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Who Was . . . ? Series
Who Was Richard Nixon?
Learn more about Richard Nixon--one of America's most unpopular presidents and the only one to resign from the position .
On August 8, 1974, millions sat stunned as they watched Richard Nixon on TV when he announced he was stepping down as the President of the United States. He'd participated in a scandal that included secret tape recordings, a burglary, and a cover-up, and now his secrets and lies were catching up to him. How could Nixon, a man who had been reelected in a landslide victory just two years earlier, now be leaving office in disgrace?
Author Megan Stine takes readers through President Nixon's life--from his childhood and military experiences during World War II--to his long political career and the Watergate scandal that tarnished his legacy and deepened American's mistrust of the government.
On August 8, 1974, millions sat stunned as they watched Richard Nixon on TV when he announced he was stepping down as the President of the United States. He'd participated in a scandal that included secret tape recordings, a burglary, and a cover-up, and now his secrets and lies were catching up to him. How could Nixon, a man who had been reelected in a landslide victory just two years earlier, now be leaving office in disgrace?
Author Megan Stine takes readers through President Nixon's life--from his childhood and military experiences during World War II--to his long political career and the Watergate scandal that tarnished his legacy and deepened American's mistrust of the government.
112 pages, Paperback
First published March 3, 2020
About the author
Megan Stine
188 books60 followersMegan Stine is an American author and editor known for writing more than 100 books for young readers. Her work includes teen etiquette, tie-in fiction, and bestselling Mary-Kate and Ashley titles. She has also developed television projects and works as a portrait and fine art photographer for Real U Guides.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
April 3, 2021
Didn't know much about Nixon before I started this. Fun or interesting facts I learned:
--He played the piano, violin, clarinet, saxophone, and accordion.
--Nixon was accepted to Harvard University but because his family couldn't afford it, he attended Whittier College (CA) instead.
--In 1950, when Nixon was running for governor of CA, he nicknamed his opponent Helen Gahagan Douglas the "Pink Lady", implying she was a communist. She in turn nicknamed him "Tricky Dicky", which stuck for the rest of his life.
--When running as Vice President for Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952, Nixon came under attack for accepting money and using it for personal luxuries. He was urged to give a speech on TV to defend himself. Nixon went on to explain that he lived a very simple life with his family and the only gift that he admitted receiving was his Cocker Spaniel dog, Checkers, that a Texan man had gifted him upon learning that his daughters wanted a dog. Nixon stated that he was keeping the dog no matter what anyone said.
--The day he was sworn in as Vice President, his mom gave him a note telling him she was proud of him and to stay true to his religion. He kept that note in his wallet for the rest of his life.
--On his first night in the White, Nixon peeked under the bed and discovered cables had been hooked up to record. LBJ had the White House bugged.
--Nixon wrote 9 books during the last part of his life.
And just a thought: It's a bit ironic that the third President to be impeached (Clinton), would speak at Richard Nixon's funeral in 1994.
--He played the piano, violin, clarinet, saxophone, and accordion.
--Nixon was accepted to Harvard University but because his family couldn't afford it, he attended Whittier College (CA) instead.
--In 1950, when Nixon was running for governor of CA, he nicknamed his opponent Helen Gahagan Douglas the "Pink Lady", implying she was a communist. She in turn nicknamed him "Tricky Dicky", which stuck for the rest of his life.
--When running as Vice President for Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952, Nixon came under attack for accepting money and using it for personal luxuries. He was urged to give a speech on TV to defend himself. Nixon went on to explain that he lived a very simple life with his family and the only gift that he admitted receiving was his Cocker Spaniel dog, Checkers, that a Texan man had gifted him upon learning that his daughters wanted a dog. Nixon stated that he was keeping the dog no matter what anyone said.
--The day he was sworn in as Vice President, his mom gave him a note telling him she was proud of him and to stay true to his religion. He kept that note in his wallet for the rest of his life.
--On his first night in the White, Nixon peeked under the bed and discovered cables had been hooked up to record. LBJ had the White House bugged.
--Nixon wrote 9 books during the last part of his life.
And just a thought: It's a bit ironic that the third President to be impeached (Clinton), would speak at Richard Nixon's funeral in 1994.
July 31, 2026
Who Was Richard Nixon? – He rose from the humble beginnings to the highest office in the government, and the only US president to resign from office.
Richard Milhous Nixon (1913-1994) was born on a small farm in Yorba Linda, California. He was smart and talented in music. But his true talent was revealed in High School when he became the star of the debate team. He was excellent at public speaking.
He was accepted to Harvard but his family couldn’t afford it. Instead, he went to local college. It seems as his bitterness at what some portray as social injustice began since then.
After graduation, he received full scholarship to attend Duke University of Law in North Carolina. He graduated at the top of his class but when he went to NYC to apply for a job, he was rejected because he didn’t attend an Ivy League school.
He went back to home in Whittier, California, where he opened a law firm and became well known and respected.
For fun, he got involved with an amateur theater group where he met his wife.
In 1941, when Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Richard moved with his wife to DC after obtaining a job for the government. But after eight months, he wanted to help US in the war effort. So he joined the Navy as an officer.
When WWII was over, he received a proposition to run for Congress as a Republican. He loved politics, and here was his chance to get involved. But he went from being a strict person to the one who started bending truth in order to achieve his goal.
He got elected in 1946. He was one of the members traveling to Europe to talk to world leaders about the aftermath of the war. He saw the devastation and how many people were hungry. He voted in favor of foreign aid to European countries.
In the US, he was appointed to the committee dealing with communist spies. He became famous for going after Alger Hiss, supposedly a Russian spy, which never was fully proved. So in the process, he gained some enemies at Congress.
He wanted to climb his political career. In 1950, he ran for the Senate in California. He used a name of “the Pink Lady” for his opponent, meaning she might be a “Red” (communist). In response, she called him “Tricky Dick,” which stuck with him for the rest of his life. He won, but in the DC he was unpopular with certain people.
In summer of 1950, he was invited to Bohemian Grove, secret men’s campground in North California, where they also discussed political deals. This time, Dwight D. Eisenhower wanted to run for president and was looking for vice president. He saw Nixon as the right man as “attack dog” on the campaign trail, going after his opponents. In November, they won the election. Nixon was elected to deal with other world leaders, which he enjoyed the most.
In 1953, in Asia, the leaders found Nixon charming and respectful.
In 1956, under his second term, his trip to South America turned very differently. Many Latin countries hated the US. The crowds were very hostile. Nixon handled them calmly. Upon his return to the US, he was greeted as hero.
His biggest challenge came with his trip to Russia in 1959. Before his trip, he studied for six months in order to be prepared for his debates with Nikita Khrushchev. The visit went very well and upon his return to the US, Nixon became even more popular.
But when it came to presidential campaign against J.F. Kennedy, he lost.
Two years later, he lost the run for governor of California.
His heart didn’t seem to be in politics anymore. He moved to NYC to practice law. However, with the assassination of J.F. Kennedy, and war in Vietnam, he ran for president again, and in 1968 with the promise of ending the war, he won.
He admired the French president Charles de Gaulle and wanted to start peace talks in Paris to end the war.
Meanwhile, he did many positive things for the country. He created the Environmental Protection Agency. He passed laws to keep workers safer and healthier on the job. He supported scientists to find cure for cancer. He made schools desegregated.
In 1972, he made trip to China to begin trading. Later that year, he went to Russia.
Many approved of his actions, but he was hated by the Washington insiders. More and more, he kept to himself and his behavior was becoming abrupt. He wanted to get back at his enemies, and with the help of his trusted people, he asked them to set up a taping system in the White House. He also involved FBI.
He started spying on his enemies by using the government’s spying power on people who haven’t committed crimes. He asked many to do a lot of illegal things.
In 1972, he ran for reelection. When he was in Moscow, a plan to set up bugs on the phones at office of Democratic National Committee didn’t go as planned. Despite that Nixon was reelected and the Watergate scandal seemed to fade away. Eventually, the truth leaked out and the first steps were taken to impeach him. But he chose to resign.
The tapes he asked to set up revealed him talking about crushing his enemies at any cost. He talked nastily about Jewish and black people.
President Ford pardoned him as he wanted the whole country to move on. Others were brought to justice.
This biography exemplifies a man who got knocked down many times but he knew what mattered was getting up again. What led to his downfall was his bitterness and resentment after certain rejections. Behind bitterness and resentment are unprocessed emotions, which in Nixon’s case led him to the abuse of the power, and at the end, destroying his hard work, and not fully recognizing his talent and potential.
Richard Milhous Nixon (1913-1994) was born on a small farm in Yorba Linda, California. He was smart and talented in music. But his true talent was revealed in High School when he became the star of the debate team. He was excellent at public speaking.
He was accepted to Harvard but his family couldn’t afford it. Instead, he went to local college. It seems as his bitterness at what some portray as social injustice began since then.
After graduation, he received full scholarship to attend Duke University of Law in North Carolina. He graduated at the top of his class but when he went to NYC to apply for a job, he was rejected because he didn’t attend an Ivy League school.
He went back to home in Whittier, California, where he opened a law firm and became well known and respected.
For fun, he got involved with an amateur theater group where he met his wife.
In 1941, when Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Richard moved with his wife to DC after obtaining a job for the government. But after eight months, he wanted to help US in the war effort. So he joined the Navy as an officer.
When WWII was over, he received a proposition to run for Congress as a Republican. He loved politics, and here was his chance to get involved. But he went from being a strict person to the one who started bending truth in order to achieve his goal.
He got elected in 1946. He was one of the members traveling to Europe to talk to world leaders about the aftermath of the war. He saw the devastation and how many people were hungry. He voted in favor of foreign aid to European countries.
In the US, he was appointed to the committee dealing with communist spies. He became famous for going after Alger Hiss, supposedly a Russian spy, which never was fully proved. So in the process, he gained some enemies at Congress.
He wanted to climb his political career. In 1950, he ran for the Senate in California. He used a name of “the Pink Lady” for his opponent, meaning she might be a “Red” (communist). In response, she called him “Tricky Dick,” which stuck with him for the rest of his life. He won, but in the DC he was unpopular with certain people.
In summer of 1950, he was invited to Bohemian Grove, secret men’s campground in North California, where they also discussed political deals. This time, Dwight D. Eisenhower wanted to run for president and was looking for vice president. He saw Nixon as the right man as “attack dog” on the campaign trail, going after his opponents. In November, they won the election. Nixon was elected to deal with other world leaders, which he enjoyed the most.
In 1953, in Asia, the leaders found Nixon charming and respectful.
In 1956, under his second term, his trip to South America turned very differently. Many Latin countries hated the US. The crowds were very hostile. Nixon handled them calmly. Upon his return to the US, he was greeted as hero.
His biggest challenge came with his trip to Russia in 1959. Before his trip, he studied for six months in order to be prepared for his debates with Nikita Khrushchev. The visit went very well and upon his return to the US, Nixon became even more popular.
But when it came to presidential campaign against J.F. Kennedy, he lost.
Two years later, he lost the run for governor of California.
His heart didn’t seem to be in politics anymore. He moved to NYC to practice law. However, with the assassination of J.F. Kennedy, and war in Vietnam, he ran for president again, and in 1968 with the promise of ending the war, he won.
He admired the French president Charles de Gaulle and wanted to start peace talks in Paris to end the war.
Meanwhile, he did many positive things for the country. He created the Environmental Protection Agency. He passed laws to keep workers safer and healthier on the job. He supported scientists to find cure for cancer. He made schools desegregated.
In 1972, he made trip to China to begin trading. Later that year, he went to Russia.
Many approved of his actions, but he was hated by the Washington insiders. More and more, he kept to himself and his behavior was becoming abrupt. He wanted to get back at his enemies, and with the help of his trusted people, he asked them to set up a taping system in the White House. He also involved FBI.
He started spying on his enemies by using the government’s spying power on people who haven’t committed crimes. He asked many to do a lot of illegal things.
In 1972, he ran for reelection. When he was in Moscow, a plan to set up bugs on the phones at office of Democratic National Committee didn’t go as planned. Despite that Nixon was reelected and the Watergate scandal seemed to fade away. Eventually, the truth leaked out and the first steps were taken to impeach him. But he chose to resign.
The tapes he asked to set up revealed him talking about crushing his enemies at any cost. He talked nastily about Jewish and black people.
President Ford pardoned him as he wanted the whole country to move on. Others were brought to justice.
This biography exemplifies a man who got knocked down many times but he knew what mattered was getting up again. What led to his downfall was his bitterness and resentment after certain rejections. Behind bitterness and resentment are unprocessed emotions, which in Nixon’s case led him to the abuse of the power, and at the end, destroying his hard work, and not fully recognizing his talent and potential.
July 30, 2025
Enjoyed learning about Watergate. A goal of mine is to brush up on history. I know this is technically a children’s book but it was long enough to offer enough information/details without making me want to scratch my eyes out and die of boredom
April 1, 2020
My son and I have a "new favorite" in 70 or so "Who Was" books. A rare negative biography for kids, my son and I could not put this down and read it in 24 hours cover to cover. "He was a nice guy who liked dirty tricks," said my son. The book made me you feel bad for Nixon without whitewashing any of his crimes while highlighting his foreign policy and environmental successes. A must read for small and large people.
January 31, 2022
Lol, this made me laugh aloud:
The other close friend was his secretary, Rose Mary Woods. She was like part of of the family. She became very close to Pat. (Nixon's wife)
How iNtEresTinG, this is not at all following a familiar pattern in which a man has an affair with his secretary. Love the added on "btw, Pat just LOVED Rose, ok?"
Wait, there's more: after the Supreme Court demanded that Nixon hand over the tapes, they discovered 18 minutes of sound had been erased.
Richard's loyal secretary, Rose Mary Woods, said she had "accidentally" erased them.
How lovely.
Anyway, I think Nixon's whole story just goes to show one very important lesson: Lying = bad. (hey I can understand that equation) You lie once, and you'll spend the rest of your time lying to cover up that lie. It ain't pretty.
The other close friend was his secretary, Rose Mary Woods. She was like part of of the family. She became very close to Pat. (Nixon's wife)
How iNtEresTinG, this is not at all following a familiar pattern in which a man has an affair with his secretary. Love the added on "btw, Pat just LOVED Rose, ok?"
Wait, there's more: after the Supreme Court demanded that Nixon hand over the tapes, they discovered 18 minutes of sound had been erased.
Richard's loyal secretary, Rose Mary Woods, said she had "accidentally" erased them.
How lovely.
Anyway, I think Nixon's whole story just goes to show one very important lesson: Lying = bad. (hey I can understand that equation) You lie once, and you'll spend the rest of your time lying to cover up that lie. It ain't pretty.
June 11, 2025
I was curious to read about Richard Nixon for some reason, so I thought I'd start with a very basic introduction. Who Was Richard Nixon? is geared for "younger readers" but sufficient for adults who, like myself, may know very little about the 37th US President and wants to know some of the key milestones and facts about his life and presidency.
The book is very bare bones and written in a simple, no-nonsense manner. It's a quick read. I read the ebook in under two hours. What I read stoked my curiosity, making me want to read more detailed biographies about Nixon.
Some things I found interesting about:
*While he was purportedly shy and awkward, he was a good debater in school and participated in amateur theatre (where he met his wife Pat).
*He played multiple musical instruments.
*He won a landslide victory in the 1972 election, capturing 49 states except Massachusetts.
The book is very bare bones and written in a simple, no-nonsense manner. It's a quick read. I read the ebook in under two hours. What I read stoked my curiosity, making me want to read more detailed biographies about Nixon.
Some things I found interesting about:
*While he was purportedly shy and awkward, he was a good debater in school and participated in amateur theatre (where he met his wife Pat).
*He played multiple musical instruments.
*He won a landslide victory in the 1972 election, capturing 49 states except Massachusetts.
who-hq
May 13, 2020As Congressman, involved in the Hiss case (suspected Soviet spy). Served as VP to Eisenhower for two terms. Involved in funding scandal shortly after being nominated, but gave the “Checkers speech” to resolve it. Ran against JFK in 1960 and participated in first televised debate. Ran for Governor of California and lost.
As President, created EPA, ended American involvement in Vietnam, became first American President to visit China and opened trade with China, sued to prevent publication of Pentagon Papers.
Often used dirty tricks in his campaigns.
As President, created EPA, ended American involvement in Vietnam, became first American President to visit China and opened trade with China, sued to prevent publication of Pentagon Papers.
Often used dirty tricks in his campaigns.
July 12, 2025
توی یوتیوب ویدیویی از ریچارد نیکسون دیدم که از شاه ایران دفاع میکرد و دلایلش هم منطقی بود. اون دوست شاه ایران بود و توی مراسم تشیع جنازه ی اون حضور داشت.
این کتاب بیشتر از بد و کثیف بودن ریچارد نیکسون میگفت و خوبی خاصی از اون نگفت. توی این کتاب جوری نشون داده شد که نیکسون کاری برای پایان جنگ نکرد، ولی در واقعیت، ریچارد نیکسون آمریکا رو از جنگ ویتنام خارج کرد.
قضاوت سخته چون کتاب به طور واضح یه طرفه بود، ولی باز هم اطلاعات خوبی میداد و خوندنش جالب بود.
این کتاب بیشتر از بد و کثیف بودن ریچارد نیکسون میگفت و خوبی خاصی از اون نگفت. توی این کتاب جوری نشون داده شد که نیکسون کاری برای پایان جنگ نکرد، ولی در واقعیت، ریچارد نیکسون آمریکا رو از جنگ ویتنام خارج کرد.
قضاوت سخته چون کتاب به طور واضح یه طرفه بود، ولی باز هم اطلاعات خوبی میداد و خوندنش جالب بود.
February 28, 2025
Richard Nixon was president of the United States of America but will most likely always be known as Tricky Dicky, the force behind the Watergate conspiracy. This biography provides a good explanation of Watergate and Nixon's resultant resignation. The book is well written but a better choice in the subject matter might have been suggested.
March 10, 2020
I thought this book was very informational about the life of Richard Nixon. Telling good things about his life and not just the Watergate Scandal and his resignmant. I really enjoy reading the Who was books because the inform me about stuff we are supposed to learn in history but we don't.
April 26, 2021
Nixon was quite the character. I liked learning more about his life. I did not know that he wrote a number of books after he was president. I am going to look into those and see if there are any that I want to read.
September 28, 2022
This whole series is fabulous.
All the information is presented in an interesting and neutral way that makes it easy to comprehend and gain a superficial understanding of history.
Great fro sparking interest in young people.
All the information is presented in an interesting and neutral way that makes it easy to comprehend and gain a superficial understanding of history.
Great fro sparking interest in young people.
January 10, 2024
Ok I didn't fully realize this was a kids book when I borrowed it. It wasn't bad. It had a lot of info in it, but didn't go into the detail I was looking for. It's probably a 3rd-5th grade level. Only 1 hour long I had it on 1.75 speed so only about 40 min long for me.
March 8, 2020
A good history of Nixon but insufficiently critical.
May 15, 2020
Good information
Very interesting to learn about that President who was about to be impeached but resigned. And meet other famous people.
Very interesting to learn about that President who was about to be impeached but resigned. And meet other famous people.
June 3, 2020
Very age-appropriate and thorough accounting of this man's beleaguered political career.
June 13, 2020
I had heard about the water gate scandal, but never knew the details as an Indian born immigrant. This book explained the life of Richard and the scandal very well.
July 30, 2021
This book shows the upward and downward slopes that Richard Millhouse Nixon took over his lifetime of political service.
May 4, 2022
A Good Read
April 15, 2025
great book great choice of words
I love the who was books Nixon is my there’d favorite book besides the Beatles and the titanic this book is great I highly recommended it
I love the who was books Nixon is my there’d favorite book besides the Beatles and the titanic this book is great I highly recommended it
November 10, 2021
My twin is very evil i learned and now i know the facts and one of them being that this is one of the most evil people who were president
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews