The Nixon Tapes: 1971-1972

by Douglas Brinkley (Editor), Luke Nichter

The famous -- and infamous -- Nixon White House tapes that reveal for
the first time President Richard Nixon uncensored, unfiltered, and in his
own words

President Nixon's voice-activated taping system captured every word
spoken in the Oval Office, Cabinet Room, and other key locations in the
White House, and at Camp David -- 3,700 hours of recordings between
1971 and 1973. Yet less than 5 percent of those conversations have ever
been transcribed and published. Now, thanks to professor Luke Nichter's
massive effort to digitize and transcribe the tapes, the world can finally
read an unprecedented account of one of the most important and
controversial presidencies in U.S. history.

The Nixon Tapes offers a selection of fascinating scenes from the
year Nixon opened relations with China, negotiated the SALT I arms
agreement with the Soviet Union, and won a landslide reelection victory.
All the while, the growing shadow of Watergate and Nixon's political
downfall crept ever closer. The Nixon Tapes provides a never-before-seen
glimpse into a flawed president's hubris, paranoia, and political genius.

Genres: History, Politics, Nonfiction, Historical, Presidents, American History, Reference

758 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Douglas Brinkley is a professor of history at Rice University and a contributing editor at Vanity Fair. The Chicago Tribune has dubbed him “America’s new past master.” His most recent books are The Quiet World, The Wilderness Warrior, and The Great Deluge. Six of his books have been selected as New York Times Notable Books of the Year. He lives in Texas with his wife and three children.

Reviews

[Stuart]

Two very smart, awful men talk and talk. Kind of like a David Mamet play except with brains. Probably not of interest to many people. But for me, this is the cat's meow.

[Francisco Vazquez · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fact that Nixon recorded his private conversations provides a unique perspective to historians and scholars on policy and decision making in a particularly troublesome period of history. The fact that he sometimes forgot about being recorded makes the tapes even richer.
This is a very rich book, but I don’t really know what to make out of it. This book is a stenographic version of Nixon’s conversations with a number of characters, focused mainly on the war in Vietnam. So, this is probably too much for a generalist reader, who might find the conversations tiresome and repetitive. A generalist might find a movie or a documentary more productive. And on the other hand, scholars on Nixon probably know this material already, anyway…
So this book is in an uncomfortable in-between: too much for generalists, but too common for specialists.

[Melissa Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

by Douglas G. Brinkley

I think it's safe to say as a self admitted slower reader that within the short time I've had this book, that I didn't read every word from front to back in such a short time considering its size. However, I did win this and wanted to make sure I rated and left my thoughts asap. I can say as one who has 'always' been fascinated with history, even more fascinated with American presidents and seriously 'love' books with journal entries, diary entries, from my acting dream I 'love' reading scripts, books that have entries with letters of old and new times and in this case I've found that I can now add transcripts to that list which makes this book a dream for me!!

I admit I'm more knowledgeable in current events especially since 9/11 than I am about historical events (still a history and science nerd) and that I was still getting ready to be born when these tapes were recorded so I can only comment on my feelings of the book and how awesome the Author put it all together. Again though, American presidents.....? Right up my alley for non-fiction enjoyment and 'this' is absolutely awesome!! It's literally 758 pages of transcripts with a few other things at the beginning and the end like the index, lol. Okay.......so what can I say that's more than it's a book of transcripts......

It's a history lovers dream book of Transcripts

Table of Contents:

1. In my personal opinion an awesome introduction
2. Cast of Characters (and it is a massive cast of characters)
3. Two pages of Abbreviations and Terms used throughout the book

Part I:
The Start Of Taping to the China Announcement

Part II:
The Collapse of the Gold Standard to the India-Pakistan War

Part III:
Summit Planning and Escalation in Vietnam

Part IV:
The Road To Reelection and the End of the War

After the transcripts:

1. Timeline of Key Events
2. Acknowledgements
3. Index of Subjects (I say that because it should be obvious, however I saw a review on another book about somebody being upset there wasn't an index in that book)......there's one here :)

4. Index of Names

For me I'm still reading this and will be for a long time and probably more than once. It's a wonderful book to say the least. To get an inside look and I 'never' knew presidents did this!! How did I not know!?? *Smacking myself in the forehead*, but it was definitely a nice surprise to be given the chance to read this book. Grateful and honored. As a woman who home educated my girls for years, it's really nice to be reading a Houghton Mifflin Harcourt book that goes above the grade ranges of 6-8 grades because the majority of books we used were Harcourt public school curriculum. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I adore books like this :)

For many this may be too dry a read, but I'm always researching things for hours on end so this appeals to me very much. Again, back to my president fascination I'm not as knowledgeable about Nixon (until now) as I am about JFK, Lincoln, Reagen, Washington etc. etc, but this book is a gift I'll never forget. Thank you Harcourt and the Goodreads First Reads program for this "Helluva Book"!!

Funny thing is that the day it arrived in the mail I opened the packaging and my first words out loud, but to myself *yes, I did, I talked to myself lol* were "OMG, Holy sh*t!! 'This' is one Hell of a book!! Daaamn!!" Seriously it's a monster Beauty and also in the center of the book are a few Beautiful glossy pages with pictures of Nixon and staff etc. There's really not much to say beyond that, because it really is a giant book of transcripts........and my conspiracy theorist side kicked in whenever I read in a conversation, the words (inaudible), lol. Made me think was it really "inaudible" or did they just not want anyone to know, lol.

Anyway, that kinda sums it up except one last thing that I found funny was the day I got it. After I said "This is one hell of a book", I started flipping through it and then to the inside cover I saw this part of a conversation:

Haldeman: There are a lot of good stories from the first term.
Nixon: A book should be written, called 1972.
Haldeman: Yeah.
Nixon: That would be one 'helluva' book...you get in China, you get in Russia, you get in May 8, and you get in the election. And it's one helluva damn year. That's what I would write as a book, 1972, period"

So, yes it is most definitely one 'helluva' book!!

Disclosure: I recieved a copy of this book through the Goodreads program, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and the Authors. Thank you greatly for this treasure of a book!! Buy it, read it......it's a great read if you're a history/political reader.

Please excuse typos, grammatical errors, punctuation as I'm typing on a tiny screen and auto correct has a mind of its own. Second one tonight and I give up with that. Apologies.

[David Corleto-Bales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exhaustingly detailed, I unfortunately question some of the editing that was done, and am critical of some of the conversations that were left out. Most of the conversations are between Nixon and Henry Kissinger, although Haldeman, Erlichman, William Rogers and many others turn up occasionally, (George H.W. Bush is in one but doesn't speak at all in what must have been at least a 30 minute encounter.) Much of the tapes are unbearably detailed and can be quite boring; most of it is about Vietnam and how to get out without seeming like they are being influenced by others. Those who are looking for lots of swearing and juicy stuff will be enormously disappointed at the mundane, technocratic goings on, for hundreds of pages, about bargaining strategy with the Soviets, Chinese or South Vietnamese. Nixon displays a paranoia about virtually everyone in his administration, bad-mouthing one to the others and vice versa, paranoia over the Kennedys and his political cynicism over wire-tapping and surveillance. Veiled references to Watergate are all we get here. For some reason, the June 23rd tape where Nixon tells his aides to instruct the FBI to not get into it is not included here. Endless pages are devoted to trying to save face in Vietnam and get the ARVN to fight more of the battles. Every hill, palm tree and rock in South Vietnam is a potential detail to be discussed with Nixon's generals; (here one is glad that Bill Clinton didn't run the Vietnam War because we would still be in it, and him talking and talking and talking.) Nixon off the cuff is transparently different. His conversations with people outside his "circle of advisors" reveal a lack of sincerity despite his best attempts to appear so. I would have loved to have heard conversations about other events of 1971 and '72, about J. Edgar Hoover, (only a brief phone call with LBJ is included) about the '72 campaign and the terrorism at the Olympics and conversations with world leaders, which are absent, (despite a photo of Nixon and Kissinger with Anwar Sadat on the cover.) Sometimes interesting, ultimately unsatisfying. Where's the beef?

[Leslie · Rating 1 out of 5]

You know how when a group of people are thinking out loud, their sentences are not complete or even coherent ? OK, now imagine you have 742 pages of "thinking out loud" in a book. Let me give you an example. Take this conversation, PLEASE. Nixon and Kissinger discuss the Strategic Arms Limitations Talks. The “they” refer to are the Soviet negotiaters:

Kissinger: Yeah. I thought they'd give us one more year of -- they just -- you see, -- if -
Nixon: Henry, if you get any kind of a letter or any kind of a, even a half-assed statement, you could get another year. That's good.
Kissinger: Well, we'll get a half-assed statement by June 1.
Nixon: How do you do that ? We can say --
Kissinger: I think --
Nixon: We can say --
Kissinger: I don't know why I'm so confident, because if they figure we're going to lose it anyway, why should they make a deal ?

The editors don’t do the reader any favors, either. An earlier book of Nixon tapes -- “Abuse of power: The new Nixon tapes” by Stanley Kutler -- included everything, and I do mean everything. It was what people wanted to read. But Douglas Brinkley states in the introduction to his book, “We heard a lot of embarrassing, goofy, and comical moments on the tapes but included only a smattering.” They also leave out “myriad bigoted slurs, put-downs, cursing, and off-color gossip.” If you read this book hoping to get an up-close-and-personal look at Nixon, forget it. It’s not in this book.

[Jim Gallen · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Nixon Tapes” is a collection of White House moments as recorded in President Nixon’s secret taping system. The authors set the stage in the Introduction. The tapes had gone back to FDR and were urged upon Nixon by LBJ. Nixon thought that the tapes would help clear the historical record, not destroy his presidency. The authors have searched the hours of tapes of 1971-1972 to select the many snippets presented on these pages.

The value of this book is the vision it gives of the unguarded conversations Nixon, Henry Kissinger and other visitors to the Oval Office and its telephone system. We see insights into the thought processes that made history, the speakers’ views on public figures, ethnic groups and each other and the personal banter between professional politicians. Read what Nixon thought about the Kennedys, how he and Kissinger assessed Rockefeller and Bush and what rivals Nixon and Humphrey said about George McGovern in private. I had always envisioned Nixon as the dominating every conversation but the Nixon shown here is a much more collaborative conversationalist.

This is a book you might not want to read straight through, but pick it up, pretend you are sitting in the corner and skim a few pages. You will emerge with a different perspective on Oval Office life.

[Rob Port · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was intrigued by the premise behind this work. By now we all know about Watergate and Nixon's infamous tapes. For excellent reasons it is the scandal that defined Nixon's presidency. But there was more to Nixon than Watergate and this book sets out to explore that ground using the tapes as their only material. What we are presented with is a curated batch of excerpts from the transcripts of the pre-Watergate tapes. What you find is that there is nothing all that revealing in them. There are humorous moments, and disgusting moments, and some exchanges that are downright interesting. But it all gets a bit lost in this heavy, dense tome which, frankly, could probably have been curated a bit more aggressively.

[Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

The real story of Nixon, from the man himself.

Ever wonder what Nixon thought while he was in the White House? Ever wonder what he talked about? The transcripts are in and they are fascinating.

I’ve done a lot of reading into political events and this book, The Nixon Tapes, certainly tells a vivid story. Nixon isn’t just recalling events. These are his words.

Readers wanting to understand what went on during the turbulent White House years of Nixon’s life will want to read this book. It’s history right in front of the reader and not to be missed. I understood where Nixon was coming from with Watergate, even if I didn’t agree with him. I understood his paranoia, too. He had a plan and wanted the plan executed. The cosmos had other ideas. This book made Nixon more human and relatable.

If you’re looking for a long book (yes, this is long and will take some time to read) that’s gripping and will make you think, then this might be the one for you.

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some of the conversation transcripts were interesting, but there was a lot of "thinking out loud" (as another reviewer put it) that was painful to wade through. And if you were looking for the conversations about Watergate, it not in here except for the first conversation after the break in. Unless you're especially interested in the Nixon administration's foreign policy and reading transcripts of how the sausage was made, you'll likely be bored with the book.

[Jesse H. Cockerham · Rating 5 out of 5]

very deep dive into foreign policy in the Nixon Era ust started the nixon tapes 1973 very in depth and great look at his presidency and of course watergate but i learned so much about Nixon and his thinking on Vietnam the soviet union and communist china very in depth i suggest it for any historian or poli sci nut

[badbangs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Glad I read this, can say I know what’s on some of the Nixon Tapes, will I remember it? Nope. But I definitely learned something about Nixon’s administration.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took a while to read it basically cause I put it down in 2016, but 2018 was the year to finish it.

Insightful
Disturbing


The press is the enemy- Richard Nixon, December 1972

[Gabby Safley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very dense read, but overall really interesting to read the dialogues that occurred between Nixon and his staff.

[Kevin Kizer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting look behind the scenes at the terribly tumultuous Nixon presidency. Since the book is basically transcripts, it helps to have more than a basic knowledge of the era. It shows that Nixon was an intelligent, savvy and callous guy, who was intimately involved with foreign policy and politics. So much so, he (and Kissinger) had no problem escalating the war in some vicious and nasty ways (all -- as they say over and over -- in order to achieve peace). Some examples:
"We're going to do it and I'll destroy the whole country, believe me. I mean destroy it, if necessary. And let me say, even the nuclear weapon if necessary" - Nixon to Kissinger on North Vietnam
"You and I should act towards everybody as if we were going right off the cliff" - N to K
"I don't want them to have any impression that I was affected one iota by public opinion, by polls, by anything of that sort" - N to K on Russia
"I won't say anything foolish - but I will do things that are rash as hell, 'cause I don't give a goddamn what happens. I don't care. I don't really care." - N to K and Haig

In Nixon's defense, he did do a good job of opening up relations with China and doing the same with, while exposing the weaknesses of, the Soviet Union (back when many Americans were TERRIFIED of the Russians). He also encouraged Kissinger to present him as rash and unpredictable to foreign counterparts, something Kissinger always followed through on. Unfortunately, the book stops short of the Watergate scandal, with it only getting a mentioned in a few conversations.

I would put it in the category of "must read" for those with more than a passing interest in the Nixon years.

[Michael Griswold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Right up front I should say that the Nixon Tapes 1971-72 is not a read for the faint of heart. It is 723 pages of fairly dense reading covering topics ranging from opening relations with China, Salt I negotiations with the Soviet Union, the Vietnam conflict both in war and peace talks, and to a lesser extent his domestic political fortunes in the election of 1972. Notably missing is virtually any discussion of Watergate and of course the nineteen minutes of blank tape, but that is probably lost to history.

Nixon is fairly crude talking dismissively of military figures, political opponents, and even his own advisors, but the language is probably no worse than one hears on television these days. I don’t think that the historical value of this book can be understated. Most of the time, our opinions of Presidents are shaped through memoirs or more often through living through their policies that are often subject to biases in the liberal or conservative direction. But here, we can hear a US president in his own words crude as he might be, through a limited filter.

A time consuming, yet worthwhile read.

[Michael Linton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This books would be best read for those that have a deep background on the Russia and China negotiations and the Vietnam War. It really should be sub-titled (discussions of Russia, China, and the Vietnam War). I plan on re-reading this book again when I'm knowledgeable of these topics at the time. What's most interesting is how strategic Nixon was.

Here's an excerpt from the book that is interesting and amusing in contrast to current president Trump:
KISSINGER: And on the press, I'm in complete agreement with you-
NIXON: It's the enemy. So we use them, at times. But remember, with the exception, now and then, of a - I think [Richard] Wilson, maybe - there are two or three - they're very disappointed because we beat 'em in the election. They know they're out of touch with the country. It kills those bastards. They are the enemy, and we're just gonna continue to use them, and never let them think that we think they're the enemy. You see my point? But the press is the enemy. That's all.

[Rich Meyer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really tried to like this one, since I grew up in this era, but this book was too mind-numblingly dull to finish. I managed to get about 20% into it before being glad it was a library book and I could just make if go *poof* from my Kindle. I would've thought this had the potential to be a fascinating look at a President and the Office of the President in a very difficult time, but the transcripts of the conversations, mostly between Nixon and Kissinger, were dull beyond belief. About the only thing a reader gets from them is that Nixon looked down on Kissinger unless he was being useful to him personally, and Nixon posited himself in conversations like he was the great tactician and leader, almost for the microphone. He reads as a very bad actor.

I'm certain the Watergate years tapes have to be more interesting than this one turned out to be.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Lyndon Baines Johnson was leaving office, he suggested to incoming President Richard Nixon that he might want to tape conversations in the Oval Office in order to protect the historical record. While Nixon initially resisted, in 1971 he had voice activated recording devices installed in both the White House and Camp David. In this volume, Douglas Brinkley and Nixon-tape specialist Luke A. Nichter offer a collection of recordings that were captured between 1971 to February 1973 and cover such topics as Watergate and Nixon's foreign policy initiatives. A fascinating collection of conversations that provide an insight into both the character of Richard Nixon and the content of the interactions that he conducted with his close advisers.

[Charles Kerns · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is more of a reference book. I should have bought the digital, searchable version. Usually I want to look up the discussion that led to some decision, usually in foreign policy or internal intrigue.

For example, when the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the military put a spy in Kissenger's office to steal his papers and copy them--Nixon: Prosecuting is a possibility for the joint chiefs."

Or on Vietnam: "...we should have flushed it down the drain three years ago, blamed Johnson and Kennedy."

Sometime you forget that the big fish make history sitting around a table bullshitting, just like us small guys do.

[Robert Rifkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Nixon Tapes, edited by Douglas Brinkley. President Nixon left behind a mountain of tapes that revealed secrets of the White House he perhaps never intended for public consumption. Many of the tapes formed the basis for the Watergate prosecutions, but most were kept secret until their recent release by the National Archives in Washington. Brinkley does a yeoman’s job or organizing and presenting these explosive documents and this is a fascinating glimpse behind a very closed curtain or secrecy, Nixon White House style.

[V · Rating 2 out of 5]

Guess I didn't really know what I was getting into on this one I tried to read it but finally ended up just reading the authors synopsis for each section because I couldn't wrap my hear around the actual transcriptions

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is so dry. It took me forever to finish. I thought it was going to be more commentary than transcript but it is 80% transcript. I am not looking forward to reading the second book, but then again that one is about Watergate, so that should be slightly more interesting.

[Stavra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is actually simply transcripts of the Nixon tapes. It's a fascinating glimpse into that period, and makes a great companion piece to the PBS series of the same name.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Details not previously known

A long read but worthwhile to read and take a closer look at the period of 1971- 1972. Go for it

[Tom G]

an unparalleled historical document. here is Nixon discussing the trip to China, here he is planning Operation Linebacker and the mining of Haiphong Harbor, not notes from the meetings or pages from a diary, but the actual words that came out of the mouths of people who were making history. not a page-turner by any means, but that's not why you read a book like this