Nixon demonstrates a diplomacy and demeanor that changes the perceptions of not only those around him but large swathes of his detractors, who finally see him as having the skills and disposition necessary to being presidential. It also seems to sway Eisenhower, who wasn't exactly a fan of Nixon to begin with, though their relationship will remain cordial and distant for the rest of their time together.
Where Frank finds a worthy subject--and where the book finds its strongest footing--is in the years after Eisenhower's presidency, when both men are gone from politics: Eisenhower will never run for political office again and pass away in less than a decade, during which time Nixon will mount a failed campaign for California governor and move back to practicing law. Suddenly, neither man is tethered to a need for public and private facades; they speak honestly, write with personal depth, and understand the roles they play in one another's lives. As Frank notes, Eisenhower was suddenly an ex-president, and Nixon's connection to politics was his connection to politics; without his former vice-president, Eisenhower was destined to be forgotten in a fast-paced and tumultuous world consumed by civil unrest and war.
At the same time, Nixon sees a man who stands for everything he wants to be--loved, revered both nationally and internationally, respected enough for others to carry out his dirtier political requests without hesitation--but one who will not let him into his inner circle of friends. To Nixon, Eisenhower is that object in the distance he can never reach, whether it be the presidency--an easy but unsteady analogy, I should say--or simply the approval of the masses, the lack of which acts as an unending source of pain. (Eisenhower, on the other hand, never seems without that approval, even during his most controversial and divisive decisions, such as sending the National Guard to Little Rock to enforce desegregation.) By staying close to Eisenhower, Nixon not only guarantees his support for future political races but also the chance to study him more, to understand how Eisenhower can do so much for himself by doing so little.
At the end of the book, Frank wonders out loud how Nixon would have behaved as president had Eisenhower lived through his presidency. (He dies on March 28, 1969, a little more than two months after Nixon begins his first term.) Would the presence of this man, whose opinion and approval meant so much to Nixon, have changed the way he conducted himself and handled the country's most pressing issues, knowing full well he was being watched so closely? Or would the trajectory of history remained the same, Nixon's demons--almost none of which are explored here--taking him over slowly under the ambrosia of power? It's difficult to say, and anything beyond shallow speculation does a disservice not only to history but the people who lived it. All we know is that, had these two men never met--had Eisenhower run with someone else, had Nixon stayed in Congress, or run on his own volition as a stand-alone candidate for president--we would have been robbed of a political relationship--a friendship, you could argue, between two men with different ideas about what friendship actually meant--that stands as one of the strangest, most unique, and most rewarding in modern history.
This review was originally published on There Will Be Books Galore
July 2, 2016
The word "strange" in the title of this book is quite apt. Individually, both Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon were strange individuals (Eisenhower in a more hidden way, Nixon in a more obvious way). Together, their relationship was extremely odd: filled with - on one hand - distrust, mutual suspicion, indirectness, and weariness; on the other hand, guarded respect, admiration, acknowledgment of ability, and, finally, familial relations.
Eisenhower was a master of being indirect, and never quite coming out and saying what he was truly thinking. This quality, if you will, is on display throughout this book in relation to Nixon. Really, Ike wanted to dump Nixon off of the 1952 Republican ticket shortly after the "slush fund" story made headlines. In the first of many such instances, he allowed Nixon to twist in the wind, refusing to support him or really even talk to him until Republicans took the choice out of his hands by overwhelmingly telegraphing the Republican National Committee headquarters that they wanted Nixon to stay on following the Checkers speech. Nixon - suspicious by nature and increasingly paranoid as he got older (meaning that he always thought people were out to get him politically) - never forgot this; Ike's mistreatment of him and refusal to steadfastly back him stung him deeply.
This type of instance reoccurred in 1956 as, again, Eisenhower wanted Nixon off of the ticket, but refused to bluntly tell him so. Instead, he tried another tact: telling Nixon that he would make him a Cabinet officer where - according to Eisenhower - he would gain the executive experience necessary to be President. Nixon wisely thought that Ike was trying to shunt him aside and did not take the bait. This was all while Nixon performed the dirty work that Eisenhower himself did not want to do (like trying to reign in Joseph McCarthy).
Even though Nixon did everything that Ike wanted him to do while he was Vice President, the older man never trusted him, thinking him to be a master politician and insincere. The bottom line is that they were two different people: Eisenhower had a public image (calm demeanor, cheerfulness, friendly, warm) that did not mesh with his personal treatment of people (cold, calculating, dismissive, "devious", as Nixon once wrote). Nixon was a loner, a person who thrived on solitude and quiet, who could be out of control at times, but also capable of great (and unadvertised) acts of kindness.
Nixon seemed to live in Eisenhower's shadow for the seventeen years that they knew each other. As Neal writes towards the end, Nixon longed to be included in Eisenhower's (very) small inner circle, but he was never allowed a glimpse. One example of this is that Nixon was never allowed upstairs in the White House living quarters during the eight years that he spent as Vice President. He could not even achieve forthright, unqualified praise from Eisenhower. Perhaps one of the most damaging things that Eisenhower did to Nixon came in the 1960 Presidential campaign. When asked by a reporter to name a specific Nixon proposal or plan that Eisenhower implemented during his presidency, Eisenhower answered: "If you give me a week, I might think of one. I don't remember."
Even when both were out of office, Eisenhower and Nixon remained cordial but distant, despite occasional rounds of golf and frequent (stilted) correspondence. By 1968, Nixon was pretty much assured the Republican presidential nomination, yet he still yearned for Eisenhower's official and public approval. He never received it, even though by that time he really did not need it. Eisenhower, again mainly indirectly, even tried to pour cold water on the budding romance between his grandson, David, and Nixon's daughter, Julie, in the late 1960s.
Frank does not set out to portray Nixon as a sympathetic figure, nor does Nixon readily appear as one despite many of the things that Eisenhower did (or did not) do. Nixon, full of his own petty behaviors and demons, is no saint. Frank repeatedly writes of his attempts to pretend to be deliberating about something that he already had long ago settled (such as running in 1968), his penchant to discard people who once helped him (like the journalist Ralph de Toledano), his never-ending political calculations (when John F. Kennedy was assassinated, Nixon was initially more concerned about Republicans being blamed for it than anything else) and his aloofness from his own family, especially his wife Pat.
But the book does seem to revolve much more around Nixon than it does Eisenhower. While Frank is balanced in pointing out both men's flaws and dubious behavior, one gets the sense that he almost feels sorry for Nixon at times. Perhaps this is in part due to Nixon's failings being so well-known and written about, while Eisenhower's reputation as a grandfather type of figure has endured. Frank can clearly see through the attempts by both of these men to dance around the truth and pretend that they like each other. Towards the end, when Nixon delivers an eulogy at Eisenhower's funeral, Frank notes that as soon as he finished and walked back to his seat, Nixon began to cry - not because Eisenhower had died, but because he (Nixon) was never able to become a trusted member of Eisenhower's inner circle of friends and advisers. That seems to sum up their relationship in a nutshell: Nixon wanted something that Eisenhower refused to give him.
Grade: A-
Eisenhower was a master of being indirect, and never quite coming out and saying what he was truly thinking. This quality, if you will, is on display throughout this book in relation to Nixon. Really, Ike wanted to dump Nixon off of the 1952 Republican ticket shortly after the "slush fund" story made headlines. In the first of many such instances, he allowed Nixon to twist in the wind, refusing to support him or really even talk to him until Republicans took the choice out of his hands by overwhelmingly telegraphing the Republican National Committee headquarters that they wanted Nixon to stay on following the Checkers speech. Nixon - suspicious by nature and increasingly paranoid as he got older (meaning that he always thought people were out to get him politically) - never forgot this; Ike's mistreatment of him and refusal to steadfastly back him stung him deeply.
This type of instance reoccurred in 1956 as, again, Eisenhower wanted Nixon off of the ticket, but refused to bluntly tell him so. Instead, he tried another tact: telling Nixon that he would make him a Cabinet officer where - according to Eisenhower - he would gain the executive experience necessary to be President. Nixon wisely thought that Ike was trying to shunt him aside and did not take the bait. This was all while Nixon performed the dirty work that Eisenhower himself did not want to do (like trying to reign in Joseph McCarthy).
Even though Nixon did everything that Ike wanted him to do while he was Vice President, the older man never trusted him, thinking him to be a master politician and insincere. The bottom line is that they were two different people: Eisenhower had a public image (calm demeanor, cheerfulness, friendly, warm) that did not mesh with his personal treatment of people (cold, calculating, dismissive, "devious", as Nixon once wrote). Nixon was a loner, a person who thrived on solitude and quiet, who could be out of control at times, but also capable of great (and unadvertised) acts of kindness.
Nixon seemed to live in Eisenhower's shadow for the seventeen years that they knew each other. As Neal writes towards the end, Nixon longed to be included in Eisenhower's (very) small inner circle, but he was never allowed a glimpse. One example of this is that Nixon was never allowed upstairs in the White House living quarters during the eight years that he spent as Vice President. He could not even achieve forthright, unqualified praise from Eisenhower. Perhaps one of the most damaging things that Eisenhower did to Nixon came in the 1960 Presidential campaign. When asked by a reporter to name a specific Nixon proposal or plan that Eisenhower implemented during his presidency, Eisenhower answered: "If you give me a week, I might think of one. I don't remember."
Even when both were out of office, Eisenhower and Nixon remained cordial but distant, despite occasional rounds of golf and frequent (stilted) correspondence. By 1968, Nixon was pretty much assured the Republican presidential nomination, yet he still yearned for Eisenhower's official and public approval. He never received it, even though by that time he really did not need it. Eisenhower, again mainly indirectly, even tried to pour cold water on the budding romance between his grandson, David, and Nixon's daughter, Julie, in the late 1960s.
Frank does not set out to portray Nixon as a sympathetic figure, nor does Nixon readily appear as one despite many of the things that Eisenhower did (or did not) do. Nixon, full of his own petty behaviors and demons, is no saint. Frank repeatedly writes of his attempts to pretend to be deliberating about something that he already had long ago settled (such as running in 1968), his penchant to discard people who once helped him (like the journalist Ralph de Toledano), his never-ending political calculations (when John F. Kennedy was assassinated, Nixon was initially more concerned about Republicans being blamed for it than anything else) and his aloofness from his own family, especially his wife Pat.
But the book does seem to revolve much more around Nixon than it does Eisenhower. While Frank is balanced in pointing out both men's flaws and dubious behavior, one gets the sense that he almost feels sorry for Nixon at times. Perhaps this is in part due to Nixon's failings being so well-known and written about, while Eisenhower's reputation as a grandfather type of figure has endured. Frank can clearly see through the attempts by both of these men to dance around the truth and pretend that they like each other. Towards the end, when Nixon delivers an eulogy at Eisenhower's funeral, Frank notes that as soon as he finished and walked back to his seat, Nixon began to cry - not because Eisenhower had died, but because he (Nixon) was never able to become a trusted member of Eisenhower's inner circle of friends and advisers. That seems to sum up their relationship in a nutshell: Nixon wanted something that Eisenhower refused to give him.
Grade: A-
May 2, 2013
You know this Ike - the leader who stumbles over words yet never lets anybody doubt who's boss. Broad heartland smile, piercing blue eyes. But you might not know this Dick. In many ways Jeffrey Frank draws a familiar picture: the insecurity, the attack-dog politics, the social ineptness, the two left feet, the strategic brilliance. But add Eisenhower to the picture and you get a very fresh take on Tricky Dick. To what extent did his awe for The General feed those dangerous Nixonian insecurities? To what extent did Ike's constant, quiet put-downs encourage that dangerous Nixonian paranoia? Most intriguing is the extent to which the five-star General of the Army intimidated the young man chosen - not quite by Ike - to be his vice-president. Ike died at the start of Nixon's presidency. Did that set free all of Nixon's worst instincts and resentments? If Ike had lived a couple of years longer, would Nixon have remained cowed, intimidated, on his best behavior? He would not have wanted The General to see how the junior officer was handling the responsibilities of leadership.
January 2, 2018
An excellent appraisal of the relationship, both political and personal, between Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon. The book kept my interest from beginning to end. I'm always glad to find out something new about history, and one example from this book was Nixon's rather enlightened view on civil rights, and his positive relationship, at least for a while, with Martin Luther King. I felt sorry for Nixon as to the way he was treated too often by Eisenhower. First-rate history, and a story well-told.
December 22, 2021
This is a readable journey back to a time when the GOP was within the realm of sane. I'll admit I had to luxuriate in this a little bit.
April 17, 2014
"[He] used me, but he used me well." --Richard Nixon, describing his professional relationship with Dwight Eisenhower
"Since he did not really trust people, people did not really trust him." --Bryce Harlow, who worked for Eisenhower and Nixon, describing Nixon
I bought this so I could learn more about Eisenhower, but this book is about 75% Dick (har har) and 25% Ike. I suppose it makes sense to spend more time on the rising star in the relationship.
I never thought a book would make me sympathize with Richard Nixon, but this one did. Ike really made him fend for himself when the fund scandal erupted. If something like that happened today, the party wouldn't even let the politician pick out his own clothes, never mind book his own airtime and draft his own speech.
It's interesting that Nixon complained so bitterly that Eisenhower acted coldly toward him and never let him do anything but boring tasks or "dirty work," and then Nixon picked a terrible vice-president and never gave him anything to do. (The only thing Spiro Agnew had going for him was that Strom Thurmond approved of him. Sheesh.)
The parts about race relations are particularly interesting. Eisenhower identified with white Southerners even though he was from Kansas. Nixon was cautious in showing support but realized that it would be foolish for the Republicans to split their party the way the Democrats had split theirs.
Also, the parts about space exploration are brief but fascinating. Eisenhower found the whole issue baffling. He didn't see the point of sending a rocket to the moon because as far as he knew we didn't have any enemies on the moon.
There's not much room to discuss Pat Nixon, but she comes off as a long-suffering, bitter woman.
"Since he did not really trust people, people did not really trust him." --Bryce Harlow, who worked for Eisenhower and Nixon, describing Nixon
I bought this so I could learn more about Eisenhower, but this book is about 75% Dick (har har) and 25% Ike. I suppose it makes sense to spend more time on the rising star in the relationship.
I never thought a book would make me sympathize with Richard Nixon, but this one did. Ike really made him fend for himself when the fund scandal erupted. If something like that happened today, the party wouldn't even let the politician pick out his own clothes, never mind book his own airtime and draft his own speech.
It's interesting that Nixon complained so bitterly that Eisenhower acted coldly toward him and never let him do anything but boring tasks or "dirty work," and then Nixon picked a terrible vice-president and never gave him anything to do. (The only thing Spiro Agnew had going for him was that Strom Thurmond approved of him. Sheesh.)
The parts about race relations are particularly interesting. Eisenhower identified with white Southerners even though he was from Kansas. Nixon was cautious in showing support but realized that it would be foolish for the Republicans to split their party the way the Democrats had split theirs.
Also, the parts about space exploration are brief but fascinating. Eisenhower found the whole issue baffling. He didn't see the point of sending a rocket to the moon because as far as he knew we didn't have any enemies on the moon.
There's not much room to discuss Pat Nixon, but she comes off as a long-suffering, bitter woman.
March 13, 2013
A great biography and so much more!
The act of real writing begins with recognizing a good idea and in this case, author Jeffrey Frank has honed in on a great one- the dynamic between two American presidents (one current, the other to-be) sealed together in an arranged marriage. Portrayed separately, I doubt that either man would jump off the page the way they do in this fascinating tale.
I learned so much about Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon and had a great time doing so. In fact, I couldn't wait to get back into bed at night to read more. Who would think that Ike and Dick would make such great bedfellows.
Through the telling of the history that these men shared we are treated to more than a biography; we are given a delicious glimpse of a very different era. Politics, attitudes and communication of the 1950's come alive under the keen eye of Jeffrey Frank. His sly and acerbic descriptions catch just the right tone, again and again. This book isn't a comedy, but you will find yourself laughing more than you think possible.
As a born and raised Democrat (hardened even more so by passing events) I never thought I could feel any empathy for Richard Nixon, but Jeffrey Frank succeeded in leading me down this unexpected - and pleasurable - path. I highly recommend!
The act of real writing begins with recognizing a good idea and in this case, author Jeffrey Frank has honed in on a great one- the dynamic between two American presidents (one current, the other to-be) sealed together in an arranged marriage. Portrayed separately, I doubt that either man would jump off the page the way they do in this fascinating tale.
I learned so much about Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon and had a great time doing so. In fact, I couldn't wait to get back into bed at night to read more. Who would think that Ike and Dick would make such great bedfellows.
Through the telling of the history that these men shared we are treated to more than a biography; we are given a delicious glimpse of a very different era. Politics, attitudes and communication of the 1950's come alive under the keen eye of Jeffrey Frank. His sly and acerbic descriptions catch just the right tone, again and again. This book isn't a comedy, but you will find yourself laughing more than you think possible.
As a born and raised Democrat (hardened even more so by passing events) I never thought I could feel any empathy for Richard Nixon, but Jeffrey Frank succeeded in leading me down this unexpected - and pleasurable - path. I highly recommend!
June 16, 2013
This niche history is an historical treat. It follow Dwight Eisenhower's and Richard Nixon's complicated relationship from just before the 1952 convention through Ike's two terms, Nixon's time in the wilderness, Ike's death, Nixon's bruised presidency through his death.
It's clear now through revisionist history that Ike wasn't the smiling avuncular Uncle that his public image seemed to convey. He was a cold, steely number who could cut you off at the knees with a glare.
Most of the ealy part of this book had you actually feeling sorry for Nixon. Ike treated Nixon at arms length always with the threat of dropping him like a bad habit: The Checker's Speech, the mystery of whether he would drop Nixon from the second term, the tepid, mostly non existent endorsement over JFK in 1960. All of these fueled Nixon's already low self worth and paranoia.
Ike continued to dangle approval in the 1968 elections. The ghost of Ike's affections or lack of them colored the entirety of the rest of Nixon's life.
All of this makes for a real treat.
It's clear now through revisionist history that Ike wasn't the smiling avuncular Uncle that his public image seemed to convey. He was a cold, steely number who could cut you off at the knees with a glare.
Most of the ealy part of this book had you actually feeling sorry for Nixon. Ike treated Nixon at arms length always with the threat of dropping him like a bad habit: The Checker's Speech, the mystery of whether he would drop Nixon from the second term, the tepid, mostly non existent endorsement over JFK in 1960. All of these fueled Nixon's already low self worth and paranoia.
Ike continued to dangle approval in the 1968 elections. The ghost of Ike's affections or lack of them colored the entirety of the rest of Nixon's life.
All of this makes for a real treat.
March 7, 2013
It could be I'm old enough to read about the Nixon era in a way that is historically detached from the emotions I remember while living through that time. This could be why I enjoyed this book so much. Frank provides in-depth portraits of both Ike and Nixon and their complex relationship. Ike is the general and the father figure; Nixon the young turk. Ike didn't support the space program (why go to the moon, they never invaded us) nor any involvement in Vietnam or the Middle East. He felt that if we did go to war we should go in with everything we've got. Nixon was much more progressive than we might remember, probably more liberal than even President Obama. Nixon's flaw was that he didn't trust anyone. That mistrust and his inability to solve Vietnam brought him down. Frank speculates that if Ike had lived even a few months into Nixon's first term, Nixon might have had the stability he always needed and always got from Ike. Really great book.
February 13, 2013
Jeff Frank has turned in another virtuoso performance. This time, he takes you right into the living rooms, smoke-filled meeting rooms and even the hospital rooms where the personal, private side of Nixon's and Eisenhower's historical events played out. You can see Ike slamming his fists into his hospital bed in agony as he mentally reaches for the word "thermostat" in the days after his stroke. You get an exceedingly rare glimpse of Pat Nixon 's private side and her resentment of the affluent. Most of all, you see how these two men related to each other throughout the 50s and 60s. Frank will challenge your mental pictures of Eisenhower and Nixon -- watch out near the end when he presents persuasive evidence of Nixon's human, caring side. The book is brilliant. I hated for it to end.
February 6, 2017
Most works on either Dwight D. Eisenhower or Richard M. Nixon take Ike's 1952 statement to Nixon, "You're my boy," as the only way to understand the pair. Eisenhower was the general who did not like being upstaged by a running mate young enough to be his son and used him primarily as an errand boy/hatchet man during his presidency. This book goes deeper to show a much more complex relationship complete with hurt feelings and an ultimate merging of the families through the wedding of Julie Nixon and David Eisenhower. The book is quite sympathetic to Nixon but shows that his feelings of insecurity and persecution could often be a self-fulfilling prophecy. An entertaining look at a most unusual political shotgun marriage.
June 2, 2023
This book did not help me to like the war hero, Eisenhower, more than I did before. In fact, quite the opposite was true. It showed far more sympathy for Nixon, at least as far as their inter-personal and political association was concerned.
October 29, 2022
The presidential ticket of Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon is probably the most memorable one in terms of identification of the two individuals. Eisenhower was famous as the Supreme Commander in Europe during WWII whereas Nixon, sadly, achieved his notoriety several years later due to Watergate. As history goes on, many Presidents and Vice-Presidents simply become forgotten. Quick Trivia Question: Who was President’s Gerald Ford’s VP in 1976? Most of you don’t know, do you?
What author Jeffrey Frank shares with us in this book is that these two individuals were radically different, didn’t seem to understand each other yet alone get along, but actually needed each other in order to win the presidency of 1952. Ike (Eisenhower) never seemed to care if he received the nomination or not. In fact, before 1952 no one even knew if he was a Democrat or a Republican (Current President Harry Truman tried to talk him into running as a Democrat). So aggressively campaigning was never high on his priority list. He knew, however, that someone had to get out there and woo the masses, so young up-and-comer Dick (Richard) Nixon is recruited as his running mate. Oh boy was Nixon aggressive. He could actually be quite nasty as his campaigning record showed. This, in my humble opinion, is why so many hated him throughout his career and ultimately caused his downfall.
Anyway, the problems start between the two before they even win the election. I won’t go into all the squabbles in detail, but Nixon had to claw his way onto staying on the ticket when false accusations led him to his famous “Checkers” speech. We then read later about Ike wanting to drop Dick off the ticket for the re-election of 1956. Why? Was he dissatisfied in Nixon’s performance? Well, no, it’s just that Ike really doesn’t understand, nor does he care, how politics works. This is a world-renowned general who was used to constantly shuffling soldiers around so he always had the best military leaders where they were needed. That’s how you win wars. So shouldn’t he do the same when running a country? Yes, but again, that’s not how politics works. Then, when Dick runs for the highest office in 1960, Ike is asked for a significant decision Dick made during his 8-year tenure as VP. Ike’s answer? “Give me about a week and I can probably think of one.” Ouch.
This book seemed to focus a lot more on Dick than Ike. This really shouldn’t be surprising since Ike’s career during his presidency is peaking whereas Dick’s is just gaining momentum. Quite often we read about how frustrated Nixon is when his boss simply doesn’t know how to play the game. Ike doesn’t realize that when you make your VP look less than favorable, you make yourself look unfavorable as well. But I guess 5-star generals don’t really give a rip.
It should be noted that this is not an exhaustive recollection of the presidency from 1952-1960. Yes, there are plenty of highlights included, but the author smartly ensures that whatever he writes can somehow be tied to the uncomfortable relationship between the two. There’s virtually nothing here, for example, about the downed U2 spy plane, nor the planning of Bay of Pigs. I would almost recommend that one reads a bio of both of these men before tackling this one as it can more easily paint the entire picture of the whole 8 years. (Author Stephen Ambrose, ironically, penned a bio of both. His bio on Ike was 2 volumes; the one on Dick was 3 volumes. I would highly recommend both.)
Once we get past Nixon’s failed 1960 bid, the book tends to not be as captivating. I don’t blame this on the author, it’s just that the following decade wasn’t really that interesting in terms of the relationship between the two. Every time we read about Ike during the 60s, it’s seems like all ever does is play golf or is in the hospital due to various ailments (the man had an unprecedented seven heart attacks among other maladies). We read about Dick’s climb to eventually become president in 1968, but the information of this whole decade is rather sparse. Give the author credit, however, for not getting sucked into the weeds and only focusing on Nixon and his many nuances. Since Ike dies shortly after Dick becomes president, our story basically stops. The author includes one coda-like chapter where we read about Nixon’s downfall and eventual resignation. This is probably necessary, yet it does leave one with a passion for more; which is why reading bios of the two might help with perspective.
This was a very enjoyable book. I can’t help but think about how nice it would be if we had more Ikes in the job as president (i.e. someone who can do the job but doesn’t care about politics) as opposed to less….um….Dicks.
What author Jeffrey Frank shares with us in this book is that these two individuals were radically different, didn’t seem to understand each other yet alone get along, but actually needed each other in order to win the presidency of 1952. Ike (Eisenhower) never seemed to care if he received the nomination or not. In fact, before 1952 no one even knew if he was a Democrat or a Republican (Current President Harry Truman tried to talk him into running as a Democrat). So aggressively campaigning was never high on his priority list. He knew, however, that someone had to get out there and woo the masses, so young up-and-comer Dick (Richard) Nixon is recruited as his running mate. Oh boy was Nixon aggressive. He could actually be quite nasty as his campaigning record showed. This, in my humble opinion, is why so many hated him throughout his career and ultimately caused his downfall.
Anyway, the problems start between the two before they even win the election. I won’t go into all the squabbles in detail, but Nixon had to claw his way onto staying on the ticket when false accusations led him to his famous “Checkers” speech. We then read later about Ike wanting to drop Dick off the ticket for the re-election of 1956. Why? Was he dissatisfied in Nixon’s performance? Well, no, it’s just that Ike really doesn’t understand, nor does he care, how politics works. This is a world-renowned general who was used to constantly shuffling soldiers around so he always had the best military leaders where they were needed. That’s how you win wars. So shouldn’t he do the same when running a country? Yes, but again, that’s not how politics works. Then, when Dick runs for the highest office in 1960, Ike is asked for a significant decision Dick made during his 8-year tenure as VP. Ike’s answer? “Give me about a week and I can probably think of one.” Ouch.
This book seemed to focus a lot more on Dick than Ike. This really shouldn’t be surprising since Ike’s career during his presidency is peaking whereas Dick’s is just gaining momentum. Quite often we read about how frustrated Nixon is when his boss simply doesn’t know how to play the game. Ike doesn’t realize that when you make your VP look less than favorable, you make yourself look unfavorable as well. But I guess 5-star generals don’t really give a rip.
It should be noted that this is not an exhaustive recollection of the presidency from 1952-1960. Yes, there are plenty of highlights included, but the author smartly ensures that whatever he writes can somehow be tied to the uncomfortable relationship between the two. There’s virtually nothing here, for example, about the downed U2 spy plane, nor the planning of Bay of Pigs. I would almost recommend that one reads a bio of both of these men before tackling this one as it can more easily paint the entire picture of the whole 8 years. (Author Stephen Ambrose, ironically, penned a bio of both. His bio on Ike was 2 volumes; the one on Dick was 3 volumes. I would highly recommend both.)
Once we get past Nixon’s failed 1960 bid, the book tends to not be as captivating. I don’t blame this on the author, it’s just that the following decade wasn’t really that interesting in terms of the relationship between the two. Every time we read about Ike during the 60s, it’s seems like all ever does is play golf or is in the hospital due to various ailments (the man had an unprecedented seven heart attacks among other maladies). We read about Dick’s climb to eventually become president in 1968, but the information of this whole decade is rather sparse. Give the author credit, however, for not getting sucked into the weeds and only focusing on Nixon and his many nuances. Since Ike dies shortly after Dick becomes president, our story basically stops. The author includes one coda-like chapter where we read about Nixon’s downfall and eventual resignation. This is probably necessary, yet it does leave one with a passion for more; which is why reading bios of the two might help with perspective.
This was a very enjoyable book. I can’t help but think about how nice it would be if we had more Ikes in the job as president (i.e. someone who can do the job but doesn’t care about politics) as opposed to less….um….Dicks.
September 8, 2023
Author sugarcoats Nixon’s flaws and failures (although not atrociously so) consistently throughout such that it seems as though he is trying to alter the public perception of him. For instance, much emphasis is put into Nixon’s relationship with MLK and support for the Civil Rights Act of 1964, highlighting his support for Black rights and him not being intentionally racist, however, only in passing (and most importantly without specifics) mentions how his Gubernatorial campaign ran on racist dog whistling to rile up his base. Also does not mention Nixon’s antisemitism, as confirmed by his presidential recordings where he often made antisemetic remarks and even a list of Jewish people in the Bureau of Labor that he then had demoted or reassigned for being Jewish (he thought they were plotting against him, because they were Jewish).
While it is important to higlight the conflicted character of Nixon, and the “good” sides of him (his somewhat spotted civil rights record and potentially genuine personal support for Black rights?), the author does so without really giving the counter points the time of day which comes off as biased.
Otherwise, an informative book on Ike and Nixon’s complicated relationship, which sums as Ike never really thinking that Nixon had the ability to be a good president, but found him to be an effective politician and good follower. Interesting to see that Nixon was likely more progressive than Ike, despite Nixon’s private antisemitism. Makes you wonder if thinks would have been different if Ike was around during Watergate. Author portrays Ike as someone who did not let personal feelings get in the way of good governance; gave a fair shake to rationale arguments and genuinely tried to do what was best for the country. Did not let politics interfere with governing and hated when Nixon would do so or make such implications.
While it is important to higlight the conflicted character of Nixon, and the “good” sides of him (his somewhat spotted civil rights record and potentially genuine personal support for Black rights?), the author does so without really giving the counter points the time of day which comes off as biased.
Otherwise, an informative book on Ike and Nixon’s complicated relationship, which sums as Ike never really thinking that Nixon had the ability to be a good president, but found him to be an effective politician and good follower. Interesting to see that Nixon was likely more progressive than Ike, despite Nixon’s private antisemitism. Makes you wonder if thinks would have been different if Ike was around during Watergate. Author portrays Ike as someone who did not let personal feelings get in the way of good governance; gave a fair shake to rationale arguments and genuinely tried to do what was best for the country. Did not let politics interfere with governing and hated when Nixon would do so or make such implications.
February 19, 2018
Ike was indeed devious, for those unaware. Outside his relationship with Nixon, don't forget his refusal to protect Gen. Marshall during the 1952 election when McCarthy savaged him.
This book focuses on Ike's deviousness, and other issues re both Eisenhower and Nixon, not only in their eight years in office but in the eight years after, until Nixon's election as president and Ike's death soon thereafter.
It also portrays Ike as a politician of sorts (one has to be in the military to advance like he did) while yet being befuddled by civilian politicians in general and Dick Nixon in particular.
The biggest new thing I picked up is my inferences from the author. Ike seemed to want to believe he really wasn't devious and conniving etc., while perhaps inside, partially accepting the truth.
Frank portrays a Nixon as sensitive, complex, the Administration's most liberal person on civil rights and more. In short, a Nixon with shortcomings, which his presidency would magnify, but not a Nixon of pure evil.
Unfortunately, some of the shortcomings got magnified by interactions between the two.
This book focuses on Ike's deviousness, and other issues re both Eisenhower and Nixon, not only in their eight years in office but in the eight years after, until Nixon's election as president and Ike's death soon thereafter.
It also portrays Ike as a politician of sorts (one has to be in the military to advance like he did) while yet being befuddled by civilian politicians in general and Dick Nixon in particular.
The biggest new thing I picked up is my inferences from the author. Ike seemed to want to believe he really wasn't devious and conniving etc., while perhaps inside, partially accepting the truth.
Frank portrays a Nixon as sensitive, complex, the Administration's most liberal person on civil rights and more. In short, a Nixon with shortcomings, which his presidency would magnify, but not a Nixon of pure evil.
Unfortunately, some of the shortcomings got magnified by interactions between the two.
April 20, 2014
Prior to reading Jeffrey Frank’s book my opinion of these two men was that Eisenhower was probably a decent man and fairly good president. Nixon, on the other hand, was Tricky Dick. I was half right.
If your image of Eisenhower is of a conquering hero, a general returning from a victorious war as a national hero and assuming the role of commander in chief, you’ll be surprised at Frank’s portrayal. For one thing, Ike couldn’t make decisions. This was so frustrating to those around him that his normally obedient and submissive vice president once crudely encouraged him to “shit or get off the pot.” He also tended to avoid speaking his mind directly to the parties concerned, especially if bad news was involved. One gets the impression that what he said publicly and what he really believed were not necessarily in line. The author notes that “now and then Eisenhower would offer a bit of military wisdom disguised as double talk.”
But despite his military background, Ike was, to his credit, a man of peace. He pulled us out of the Korean War shortly after taking office, an act which Frank notes could only have been accomplished by a revered war hero without getting backlash from his own party about getting out without victory. He also wanted no part of what he saw was going on in Vietnam. “No one could be more bitterly opposed to ever getting the United States involved in a hot war in that region than I am,” Ike said.
Nixon, on the other hand, was anxious to get involved in Vietnam as early as 1954, an eerie sign of what was to come later in his career.
Ike seemed to downplay issues. When the Soviets launched Sputnik, prompting a round of consternation amongst politicians of the time, Ike is said to have joked at a National Security Meeting, “Any of you fellows want to go to the moon? I don’t.” While he was right to not attach too much importance to Sputnik, in his case you get the feeling that he consistently minimized the importance of issues because of some reticence to deal with them.
What Eisenhower really liked to do was to head over to the country club, play a round of golf, and then spend the day hob-nobbing with a select group of affluent and elitist cronies (that never included Nixon).
As for Nixon, it is easy to have some fun with the man. As early as 1949 he was described in an article in The Nation magazine as a “dapper little man with an astonishing capacity for petty malice.” In the late 50’s when as vice president he was meeting with Nikita Khrushchev, he is reported to have told the Russian you may have beat us into space but we have more color TV’s.
While seeking the Republican nomination in 1968 he said in a National Review interview “They still call me Tricky Dick. It’s a brutal thing to fight.” This was only a few years after he was quoted as saying “anybody who thinks I could be a candidate for anything in any year is just off his rocker.” And then there’s the story about when he finally became president he would send memos to his wife Pat with the heading TO: Mrs. RN; FROM: The President.
I tried to find something good to say about Nixon and I thought I found something. During the 50’s and early 60’s he seemed genuinely committed to civil rights. I thought he was, based on the author’s description, as color blind as white Republican politicians got. He seemed to truly admire the era’s civil rights leaders and understood the need for the government to take action to assure equality for all.
But alas by 1968 he is running for president and sees the white Southern vote as a key constituency. He then becomes, in the words of one-time ally Jackie Robinson, a “double-talker, a two-time loser, an adjustable man with a convertible conscience.” And that, my friends, is why we call him Tricky Dick.
Eisenhower was, by the way, no champion of civil rights. In the early 60’s, after his term in office, he is shockingly quoted as saying of segregationists, “They are not bad people. All they are concerned about is to see that their sweet little girls are not required to sit in school alongside some big, overgrown Negroes.”
The sub-title of Frank’s book is “Portrait of a Strange Political Marriage” and the theme of his narrative is that they are an odd couple. He points out as an example of how different they were the 1954 mid-term election campaign. Nixon traveled 25,000 miles, visiting 100 cities in 30 states. Eisenhower spent the first month of the campaign in Denver where, according to Nixon, “after a few hours of work in the morning, he would golf in the afternoon.”
Eisenhower in general looked down on men who were full-time politicians. He probably didn’t have much respect for Nixon. From reading Frank’s account I suspect he would have preferred a different running mate both in 1952 and 1956 and would rather have seen a different GOP candidate to succeed him in 1960. Typically, however, he never directly expressed that opinion.
It is hard to know what Nixon’s personal feelings were. He said and did what best advanced his career. Thus in all public pronouncements he venerated Ike. He was an insecure and paranoid man and constantly sought a nod of approval from Ike which more often than not wasn’t directly forthcoming. The author notes that Eisenhower, while president, was fond of drawing up lists of successors and that “no one knew better that Nixon that he was never first in any of those lists.”
There is one amazing quote that stands out from the 1960 presidential election campaign when Eisenhower was nominally campaigning on behalf of Nixon’s unsuccessful candidacy. One of the issues in that campaign is whether Nixon’s term as vice president gave him the experience required for the step-up job. During a TV interview Eisenhower is asked “I just wondered if you could give us an example of a major idea of his (Nixon’s) that you had adopted in that role.“ Ike answered “If you give me a week, I might think of one.”
If your image of Eisenhower is of a conquering hero, a general returning from a victorious war as a national hero and assuming the role of commander in chief, you’ll be surprised at Frank’s portrayal. For one thing, Ike couldn’t make decisions. This was so frustrating to those around him that his normally obedient and submissive vice president once crudely encouraged him to “shit or get off the pot.” He also tended to avoid speaking his mind directly to the parties concerned, especially if bad news was involved. One gets the impression that what he said publicly and what he really believed were not necessarily in line. The author notes that “now and then Eisenhower would offer a bit of military wisdom disguised as double talk.”
But despite his military background, Ike was, to his credit, a man of peace. He pulled us out of the Korean War shortly after taking office, an act which Frank notes could only have been accomplished by a revered war hero without getting backlash from his own party about getting out without victory. He also wanted no part of what he saw was going on in Vietnam. “No one could be more bitterly opposed to ever getting the United States involved in a hot war in that region than I am,” Ike said.
Nixon, on the other hand, was anxious to get involved in Vietnam as early as 1954, an eerie sign of what was to come later in his career.
Ike seemed to downplay issues. When the Soviets launched Sputnik, prompting a round of consternation amongst politicians of the time, Ike is said to have joked at a National Security Meeting, “Any of you fellows want to go to the moon? I don’t.” While he was right to not attach too much importance to Sputnik, in his case you get the feeling that he consistently minimized the importance of issues because of some reticence to deal with them.
What Eisenhower really liked to do was to head over to the country club, play a round of golf, and then spend the day hob-nobbing with a select group of affluent and elitist cronies (that never included Nixon).
As for Nixon, it is easy to have some fun with the man. As early as 1949 he was described in an article in The Nation magazine as a “dapper little man with an astonishing capacity for petty malice.” In the late 50’s when as vice president he was meeting with Nikita Khrushchev, he is reported to have told the Russian you may have beat us into space but we have more color TV’s.
While seeking the Republican nomination in 1968 he said in a National Review interview “They still call me Tricky Dick. It’s a brutal thing to fight.” This was only a few years after he was quoted as saying “anybody who thinks I could be a candidate for anything in any year is just off his rocker.” And then there’s the story about when he finally became president he would send memos to his wife Pat with the heading TO: Mrs. RN; FROM: The President.
I tried to find something good to say about Nixon and I thought I found something. During the 50’s and early 60’s he seemed genuinely committed to civil rights. I thought he was, based on the author’s description, as color blind as white Republican politicians got. He seemed to truly admire the era’s civil rights leaders and understood the need for the government to take action to assure equality for all.
But alas by 1968 he is running for president and sees the white Southern vote as a key constituency. He then becomes, in the words of one-time ally Jackie Robinson, a “double-talker, a two-time loser, an adjustable man with a convertible conscience.” And that, my friends, is why we call him Tricky Dick.
Eisenhower was, by the way, no champion of civil rights. In the early 60’s, after his term in office, he is shockingly quoted as saying of segregationists, “They are not bad people. All they are concerned about is to see that their sweet little girls are not required to sit in school alongside some big, overgrown Negroes.”
The sub-title of Frank’s book is “Portrait of a Strange Political Marriage” and the theme of his narrative is that they are an odd couple. He points out as an example of how different they were the 1954 mid-term election campaign. Nixon traveled 25,000 miles, visiting 100 cities in 30 states. Eisenhower spent the first month of the campaign in Denver where, according to Nixon, “after a few hours of work in the morning, he would golf in the afternoon.”
Eisenhower in general looked down on men who were full-time politicians. He probably didn’t have much respect for Nixon. From reading Frank’s account I suspect he would have preferred a different running mate both in 1952 and 1956 and would rather have seen a different GOP candidate to succeed him in 1960. Typically, however, he never directly expressed that opinion.
It is hard to know what Nixon’s personal feelings were. He said and did what best advanced his career. Thus in all public pronouncements he venerated Ike. He was an insecure and paranoid man and constantly sought a nod of approval from Ike which more often than not wasn’t directly forthcoming. The author notes that Eisenhower, while president, was fond of drawing up lists of successors and that “no one knew better that Nixon that he was never first in any of those lists.”
There is one amazing quote that stands out from the 1960 presidential election campaign when Eisenhower was nominally campaigning on behalf of Nixon’s unsuccessful candidacy. One of the issues in that campaign is whether Nixon’s term as vice president gave him the experience required for the step-up job. During a TV interview Eisenhower is asked “I just wondered if you could give us an example of a major idea of his (Nixon’s) that you had adopted in that role.“ Ike answered “If you give me a week, I might think of one.”
May 10, 2024
Interesting to read something so cynical about Eisenhower and so forgiving of Nixon. But as always, the most interesting thing about Nixon is his relatability in his desire to climb and in how his paranoia and insecurities grew over the years. Eisenhower on the other hand had mastered his public persona, and being in the army was the master of delegating and managing control, even if he had very few ideas of his own and very little actual enthusiasm to enact too much in the way of change. Sometimes a dysfunctional relationship of this kind is actually what is required to get everything done - not that I feel better educated on whether this partnership was a "good presidency", because that's not what the book is aiming to educate about, and it honestly doesn't matter.
July 22, 2019
An excellent book on Ike and Dick’s relationship; a well written page turner about their on again off again relationship from Ike trying to jettison Dick on both the 52 and 56 tickets ( Ike wanted to replace him in 56 with Bob Anderson who he described as able to run for Pope on the Presbyterian Ticket and win) to Nixon having thanksgiving with Ike in Walter Reed hospital near the end of the Generals Life.
My personal favorite anecdote is on Election Day 1960, after voting Nixon wanted to get a drink; after being told by advisers that the bars were closed as it was Election Day; Nixon got in a car and drove to Tijuana.
My personal favorite anecdote is on Election Day 1960, after voting Nixon wanted to get a drink; after being told by advisers that the bars were closed as it was Election Day; Nixon got in a car and drove to Tijuana.
January 12, 2020
Well-researched about General who decides to run for Prez and needs a VP, a funding problem right off the bat has to be dealt with. Ike spends SIGNIFICANT time in Denver, GOLFING, leaving Nixon and the Cabinet to run the country, then Ike has a heart attack. Despite this, he is hesitant to have Nixon be VP in 1956. Nixon travels and supports the Prez.
In 1960 Ike hesitates to support him for Prez, Nixon loses, then he loses in his run for Gov of California. Finally he wins in 1968, Ike is a sickly man and Nixon visits him in the hospital and then attends his funeral. Surreal, insightful thing, RIP.
In 1960 Ike hesitates to support him for Prez, Nixon loses, then he loses in his run for Gov of California. Finally he wins in 1968, Ike is a sickly man and Nixon visits him in the hospital and then attends his funeral. Surreal, insightful thing, RIP.
January 29, 2020
very much enjoyed this book. It is a fantastic look at the political scene in the 1950s and 60s and how both Eisenhower and Nixon dealt with their political challenges. The reason I only give it 4 stars is this book is very Nixon-oriented; we mostly read about his relationship with Eisenhower through his eyes. From the title I thought we would be given an inside look about how both men viewed each other; Ike's perspective is very limited whereas Nixon's perspective is heavily detailed. I enjoyed this book overall and learning more about Nixon's relationship with Eisenhower, but would've enjoyed a more detailed view about how Ike viewed Nixon.
October 11, 2021
It was not my intent to be an Eisenhower year but the book was laying around the house. The book chronicles the relationship of Eisenhower and Nixon. It does a good job of staying in the lane of their friendship ( if you can call it that). The Eisenhower presidency was one of Nixon trying to get acceptance and respect from the President. Dwight was a figure who had admiration in spades and Nixon desperately wanted his respect. Nixon was the better politician and to his credit he saw civil rights as the right thing to do (Brown vs Board of Education). There relationship improved after Eisenhower left office. It covers in depth up to Eisenhower’s death. Good read.
February 18, 2020
Interesting story but doesn't read smoothly. Could be due two stories being blended into one story.
The reading was timely as it covered politics and Presidential elections in good detail with analysis.
There were many emotional events and moments. A favorite was the courtship of David Eisenhower & Julie Nixon.
The reading was timely as it covered politics and Presidential elections in good detail with analysis.
There were many emotional events and moments. A favorite was the courtship of David Eisenhower & Julie Nixon.
April 6, 2025
Very insightful book about the relationship between two very different men brought together by politics. Explores how Eisenhower was never able to fully embrace Nixon and how Nixon was perhaps irrevocably hurt by that lack of embrace. Though I’ve read widely on both men, this book offers a broad look at both men not found elsewhere. Highly recommended.
September 3, 2017
This is exactly what it professes to be -- a book about Ike and Nixon's relationship, with everything filtered through that lens and not included if it does not touch on the relationship. From that perspective, it was informative and interesting.
January 3, 2019
Really fascinating and well-researched look at two personalities, and two presidencies that had enormous impact on the United States from that point to this day.
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