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The Fall of Richard Nixon: A Reporter Remembers Watergate
Bestselling author Tom Brokaw brings readers inside the White House press corps in this up-close and personal account of the fall of an American president.
In August 1974, after his involvement in the Watergate scandal could no longer be denied, Richard Nixon became the first and only president to resign from office in anticipation of certain impeachment. The year preceding that moment was filled with shocking revelations and bizarre events, full of power politics, legal jujitsu, and high-stakes showdowns, and with head-shaking surprises every day. As the country’s top reporters worked to discover the truth, the public was overwhelmed by the confusing and almost unbelievable stories about activities in the Oval Office.
Tom Brokaw, who was then the young NBC News White House correspondent, gives us a nuanced and thoughtful chronicle, recalling the players, the strategies, and the scandal that brought down a president. He takes readers from crowds of shouting protesters to shocking press conferences, from meetings with Attorney General Elliot Richardson and White House Chief of Staff Alexander Haig, to overseas missions alongside Henry Kissinger. He recounts Nixon’s claims of executive privilege to withhold White House tape recordings of Oval Office conversations; the bribery scandal that led to the resignation of Vice President Spiro Agnew and his replacement by Gerald Ford; the firing of Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox; how in the midst of Watergate Nixon organized emergency military relief for Israel during the Yom Kippur War; the unanimous decision of the Supreme Court that required Nixon to turn over the tapes; and other insider moments from this important and dramatic period.
The Fall of Richard Nixon allows readers to experience this American epic from the perspective of a journalist on the ground and at the center of it all.
Praise for The Fall of Richard Nixon
“A divided nation. A deeply controversial president. Powerful passions. No, it’s not what you’re thinking, but Tom Brokaw knows that the past can be prologue, and he’s given us an absorbing and illuminating firsthand account of how Richard Nixon fell from power. Part history, part memoir, Brokaw’s book reminds us of the importance of journalism, the significance of facts, and the inherent complexity of power in America.” —Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Soul of America
In August 1974, after his involvement in the Watergate scandal could no longer be denied, Richard Nixon became the first and only president to resign from office in anticipation of certain impeachment. The year preceding that moment was filled with shocking revelations and bizarre events, full of power politics, legal jujitsu, and high-stakes showdowns, and with head-shaking surprises every day. As the country’s top reporters worked to discover the truth, the public was overwhelmed by the confusing and almost unbelievable stories about activities in the Oval Office.
Tom Brokaw, who was then the young NBC News White House correspondent, gives us a nuanced and thoughtful chronicle, recalling the players, the strategies, and the scandal that brought down a president. He takes readers from crowds of shouting protesters to shocking press conferences, from meetings with Attorney General Elliot Richardson and White House Chief of Staff Alexander Haig, to overseas missions alongside Henry Kissinger. He recounts Nixon’s claims of executive privilege to withhold White House tape recordings of Oval Office conversations; the bribery scandal that led to the resignation of Vice President Spiro Agnew and his replacement by Gerald Ford; the firing of Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox; how in the midst of Watergate Nixon organized emergency military relief for Israel during the Yom Kippur War; the unanimous decision of the Supreme Court that required Nixon to turn over the tapes; and other insider moments from this important and dramatic period.
The Fall of Richard Nixon allows readers to experience this American epic from the perspective of a journalist on the ground and at the center of it all.
Praise for The Fall of Richard Nixon
“A divided nation. A deeply controversial president. Powerful passions. No, it’s not what you’re thinking, but Tom Brokaw knows that the past can be prologue, and he’s given us an absorbing and illuminating firsthand account of how Richard Nixon fell from power. Part history, part memoir, Brokaw’s book reminds us of the importance of journalism, the significance of facts, and the inherent complexity of power in America.” —Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Soul of America
240 pages, Paperback
First published November 5, 2019
125 people are currently reading
754 people want to read
About the author
Tom Brokaw
102 books177 followersThomas John Brokaw is an American television journalist and author, previously working on regularly scheduled news documentaries for the NBC television network, and is the former NBC News anchorman and managing editor of the program NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw. His last broadcast as anchorman was on December 1, 2004, succeeded by Brian Williams in a carefully planned transition. In the later part of Tom Brokaw's tenure, NBC Nightly News became the most watched cable or broadcast news program in the United States. Brokaw also hosted, wrote, and moderated special programs on a wide range of topics. Throughout his career, he has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors.
Brokaw serves on the Howard University School of Communications Board of Visitors and on the boards of trustees of the University of South Dakota, the Norton Simon Museum, the American Museum of Natural History and the International Rescue Committee. As well as his television journalism, he has written for periodicals and has authored books. He still works at NBC as a Special Correspondent.
Brokaw serves on the Howard University School of Communications Board of Visitors and on the boards of trustees of the University of South Dakota, the Norton Simon Museum, the American Museum of Natural History and the International Rescue Committee. As well as his television journalism, he has written for periodicals and has authored books. He still works at NBC as a Special Correspondent.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 196 reviews
December 18, 2019
Not worth the paper it's printed on.
For a book that's intended to be a summation of Richard Nixon's fall from the presidency in 1974 what we actually receive looks more like this:
10% about Richard Nixon
80% name-dropping
5% dinner party menus
5% half-attempts at digs towards Trump
What was the purpose of this book? I truly don't understand why it was published. It adds nothing, says nothing, accomplishes... nothing.
There is more about Nixon in the seven-paragraph epilogue than in the entirety of the book. It is as if Brokaw presented a subject, then circled around it. He weaved and sidelined, but never actually made a point, let alone present a basic history.
Some argue that reviewers shouldn't grade this book on the fact that it's not actually about Nixon much at all (even though that is exactly what it is presented as, but okay). If that is your stance, you are generally saying this should be accepted as a memoir of Brokaw's year in '73 and '74. Yet, I have to make clear that name-dropping does not a recollection make. If not about Nixon (as sold), one could at least hope to hear about what it was like for Brokaw as a White House correspondent. Not even that much is granted.
An incredible disappointment and not at all worth your time or money.
Verdict: Skip It
DISCLOSURE: This book was gifted to me for free by the publisher for review. Clearly, that in no way impacts my review. All reviews are 100% honest.
For a book that's intended to be a summation of Richard Nixon's fall from the presidency in 1974 what we actually receive looks more like this:
10% about Richard Nixon
80% name-dropping
5% dinner party menus
5% half-attempts at digs towards Trump
What was the purpose of this book? I truly don't understand why it was published. It adds nothing, says nothing, accomplishes... nothing.
There is more about Nixon in the seven-paragraph epilogue than in the entirety of the book. It is as if Brokaw presented a subject, then circled around it. He weaved and sidelined, but never actually made a point, let alone present a basic history.
Some argue that reviewers shouldn't grade this book on the fact that it's not actually about Nixon much at all (even though that is exactly what it is presented as, but okay). If that is your stance, you are generally saying this should be accepted as a memoir of Brokaw's year in '73 and '74. Yet, I have to make clear that name-dropping does not a recollection make. If not about Nixon (as sold), one could at least hope to hear about what it was like for Brokaw as a White House correspondent. Not even that much is granted.
An incredible disappointment and not at all worth your time or money.
Verdict: Skip It
DISCLOSURE: This book was gifted to me for free by the publisher for review. Clearly, that in no way impacts my review. All reviews are 100% honest.
November 9, 2019
I don't read much about American politics in general, but I saw this pop up in my library app and gave it a shot. It didn't really give me any information that I didn't already know about. It just recounted Nixon's presidency. Pretty forgettable.
January 23, 2020
Tom Brokaw’s new book, “The Fall of Richard Nixon”, is not a straight history of Nixon’s impeachment, but rather it’s collection of short chapters about Richard Nixon and the story around the Watergate scandal and Nixon’s subsequent resignation. Brokaw begins his book with a question posted at the Nixon Presidential Library, “Who was Richard Nixon?”. He attempts to answer that question, but fails in the end, because I doubt if anyone, even Nixon himself, could have answered correctly.
Tom Brokaw’s broadcasting career began in the late 1960’s. TV and newspapers were the main way we got our news in those days before the internet. Brokaw fit in to the NBC news organization. He was a go-getter and became friends with many politicians in Washington DC when he was there to cover; I was left wondering about the cozy dinner parties he and his wife went to and if they interfered with how he reported the news. He knew most of the politicians and news makers who were involved in first the probe of the crime at the Watergate and then the attempt at impeachment of Richard Nixon.
Most of those readers of Brokaw’s book lived through the Nixon presidency and the Watergate era. We remember the old and now dead figures so important 45 years ago. Some - a few - are still around and they pop up on the cable shows to talk about what they remember from their Watergate days and how it relates to the current administration and their problems. Don’t Jill Wine Banks and Liz Holtzman look good for their ages? And hasn’t John Dean aged divinely? (I wonder what happened to Mo Dean and if she’s still wearing her pearl ear studs).
Tom Brokaw combines yesterday and today in his book. And somehow, the Watergate scandal was evocative of a more innocent time than we’re going through now. Brokaw’s writing has always had a tinge of looking backward to see more honest and simple times; to use as a guide for dealing with today’s society. That was clearly apparent to me when I read this book.
Tom Brokaw’s broadcasting career began in the late 1960’s. TV and newspapers were the main way we got our news in those days before the internet. Brokaw fit in to the NBC news organization. He was a go-getter and became friends with many politicians in Washington DC when he was there to cover; I was left wondering about the cozy dinner parties he and his wife went to and if they interfered with how he reported the news. He knew most of the politicians and news makers who were involved in first the probe of the crime at the Watergate and then the attempt at impeachment of Richard Nixon.
Most of those readers of Brokaw’s book lived through the Nixon presidency and the Watergate era. We remember the old and now dead figures so important 45 years ago. Some - a few - are still around and they pop up on the cable shows to talk about what they remember from their Watergate days and how it relates to the current administration and their problems. Don’t Jill Wine Banks and Liz Holtzman look good for their ages? And hasn’t John Dean aged divinely? (I wonder what happened to Mo Dean and if she’s still wearing her pearl ear studs).
Tom Brokaw combines yesterday and today in his book. And somehow, the Watergate scandal was evocative of a more innocent time than we’re going through now. Brokaw’s writing has always had a tinge of looking backward to see more honest and simple times; to use as a guide for dealing with today’s society. That was clearly apparent to me when I read this book.
November 20, 2019
The Fall of Richard Nixon by Tom Brokaw was not a straightforward history of Nixon’s impeachment but short chapters about Nixon and the Watergate scandal and his resignation. It was an overview on his remembrance as a young reporter in his early career.
Some people who have reviewed it negatively should not look to this book for the history of Richard Nixon and a history during that time. There are many books written by historians who have written definitively about Nixon and Watergate and this whole time period. I found it a refreshing summary where Brokaw combines yesterday and today in a memoir. It is a guide to dealing with today’s society. In this book, he shows parallels of the despicable deeds that we see in our current president that is happening right now and what happened with Nixon.
Brokaw stated in his acknowledgment that he was reluctant to write this book but was approached by his editor and Jon Meacham to revisit the final year of President Nixon through his experience as a White House correspondent. They persuaded him that the current political climate is a reminder that history provides context for large and small issues. I think he accomplished this with this book. I liked that it was in memoir form and a quick absorbing read.
Some people who have reviewed it negatively should not look to this book for the history of Richard Nixon and a history during that time. There are many books written by historians who have written definitively about Nixon and Watergate and this whole time period. I found it a refreshing summary where Brokaw combines yesterday and today in a memoir. It is a guide to dealing with today’s society. In this book, he shows parallels of the despicable deeds that we see in our current president that is happening right now and what happened with Nixon.
Brokaw stated in his acknowledgment that he was reluctant to write this book but was approached by his editor and Jon Meacham to revisit the final year of President Nixon through his experience as a White House correspondent. They persuaded him that the current political climate is a reminder that history provides context for large and small issues. I think he accomplished this with this book. I liked that it was in memoir form and a quick absorbing read.
December 11, 2023
A well written and balanced book, from my memory. Mr. Brooke dis a fine job of just writing about the news without opinionated commentary.
I totally enjoyed.
I totally enjoyed.
August 4, 2021
I have a perverse interest in the disaster that was Richard Nixon so I picked this up at my local library. I'd never read anything by Brokaw before but he was the news anchor of my youth so I figured, why not?
Well, the answer to that question is: Because Brokaw adds nothing to the history of Nixon with this short book and mostly uses it as an excuse to name drop and make himself seem cool. As I frequently have to point out to all Baby Boomers, none of them are cool.
I suppose this could work for someone not versed in the particular controversy but if that's the case, there are many superior works out there for that exact purpose.
I do miss journalism of Brokaw's early days but the old boys network aspect of it will certainly not be missed. Speaking of missed, Brokaw with an opportunity with this book.
Well, the answer to that question is: Because Brokaw adds nothing to the history of Nixon with this short book and mostly uses it as an excuse to name drop and make himself seem cool. As I frequently have to point out to all Baby Boomers, none of them are cool.
I suppose this could work for someone not versed in the particular controversy but if that's the case, there are many superior works out there for that exact purpose.
I do miss journalism of Brokaw's early days but the old boys network aspect of it will certainly not be missed. Speaking of missed, Brokaw with an opportunity with this book.
January 16, 2020
A highly entertaining and occasionally insightful journey down Memory Lane with a journalistic veteran of Watergate. Brokaw tells good yarns.
August 22, 2021
3.5 Stars
Wow, reading this book in this day in age (mid-August 2021)...after the debacle of POTUS Donald Trump and the January 6th storming of the Capitol Building...reading the incendent that lead to the Fall of Richard Nixon...I could see SO many parallels. It is actually frightning.
I was raised very conservative, and my Da always said that history would treat President Nixon fairer than his own time in Office (and shortly there after). Well, that definitely will not happen in my lifetime, nor ever.
The things that he did, were criminal. Call it like you see it. Irrefutable evidence was gathered of wrong doing...some even in his own voice damning himself.
Cut to this last president. I got to the point that I blocked every, I mean EVERY mention of his name and derogatory nicknames on my Social Media apps. I would have voted for the Donkey of the Democratic party INSTEAD of allowing THAT man a minute more in Office. What a blight on this country. Ugh. Words really cannot contain my frustration in his adminastration, and the idiots that to this day still fight for him. Unbelievable. Something from President Snow in the Hunger Games.
Well, reading this book has put a number of things into perspective. One, the country acted in the best interest of the people and actually removed Nixon from Office. It saddens me that in our time, we have not learned from previous lessons...and allowed an egomaniac to ride out his days (actually viewing it as a victory)...to the point that he tried to have a coup to stay in Office.
So, I can say that Richard Nixon is a better man than Donald Trump EVER was. Misguided and wrong, doing criminal things while in Office, but at least he walked away...when the country said to go.
I was young when these things were happening (being born in 1966), but so many of the names that were mentioned in this book were household names that effected the course of this country.
Should you read this book? Well, it is biased...for sure, but I do believe that Tom Brokaw is fairly fair. Actually more fair than I would be if I had to write a book of the Fall of Donald Trump (that's for sure).
There are probably many of sources that would be a LOT more interesting and would go into depth of what EXACTLY he (Nixon) did wrong, but for my head, this book touched on what I really wanted to know...and drew a line and described the events as they happened. It's a fairly good account through the eyes (and recollection) of a reporter of that time.
I'm glad that I read it.
Wow, reading this book in this day in age (mid-August 2021)...after the debacle of POTUS Donald Trump and the January 6th storming of the Capitol Building...reading the incendent that lead to the Fall of Richard Nixon...I could see SO many parallels. It is actually frightning.
I was raised very conservative, and my Da always said that history would treat President Nixon fairer than his own time in Office (and shortly there after). Well, that definitely will not happen in my lifetime, nor ever.
The things that he did, were criminal. Call it like you see it. Irrefutable evidence was gathered of wrong doing...some even in his own voice damning himself.
Cut to this last president. I got to the point that I blocked every, I mean EVERY mention of his name and derogatory nicknames on my Social Media apps. I would have voted for the Donkey of the Democratic party INSTEAD of allowing THAT man a minute more in Office. What a blight on this country. Ugh. Words really cannot contain my frustration in his adminastration, and the idiots that to this day still fight for him. Unbelievable. Something from President Snow in the Hunger Games.
Well, reading this book has put a number of things into perspective. One, the country acted in the best interest of the people and actually removed Nixon from Office. It saddens me that in our time, we have not learned from previous lessons...and allowed an egomaniac to ride out his days (actually viewing it as a victory)...to the point that he tried to have a coup to stay in Office.
So, I can say that Richard Nixon is a better man than Donald Trump EVER was. Misguided and wrong, doing criminal things while in Office, but at least he walked away...when the country said to go.
I was young when these things were happening (being born in 1966), but so many of the names that were mentioned in this book were household names that effected the course of this country.
Should you read this book? Well, it is biased...for sure, but I do believe that Tom Brokaw is fairly fair. Actually more fair than I would be if I had to write a book of the Fall of Donald Trump (that's for sure).
There are probably many of sources that would be a LOT more interesting and would go into depth of what EXACTLY he (Nixon) did wrong, but for my head, this book touched on what I really wanted to know...and drew a line and described the events as they happened. It's a fairly good account through the eyes (and recollection) of a reporter of that time.
I'm glad that I read it.
March 13, 2020
This was a good, easy read, giving a few details of Watergate from the perspective of the White House press. At times, it felt as though Brokaw went out of his way to try and connect the scandal surrounding Nixon to the scandal surrounding Trump, which I found unnecessary. It whetted my appetite for more historical literature.
January 17, 2020
If you want to hear Tom Brokaw name-drop about late 60s/early 70s DC power players, this is the book for you.
If you want to gain more insight into Watergate, this is NOT the book for you.
If you want to gain more insight into Watergate, this is NOT the book for you.
November 28, 2019
Given current events, the publisher sped Brokaw's book to market. The result is a short work that fails to add anything substantively new beyond a first-hand account. The author was the White House correspondent for NBC News. At time of Watergate, he was in his early 30's.
There are some interesting bits, “We did not feel forced … to react to every ‘omigod’ from the vast universe of social media — factual, mythical, malicious or fanciful. In contrast to President Trump, President Nixon was seldom seen and rarely heard,” he writes. That would have kept things infinitely clearer than the current president's pummelling and distorted broadcast mentality.
Brokaw paints a very clubby and chummy Washington, official dinners and many dinner parties where folks of all different political stripes mixed and mingled. There is much less of that now, he contends, which promotes division. When the media heat turned up on Nixon, he lashed back, “I have never heard or seen such outrageous, vicious, distorted reporting in 27 years of public life,” Brokaw quotes the president and adds, “(Sound familiar?)”.
One fact I did not know until reading this was that H.R. Haldeman once ran the L.A. office of the J. Walter Thompson, the ad agency. I worked on Madison Avenue and that seems surreal but no more surreal than today's events (just yesterday President Trumped tweeted a picture of his head on Sly Stallone's body). I can't imagine the sheer number of books that will come out following the Trump presidency. There are plenty of books on Watergate, I recommend reading a few before this one, as it does not provided the required tapestry.
There are some interesting bits, “We did not feel forced … to react to every ‘omigod’ from the vast universe of social media — factual, mythical, malicious or fanciful. In contrast to President Trump, President Nixon was seldom seen and rarely heard,” he writes. That would have kept things infinitely clearer than the current president's pummelling and distorted broadcast mentality.
Brokaw paints a very clubby and chummy Washington, official dinners and many dinner parties where folks of all different political stripes mixed and mingled. There is much less of that now, he contends, which promotes division. When the media heat turned up on Nixon, he lashed back, “I have never heard or seen such outrageous, vicious, distorted reporting in 27 years of public life,” Brokaw quotes the president and adds, “(Sound familiar?)”.
One fact I did not know until reading this was that H.R. Haldeman once ran the L.A. office of the J. Walter Thompson, the ad agency. I worked on Madison Avenue and that seems surreal but no more surreal than today's events (just yesterday President Trumped tweeted a picture of his head on Sly Stallone's body). I can't imagine the sheer number of books that will come out following the Trump presidency. There are plenty of books on Watergate, I recommend reading a few before this one, as it does not provided the required tapestry.
February 5, 2021
Super interesting. But took some opportunities to make jabs at president Trump that were added in a way that threw the narrative off-track. There were only a few of these moments, and they didn’t overwhelm. Here’s the thing about it: I don’t mind a memoir-style account like this being partisan, but I also don’t like feeling used as a reader… as if the whole thing were just a Trump takedown in disguise. I don’t feel this way because I’m some kind of offended Trump worshiper - I’m most-definitely not that. I’d feel the same way about a book wherein partisan loyalties were reversed. I’m curious if the comparisons between the Nixon and Trump administrations were dropped in late in the writing process, or if they were part of the book from the start.
All-in-all, though, a fascinating and clarifying telling of the whole Watergate fiasco from someone who was personally there for really everything.
All-in-all, though, a fascinating and clarifying telling of the whole Watergate fiasco from someone who was personally there for really everything.
October 29, 2019
Quick and bland memoir of Brokaw's time covering the Nixon White House (very briefly - August 1973 through Nixon's resignation). There are some interesting anecdotes - Brokaw's revelation that Nixon asked him to serve as Press Secretary, a few playful sketches of other reporters and White House insiders - but it's mostly perfunctory and not particularly revealing. Mostly because Brokaw's role in the White House Press Corps was minor and he had only peripheral access to key events. Like a lot of recent Watergate ephemera, it stresses the parallels with 2019's ongoing scandals which honestly seems to be the book's reason for existing. That, or Brokaw needed a quick buck.
November 5, 2019
While this does review the years around Richard Nixon, it feels like any of us could have written it with a quick Google search. Not much in depth here. No particular insights from 40+ years away. It feels like a quick money grab to capitalize on today’s events. Brokaw also frequently adds little bits about people he knew or lived near or had dinner with, but none of these add weight or substance to the story.
If you want to quickly review the end of Nixon this is a reasonable primer but that’s it.
If you want to quickly review the end of Nixon this is a reasonable primer but that’s it.
December 13, 2019
Disappointing book. Overtly partisan. The author talks of presidential impeachment mentioning President Andrew Johnson and hints to President Trump. No mention of President Clinton who was impeached by the House. He offers snide insights and brings nothing new to the discussion. I am glad the book was from the library. Don't waste your time reading this book.
August 1, 2021
Poorly conceived a bit indulgent. Too many unsubtle connections to his view of politics today.
January 14, 2020
While I'd love to listen to another Nixon telling, Brokaw's voice is like nails on a chalkboard to me.
June 7, 2024
It isn’t an exaggeration when I say I have read dozens of Watergate books, but I can say coldly and clinically state that this is the worst.
Why? Where to start? If the title was ‘Tom Brokaw muses about Nixon and meals he ate during Watergate by Tom Brokaw’ it might capture the spirit of this book.
After all these years, there is nary an ounce of insight or new understanding about Nixon or Watergate. The superficially will astonish you, but you may be impressed how he settles scores with people he didn’t like and can no longer defend themselves. His greatest or only skill as a writer is he is the master of the cheap shot.
I remember listening to Fergie destroy the National Anthem at the NBA All Star Game and commenting to my daughter that no matter how badly I screwed up in life, I would probably never screw up as bad as Fergie.
She might read this book and feel a bit of comfort. It’s that bad.
Why? Where to start? If the title was ‘Tom Brokaw muses about Nixon and meals he ate during Watergate by Tom Brokaw’ it might capture the spirit of this book.
After all these years, there is nary an ounce of insight or new understanding about Nixon or Watergate. The superficially will astonish you, but you may be impressed how he settles scores with people he didn’t like and can no longer defend themselves. His greatest or only skill as a writer is he is the master of the cheap shot.
I remember listening to Fergie destroy the National Anthem at the NBA All Star Game and commenting to my daughter that no matter how badly I screwed up in life, I would probably never screw up as bad as Fergie.
She might read this book and feel a bit of comfort. It’s that bad.
August 6, 2020
Don’t coming looking to this short, light book for any new insights on Nixon or Watergate. The book is really more about the young Tom Brokaw than it is Nixon. It gives you his perspective of the Watergate story as he covered it as a new in town White House correspondent. He tells amusing stories of his encounters and acquaintances as he “learns to ski in an avalanche,” as he described learning the Washington beat during the Watergate crisis. The book has the feel of being regaled by interesting personal stories at a dinner party by a particularly amusing guest. It is light, but entertaining, and certainly worth the small effort it takes to read.
January 11, 2021
If I have one complaint about Tom Brokaw's latest memoir, it's that it's too short. Despite the title, this is not a discussion of the Watergate scandal as much as it is a reminiscence of Brokaw's experience covering it as a reporter for NBC News. Consequently, he talks more about his interactions with the Nixon White House dramatis personae than about the inner working of Tricky Dick's administration. This is a terrific read, but a reader curious about Watergate should read Woodward and Bernstein's All The President's Men or Rick Perlstein's The Invisible Bridge.
February 6, 2020
I cannot say enough about how much I enjoyed The Fall of Richard Nixon: A Reporter Remembers Watergate. it reads like we are at dinner with Tom Brokaw and he is regaling us with his memory of Watergate and President Nixon. This is not a direct retelling of Watergate, nor is it a full memoir. It is more about his place in time and what was happening in Washington during the end of Nixon. This is a story about the people and place, but not minutia of the incident. It is the background to the larger times and the times were changing. The Fall of Richard Nixon: A Reporter Remembers Watergate provides the town was divided even then including where you lived by your politics. He name drops and boy does he name drop with one amusing anecdote after another.
It was also the beginning of television journalism in a town that at that time was still a print media town. Tom Brokaw tells of the friendships, colleagues, and the Nixon White House. He reminisces about trying to be taken seriously when was considered a pretty boy.
The Fall of Richard Nixon: A Reporter Remembers Watergate is not heavy history or great analysis of the times, but a wonderful walk down memory lane with one of the great new anchors that lived the event.
It was also the beginning of television journalism in a town that at that time was still a print media town. Tom Brokaw tells of the friendships, colleagues, and the Nixon White House. He reminisces about trying to be taken seriously when was considered a pretty boy.
The Fall of Richard Nixon: A Reporter Remembers Watergate is not heavy history or great analysis of the times, but a wonderful walk down memory lane with one of the great new anchors that lived the event.
November 17, 2019
Wanted to read this for a couple reasons: 1) in light of what’s going on at the Capitol currently 2) always wondered why Watergate happened since it was likely to be a landslide victory, anyway 3) grandma and aunt worked on the McGovern campaign, so personal interest with this particular presidential era
The book started out slow with lots of repetition and foreshadowing, but built as the chapters went on. For someone who didn’t have much (if any) familiarity with the folks in the White House at the time, I got an decent education of the cast of characters, and I also learned about the additional critical activities involved, outside the raiding if the Democratic Party headquarters. Brokaw’s account of the period made the history more personal with all his stories and anecdotes.
All in all, a quick read (one day) that fulfilled my objectives for reading this book.
The book started out slow with lots of repetition and foreshadowing, but built as the chapters went on. For someone who didn’t have much (if any) familiarity with the folks in the White House at the time, I got an decent education of the cast of characters, and I also learned about the additional critical activities involved, outside the raiding if the Democratic Party headquarters. Brokaw’s account of the period made the history more personal with all his stories and anecdotes.
All in all, a quick read (one day) that fulfilled my objectives for reading this book.
November 12, 2019
A very thin book in both content and length. For substance, you'd be better off reading Woodward and Bernstein's "The Final Days" and/or Jonathan Aitken's "Nixon: A Life", both of which are referenced and quoted often in this book.
From a historical perspective, there's not much here that hasn't been told often or better before. However, if you're interested in what it would be like to have cocktails with Tom Brokaw, pour your self a few fingers and read this book. The anecdotes about Washington and California are worth the price of admission.
From a historical perspective, there's not much here that hasn't been told often or better before. However, if you're interested in what it would be like to have cocktails with Tom Brokaw, pour your self a few fingers and read this book. The anecdotes about Washington and California are worth the price of admission.
January 15, 2020
I just realized that i hadn't posted it, but am not sure of dates.
Seemed timely considering what's happening in DC now. I was pretty occupied with my life and little kids then, but had vague memories of watching parts on TV and even copied some on a little tape recorder.
This really brought it back --i hadn't known or remembered how devious N was in trying to avoid being prosecuted and impeached. So many of his strategies trump has been using --eg going on as much foreign travel as possible, getting aides to lie, etc.
Seemed timely considering what's happening in DC now. I was pretty occupied with my life and little kids then, but had vague memories of watching parts on TV and even copied some on a little tape recorder.
This really brought it back --i hadn't known or remembered how devious N was in trying to avoid being prosecuted and impeached. So many of his strategies trump has been using --eg going on as much foreign travel as possible, getting aides to lie, etc.
December 13, 2020
Not nearly what I was hoping or expecting from such a controversial time in history and such a respected journalist. There was so much in there that was unnecessary (this person came to dinner, that person called one time... as in Brokaw’s dinners, not Nixon’s) and so much more missing. There was nothing at all about Watergate itself aside from the existence of tapes and the fight to hide them, and all the “fall of Nixon” parts were things everyone already knew. Nothing insightful or from a different perspective. Disappointing.
November 3, 2019
Not much new here. The book does serve as a reminder that Watergate wasn’t the first time that Democrats weaponized impeachment in an effort to overturn an election, nor would it be the last time, and in each case their coup attempts backfired on them. It was interesting to relive a time when television cameras weren’t allowed in White House press briefings.
January 21, 2020
Tom Brokaw delves into the good things Nixon did, which he points out making so much worse his negative inclinations. He also recalls how Nixon lied about his crimes and fired the Special Counsel to look into his misdeeds. Sound familiar? If so, and you have a Republican Senator you might want to contact them.
November 9, 2019
Loved it
Tom Brokaw is a great storyteller. The Watergate story is one that has been told many times, but Tom’s easy style and view from inside the White House press corps is a refreshingly new take on it.
Tom Brokaw is a great storyteller. The Watergate story is one that has been told many times, but Tom’s easy style and view from inside the White House press corps is a refreshingly new take on it.
December 23, 2019
This one brought back a lot of memories of the Watergate years. It is not intended to be a history of the investigation, but rather a series of vignettes of Brokaw's time in Washington during the period. Makes me nostalgic for the days when the two parties could actually talk to each other.
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