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Downstairs at the White House: The Story of a Teenager, an Oval Office, and a Ringside Seat to Watergate
At the age of seventeen, Don Stinson accidentally landed a job in the White House during Watergate, the largest political scandal in American history. A truly insignificant member of the Nixon White House staff, he frequently loitered outside of the Oval Office to watch it unfold. What he saw throughout the White House ran the gamut from the deeply profound to the wildly hilarious.
He was also a kid who did the same kind of harebrained things most teenagers do. Only steps from the Oval Office, he fought with a foreign head of state for space in a restroom. He devised a shortcut that tripped countless alarms and summoned an agitated band of Secret Service agents. He spilled ice water on Frank Sinatra's sock.
And that was just the small stuff.
A funny, fast-paced memoir, Downstairs at the White House is richly decorated with presidents, first ladies, celebrities...and events that shook America.
He was also a kid who did the same kind of harebrained things most teenagers do. Only steps from the Oval Office, he fought with a foreign head of state for space in a restroom. He devised a shortcut that tripped countless alarms and summoned an agitated band of Secret Service agents. He spilled ice water on Frank Sinatra's sock.
And that was just the small stuff.
A funny, fast-paced memoir, Downstairs at the White House is richly decorated with presidents, first ladies, celebrities...and events that shook America.
370 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 27, 2017
604 people are currently reading
1467 people want to read
About the author
Donald M. Stinson
2 books37 followersAt the age of 17, Don Stinson accidentally landed a job in the White House during Watergate, at the time the biggest political scandal in American history. A truly insignificant member of the Nixon White House staff, he frequently loitered outside of the Oval Office to watch it unfold.
A former newspaper executive and a graduate of American University, he is a member of The Author's Guild and an honorary member of the Union of Russian Journalists, a story that involves a great deal of vodka.
As curious as his link to Watergate are his ties to celebrity executions. Among others, Don is related to Mary, Queen of Scots, Queen Anne Boleyn, and Lady Jane Grey, all of whom were beheaded. As a result, his family motto is “We don't just die. We’re executed.”
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, he worked with newspapers in Russia, Slovakia, and Poland to establish a free and independent press. Don's accomplishments included being held hostage in a smelting plant, sleeping in an insane asylum guarded by sheep herders, and fighting a goat defending a lavatory door on Russian airliner Aeroflot. The goat won.
He (the author, not the goat) lives in Miami, Florida and the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.
A former newspaper executive and a graduate of American University, he is a member of The Author's Guild and an honorary member of the Union of Russian Journalists, a story that involves a great deal of vodka.
As curious as his link to Watergate are his ties to celebrity executions. Among others, Don is related to Mary, Queen of Scots, Queen Anne Boleyn, and Lady Jane Grey, all of whom were beheaded. As a result, his family motto is “We don't just die. We’re executed.”
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, he worked with newspapers in Russia, Slovakia, and Poland to establish a free and independent press. Don's accomplishments included being held hostage in a smelting plant, sleeping in an insane asylum guarded by sheep herders, and fighting a goat defending a lavatory door on Russian airliner Aeroflot. The goat won.
He (the author, not the goat) lives in Miami, Florida and the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
February 28, 2019
I'll start this off by saying I LOVED THIS BOOK!
Don Stinson was a very young 17 when he "accidentally" landed a job at the White House. Yes, THAT White House.
Stinson had a front row seat to some of the biggest stories of the time - especially the Watergate scandal.
Many of the stories in this book are told with humor, and more than once they had me laughing out loud, and not just LOL (you know you put that on Facebook comments when you really just rolled your eyeballs so far you saw the back of your own head), but actually laughing.
If something could go wrong, and it often did, it happened to Stinson. Unlucky was putting it mildly. However, because he was so young when all of this started, the book continues on through his college years when he continued, despite his best efforts to get himself fired, to work at the White House. Sneaking into events he had no business being at, setting off alarms and having the Secret Service come at him, spilling food on his one good suit (he was always hungry!), and rubbing elbows with people he didn't recognize until much later when either the pictures hit the newspapers or he saw the person on t.v. One time, he saw some people playing catch on the lawn and he joined in. Only much later did he realize he played catch with Robert Redford, who was there filming "All The President's Men".
The book is a delight to read!
Don Stinson was a very young 17 when he "accidentally" landed a job at the White House. Yes, THAT White House.
Stinson had a front row seat to some of the biggest stories of the time - especially the Watergate scandal.
Many of the stories in this book are told with humor, and more than once they had me laughing out loud, and not just LOL (you know you put that on Facebook comments when you really just rolled your eyeballs so far you saw the back of your own head), but actually laughing.
If something could go wrong, and it often did, it happened to Stinson. Unlucky was putting it mildly. However, because he was so young when all of this started, the book continues on through his college years when he continued, despite his best efforts to get himself fired, to work at the White House. Sneaking into events he had no business being at, setting off alarms and having the Secret Service come at him, spilling food on his one good suit (he was always hungry!), and rubbing elbows with people he didn't recognize until much later when either the pictures hit the newspapers or he saw the person on t.v. One time, he saw some people playing catch on the lawn and he joined in. Only much later did he realize he played catch with Robert Redford, who was there filming "All The President's Men".
The book is a delight to read!
October 17, 2019
The grumpus23
(23-word commentary)
Hillarious behind-the-scenes happenings of an intern during a tumultuous time at the White House. I know Don Stinston. Don Stinson once hired me.
Hillarious behind-the-scenes happenings of an intern during a tumultuous time at the White House. I know Don Stinston. Don Stinson once hired me.
May 13, 2021
I love this stuff. First of all, teenage him cracked me up. He’s so much like a less politically knowledgeable version of my best friend, who started working for Congress when he was 19. And the little stories and anecdotes are just too fun. How this 17-18 year-old kid got all of this access is just amazing. Be bold, friends, be bold! One of the best stories is what happened after Mrs. Nixon waved at him and said, “Hi, Kiddo!” What a lovely, gracious lady she was, even during the worst of days. That’s the kind of stuff I love from these backstairs/downstairs/upstairs at the White House books, those little moments that can reveal so much about who people really were, or at least add layers to what we know about them. And I’ll never get over being fascinated by the loyal, constant service provided by the men and women who worked at the White House. Kind people who just wanted to care for their building and the First Families and do their jobs to the best of their abilities while staying silent about them. And who’d take the time to train this kid and give him tours of the cool spots and tell him all the best stories about what they were able to say. So much of that tradition has been destroyed recently, I hope it can be restored.
Stinson included a lot about the history of the time or the topics he covers that isn’t usually included in other White House books that are more politically based. It isn’t a heavy Watergate book. It’s a charming, funny, interesting book I’d recommend for anyone who is into the White House, the Nixon administration in general or how things work in DC. He ended it on a bit of a cliffhanger, so I hope he writes the next part too. I imagine he continued to have wild adventures in the Ford White House too!
Stinson included a lot about the history of the time or the topics he covers that isn’t usually included in other White House books that are more politically based. It isn’t a heavy Watergate book. It’s a charming, funny, interesting book I’d recommend for anyone who is into the White House, the Nixon administration in general or how things work in DC. He ended it on a bit of a cliffhanger, so I hope he writes the next part too. I imagine he continued to have wild adventures in the Ford White House too!
December 29, 2017
If you know everything about Watergate, you'll find this book funny.
If you know a little about Watergate, you'll find this book funny and thoughtful
If you know nothing about Watergate, you'll find this book funny, thoughtful, and very informative.
I don't consider myself an expert in almost anything, but Don's book successfully imbued me with a passion and an appreciation for Nixon era politics. His tone and voice were so clear and honest that I felt right in the center of it with him. Also, I have never identified with anyone as I identified with 19-year-old Don Stinson accidentally calling Gerald Ford "Mr. President" hours before Nixon's official resignation.
I'm ready for the movie. Don, call me if you need someone to adapt the screenplay.
If you know a little about Watergate, you'll find this book funny and thoughtful
If you know nothing about Watergate, you'll find this book funny, thoughtful, and very informative.
I don't consider myself an expert in almost anything, but Don's book successfully imbued me with a passion and an appreciation for Nixon era politics. His tone and voice were so clear and honest that I felt right in the center of it with him. Also, I have never identified with anyone as I identified with 19-year-old Don Stinson accidentally calling Gerald Ford "Mr. President" hours before Nixon's official resignation.
I'm ready for the movie. Don, call me if you need someone to adapt the screenplay.
April 16, 2019
Donald Stinson had the greatest knack for being in the right place at the right time. This book is filled with awesome stories that highlight one of the most enthralling presidential scandals of our history all with a humorous undertone. I loved this book!
January 11, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. It made me nostalgic for a time when politics was smarter, more polite. Loved the backstory on some of the buildings as well.
December 8, 2024
Really enjoyed this memoir of a teenager’s days of working in the White House in the Nixon-Ford era. It resonated with me because I could see myself doing the same thing if I were a college student in Washington, D.C. Not many inside secrets of the era revealed, but a lot of funny stories about a Georgia young man who seemed both innocent and confident, combined with a good dose of moxie where it came to the Washington power elite of the day.
November 23, 2017
As a teenager in the 1970's myself, Don's stories are not only interesting and funny, but are backstories for much of what was happening in the news related to major presidential upheavals of the times. Very well written, engaging, and entertaining - excellent author and book. Highly recommended!!!
June 3, 2021
It was delightful! Ever wonder what really goes on inside the White House? This author gives funny, detailed info regarding the goings-on inside. I have recommended this book to numerous friends
February 19, 2018
Facebook is a strange and wondrous animal. I am friends with a diverse group of people, many of whom I've never met. In the case of my "friend", Donald Stinson, I'm not even sure who introduced us, but I enjoy his insights so it's all good.
I was very pleasantly surprised when I read Donald's memoir and found that it lived up to his hype as a funny, self-deprecatory account of a time in his late teens when, while a college student at American University, he snagged a dream job working for offices connected to the White House including a job as a Correspondence Aide for Spiro Agnew.
Mr. Stinson is Zelig-like (or perhaps more like Forest Gump since he apparently ran very fast), in that he managed to be an eavesdropper on some of the most important moments of our history in the early seventies, the era when we were going through the national trauma of trying to impeach a president.
Many of his memories are simply amusing accounts of his own blunders as a newby employee earning his minor place in the machine of government employees. Learning to work first generation Xerox machines, learning to get paid by the bureaucracy of the Federal government, learning to flaunt rules and relying on "act first and apologize later" as his mantra are an amusing part of the book. Side trips into historical trivia, of which Stinson is a master, are informative and intriguing.
However, for those of us who lived through the turbulent time, Stinson offers a different perspective as to the personalities of the people involved in the Watergate events and the run up to impeachment and resignation. He offers us sympathetic views of the primary players, even extending kindness to his account of Richard Nixon. Like many liberal young adults of that time, I come to the book with a certain set of biases and it was especially interesting to me to hear an alternative view.
Some of the funny stories are truly laugh out loud funny, such as Stinson's brief stint as the White House Easter bunny and his encounter with Liberty, the Ford's golden retriever, who found the smell of fast food in Stinson's pocket a subject of personal interest.
With the self-interest of a Baby Boomer, I still think of myself (at almost 68) as the youngest person in the room, so it was astounding to me that Donald is several years younger than I am, and was having these amazing experiences while I was sorting legal books in a government library. When I shared this with Donald, he said, "You aren't old. I was so young." Indeed, we were all so young and it is for those of us who were young adults, now living through a similar corruption scandal at the top of out government, this book will bring back memories. To quote the esteemed malapropist, Yogi Berra, "It is deja vu all over again."
Donald Stinson's book gives us hope that the system worked once and we survived a long national nightmare, before. May it come to pass, again.
I
I was very pleasantly surprised when I read Donald's memoir and found that it lived up to his hype as a funny, self-deprecatory account of a time in his late teens when, while a college student at American University, he snagged a dream job working for offices connected to the White House including a job as a Correspondence Aide for Spiro Agnew.
Mr. Stinson is Zelig-like (or perhaps more like Forest Gump since he apparently ran very fast), in that he managed to be an eavesdropper on some of the most important moments of our history in the early seventies, the era when we were going through the national trauma of trying to impeach a president.
Many of his memories are simply amusing accounts of his own blunders as a newby employee earning his minor place in the machine of government employees. Learning to work first generation Xerox machines, learning to get paid by the bureaucracy of the Federal government, learning to flaunt rules and relying on "act first and apologize later" as his mantra are an amusing part of the book. Side trips into historical trivia, of which Stinson is a master, are informative and intriguing.
However, for those of us who lived through the turbulent time, Stinson offers a different perspective as to the personalities of the people involved in the Watergate events and the run up to impeachment and resignation. He offers us sympathetic views of the primary players, even extending kindness to his account of Richard Nixon. Like many liberal young adults of that time, I come to the book with a certain set of biases and it was especially interesting to me to hear an alternative view.
Some of the funny stories are truly laugh out loud funny, such as Stinson's brief stint as the White House Easter bunny and his encounter with Liberty, the Ford's golden retriever, who found the smell of fast food in Stinson's pocket a subject of personal interest.
With the self-interest of a Baby Boomer, I still think of myself (at almost 68) as the youngest person in the room, so it was astounding to me that Donald is several years younger than I am, and was having these amazing experiences while I was sorting legal books in a government library. When I shared this with Donald, he said, "You aren't old. I was so young." Indeed, we were all so young and it is for those of us who were young adults, now living through a similar corruption scandal at the top of out government, this book will bring back memories. To quote the esteemed malapropist, Yogi Berra, "It is deja vu all over again."
Donald Stinson's book gives us hope that the system worked once and we survived a long national nightmare, before. May it come to pass, again.
I
April 1, 2024
A memoir of a teenage clerk (actually a college student) who stumbled into a job at the Nixon White House and earned a front row seat to the unfolding Watergate scandal and eventual resignation of the president.
Stinson's memoir takes the reader back to a simpler time before security in high places was so tight and when a teenager with limited government credentials could literally bump into Gerald Ford and mumble the apology "Sorry, Mr. President" to the man who was only Vice President a few days earlier.
Stinson also shares stories of meeting celebrities such as Bob Hope and Frank Sinatra -- the latter whom he accidently dosed with ice water at a White House dinner -- and still manages to keep his job!
The reader also learns the process of White House correspondence with the people of the U.S. - form letters - produced and occasionally answered by the same young clerk, Stinson. Sometimes Stinson takes it upon himself to forward the letters to then Vice President Spiro Agnew for his personal response.
Both funny and educational enough for those who remember Watergate, but were too young to understand it at the time, Downstairs at the White House is a fun read. I particularly enjoyed getting to know VP Agnew and more about his scandal story but also his humanity. Stinson's writing style is breezy, but competent, something lacking in many quickly produced modern memoirs.
Stinson's memoir takes the reader back to a simpler time before security in high places was so tight and when a teenager with limited government credentials could literally bump into Gerald Ford and mumble the apology "Sorry, Mr. President" to the man who was only Vice President a few days earlier.
Stinson also shares stories of meeting celebrities such as Bob Hope and Frank Sinatra -- the latter whom he accidently dosed with ice water at a White House dinner -- and still manages to keep his job!
The reader also learns the process of White House correspondence with the people of the U.S. - form letters - produced and occasionally answered by the same young clerk, Stinson. Sometimes Stinson takes it upon himself to forward the letters to then Vice President Spiro Agnew for his personal response.
Both funny and educational enough for those who remember Watergate, but were too young to understand it at the time, Downstairs at the White House is a fun read. I particularly enjoyed getting to know VP Agnew and more about his scandal story but also his humanity. Stinson's writing style is breezy, but competent, something lacking in many quickly produced modern memoirs.
September 25, 2018
Downstairs at the White House is a book that was very easy to read and made you want to keep going. The genre of this book is fiction the author is Donald M Stinson. Greatist book i have read.
My reason for this is because the book just keeps making you laugh and find out what joke is next and keeps you going. and shows you some funny jokes like giving a special agent a wedgie by accident.Some evidence of this book being funny is one day donald got into to work and a lady gave him a note to give to the the president. Ronald Reagan but he wasn't allowed to on the day he resigned he got a not about flowers. Another piece of evidence is that another time ronaldo got to work and agents stopped him he yelled the president is in trouble and they ran to find him and just went right through with no problem the agents started to destroy everything to find the president
therefore i think this book is hilarious all the jokes in this book make sense and anyone can read this find it hilarious that's why i think this book is the best book around.
My reason for this is because the book just keeps making you laugh and find out what joke is next and keeps you going. and shows you some funny jokes like giving a special agent a wedgie by accident.Some evidence of this book being funny is one day donald got into to work and a lady gave him a note to give to the the president. Ronald Reagan but he wasn't allowed to on the day he resigned he got a not about flowers. Another piece of evidence is that another time ronaldo got to work and agents stopped him he yelled the president is in trouble and they ran to find him and just went right through with no problem the agents started to destroy everything to find the president
therefore i think this book is hilarious all the jokes in this book make sense and anyone can read this find it hilarious that's why i think this book is the best book around.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 1, 2020
Take a delightful, history-filled trip down Memory Lane back to the turbulent 60s and the scandal-ridden 70s in this insider’s true story of a teen working in the Nixon White House. Don Stinson offers readers some hilarious (and sometimes eye-opening) glimpses of what goes on behind the scenes in Washington and, through a teen’s innocent eyes, gives us a unique and fascinating peek at everything from gala White House events to the political drama of an unfolding presidency. College student Stinson had a ringside seat to some of the most fascinating events in American history and his writing style makes readers feel as though they are right beside him as he lurks around the Oval Office, tries to trick the Secret Service and BS’s his way around the most powerful people in the world. This book is an easy read and has it all: A touch of drama. An abundant supply of rib-tickling laughs. Some puppy love. Musical memories. Headlines that shaped our world. You want a summer read to keep you smiling? This is it. I couldn’t put it down and I am still laughing out loud.
December 24, 2017
DOWNSTAIRS AT THE WHITE HOUSE:THE STORY OF A TEENAGER,AN OVAL OFFICE AND A RINGSIDE SEAT TO WATERGATE BY DONALD M STINSON, tells the "downstairs" version of working in the White House, EOB & the Watergate disaster. The book is not only the story of Mr.Stinson, teenager, college student and White House "help" but it tells of history in the making, plus the history of the White House, EOB. You get to feel what it is really like working as a "gofer." Mr. Stinson not only wrote about Watergate from his perspective but lived it.
I found the book not only very informative about the workings of our government, but some of the stories and some of the situations Mr.Stenson gets into totally hilarious!
As a rule I dont do many biographies, or autobiographies because they can be kinda dry at times .However, Mr.Stinson has injected stories in his, using his experiences & made this book a VERY good read!
I recieved this book free from goodreads in exchange for an honest review!
I found the book not only very informative about the workings of our government, but some of the stories and some of the situations Mr.Stenson gets into totally hilarious!
As a rule I dont do many biographies, or autobiographies because they can be kinda dry at times .However, Mr.Stinson has injected stories in his, using his experiences & made this book a VERY good read!
I recieved this book free from goodreads in exchange for an honest review!
November 26, 2019
My mother read this and recommended it to me. It was a great recommendation! This is one of the funniest, most interesting books I've read in a long time. What a life the author had as a teenager! (I'd love to know what happened to him in later life!) He had the kind of once-in-a-lifetime adventures people dream about.
Not only does he know his way around the English language, he surprisingly doesn't take himself very seriously. I've read White House staff memoirs before and the authors usually tout how important they were. Mr. Stinson does the opposite. This is a really terrific book. I hope the author writes more about anything! He has a very easy-to-read, breezy writing style. Super-interesting stories. I highly recommend it.
Not only does he know his way around the English language, he surprisingly doesn't take himself very seriously. I've read White House staff memoirs before and the authors usually tout how important they were. Mr. Stinson does the opposite. This is a really terrific book. I hope the author writes more about anything! He has a very easy-to-read, breezy writing style. Super-interesting stories. I highly recommend it.
March 21, 2019
Reliving my history and thanking that I'm still alive!
Now in my 80's it's as though I lived through this book. I was newly wed when my husband was transferred to a job in Arizona. The week before we were due to leave Virginia was the week JFK was assinated. As we were driving .through Texas we passed an area covered with flowers. We suddenly realized it was where Kennedy had been shot.
The book itself was an easy read and appreciate his openness about his experiences. We've all been teenagers.
Looking forward to his next book.
Now in my 80's it's as though I lived through this book. I was newly wed when my husband was transferred to a job in Arizona. The week before we were due to leave Virginia was the week JFK was assinated. As we were driving .through Texas we passed an area covered with flowers. We suddenly realized it was where Kennedy had been shot.
The book itself was an easy read and appreciate his openness about his experiences. We've all been teenagers.
Looking forward to his next book.
February 14, 2021
Donald Stinson fell into a job at the edge of the innermost ring of power and then took all the advantage a callow youth could take to find out what was happening inside the ring during one of the most significant periods in American political history: the Watergate era.
Stinson's adventures range from sidling up to rub shoulders with the powerful to donning an Easter Bunny costume at an annual White House event, and even when he finds himself out of bounds, he still comes out smelling like a rose.
A fun read for anyone who likes insider takes on the Washington, D.C. political scene.
Stinson's adventures range from sidling up to rub shoulders with the powerful to donning an Easter Bunny costume at an annual White House event, and even when he finds himself out of bounds, he still comes out smelling like a rose.
A fun read for anyone who likes insider takes on the Washington, D.C. political scene.
July 16, 2021
A young point of view of politics
I really enjoyed this book. I learned a lot too. The EOB building how it connects to other pathways. I laughed at chapters , and said Wow to other.As a American citizen you wonder about will the President do the right thing to please the people. President Barack Obama, and vice-president Joe Biden were the best political team ever. Now the Vice is President. This book also tells me on the inside of the White House, there are amazing friendships.
I really enjoyed this book. I learned a lot too. The EOB building how it connects to other pathways. I laughed at chapters , and said Wow to other.As a American citizen you wonder about will the President do the right thing to please the people. President Barack Obama, and vice-president Joe Biden were the best political team ever. Now the Vice is President. This book also tells me on the inside of the White House, there are amazing friendships.
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November 4, 2023Downstairs at the White House
Sitting in an airplane, I laughed so hard at many of the stories. Very funny! Almost burst out loud laughing. The looks I would have gotten! Some of the stories were sad and thought provoking. Very well written and historical. I learned a lot about the Nixon years. I was a little young to understand it at the time but do remember watching the resignation speech on a tiny black and white television and his peace sign before departing. Highly recommend this book!
Sitting in an airplane, I laughed so hard at many of the stories. Very funny! Almost burst out loud laughing. The looks I would have gotten! Some of the stories were sad and thought provoking. Very well written and historical. I learned a lot about the Nixon years. I was a little young to understand it at the time but do remember watching the resignation speech on a tiny black and white television and his peace sign before departing. Highly recommend this book!
November 27, 2019
Donald Stinson has a wonderful sense of humor! I thought the book would just be a recitation of funny events he was involved with as a teenager working in the Watergate White House. I was wrong! In addition to making me laugh out loud more times than I can count, he provided an easy-to-understand, detailed history of not only the Watergate scandal, but Agnew's resignation and the start of Ford's term in office. I highly recommend it!
August 1, 2021
I'll be honest. I wasn't sure I was going to stick this book out. I am interested in history, but not really interested in politics. But after getting into it a little bit, I really enjoyed this book. Mr. Stinson was a college student who worked part time at the White House during the Nixon administration. He has a lot of fun and interesting stories to tell. He hinted at a sequel. I hope there is one.
April 25, 2023
Well written book and quite entertaining. It was particularly interesting to me because I was right there in Washington serving in the military during this period. I served on a flight crew which flew government and military dignitaries and cabinet members all over the country/world to attend meetings, cut ribbons, and kiss babies. I also was assigned to the Capital to stand at attention during Nixon's 2nd inauguration. Much of what he writes about really strikes a cord with me and my wife.
March 20, 2025
A hilarious perspective on doings at the White House and Executive Office Building during the late Nixon and early Ford years by a clueless teenager who managed to get and maintain part time employment as a xerox operator, delivery boy and messenger during the events of 1973-1974 (think Watergate). The author, a successful businessman and polished writer, relates tales from his college days. A one day read.
November 25, 2019
I truly loved this book! It's an artfully-written combination of humor and history that makes you feel like you were experiencing every event yourself. The author is very funny and, much to my surprise, self-deprecating. I really want to know what happened when President Ford called him into the Oval Office!
July 20, 2020
The author definitely took literary license with some of his recollections! I too worked at The White House for years and know that everyone conflates and exaggerates stories. I know many colleagues who heard stories while working there and then later wrote books claiming the story happened to them. This is an amusing read, but wouldn't call it a true memoir.
December 27, 2021
The sample got me. But the summary of the book is......A guy got a job at the White House he passed very important people in the hall but never talked with them and he was yelled at by secret service agents a bunch of times for wandering. In between these boring stories he recounts history lessons such as Watergate.
I was not entertained.
I was not entertained.
May 24, 2022
The best book!
I enjoyed everything, every word, every story he wrote. I lived thru Watergate, the Pentagon papers, and the Pardon. Was furious when Ford pardon Nixon, probably still mad but managed to move on.
You wrote a funny, detailed book about the White House Don. Hope you're still writing!
I enjoyed everything, every word, every story he wrote. I lived thru Watergate, the Pentagon papers, and the Pardon. Was furious when Ford pardon Nixon, probably still mad but managed to move on.
You wrote a funny, detailed book about the White House Don. Hope you're still writing!
April 22, 2023
I can't understand why this book isn't on the New York Times Bestseller List. The writing is spectacularly clear and vivid, the author is self-deprecating, and the story is both interesting and very, very funny. Mr. Stinson's recitation of the historical events of Watergate gave me an entirely new perspective. The only thing I didn't like is that it ended! I want to read more from this gentleman!
May 6, 2023
I laughed out loud so many times I lost count! This is quite a story. Obviously very funny, filled with insights about some of the most famous political figures of the 1960's and 70's, and very clear recitations of Watergate history that were enlightening rather than painful. His descriptions of how the White House operated are stunning and surprising. I highly recommend this book!
October 17, 2023
funny and informative
First of all, it’s a story about self-discovery—that is, on the part of the author himself. Secondarily, he relates humorous, informative, anecdotal opinions about many first families, life on the Hill, and White House workers. Certainly, an innovative approach to history.
First of all, it’s a story about self-discovery—that is, on the part of the author himself. Secondarily, he relates humorous, informative, anecdotal opinions about many first families, life on the Hill, and White House workers. Certainly, an innovative approach to history.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews