Pat Nixon: The Untold Story (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

No surprises here. Julie finds her mother devoted, loyal, thrifty, courageousa remarkable woman whose "grit" kept her going from her struggling student days in the Depression through the vicissitudes of political life to the nightmare of Watergate. Julie's sincere affection and admiration for her mother are the most attractive features of this otherwise lackluster book. Ironically, even in her daughter's hands Pat Nixon remains the quintessential political wife, fading into the background as events overtake the Presidency and her biography slips into a apologia for Nixon's political career. Julie remains her father's most spirited defender: Haldeman isolated him, Dean lied about him, and the press victimized him. Nixon supporters will find this valentine of a book reassuring, but everyone else will look in vain for the "untold truth." Like the close-knit family scenes the author is fond of describing, the book is cozy, respectable and dull. Major ad/promo.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 480 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; Later Printing edition (November 15, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671244248
• ISBN-13: 978-0671244248
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.7 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,435,474 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "iron and courage," and a lot of love, July 16, 2003

By	Alejandra Vernon "artist & illustrator" (Long Beach, California) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

This is one of the most engrossing books I have ever read; fast paced, extremely moving in parts, painstakingly researched, and written in a solid, straightforward style .
Pat Nixon was born in 1912, and after her mother's death when Pat was 13, she had a hard existence that taught her the survival skills to work her way through her education during the Depression, the many political campaigns that sometimes ended in failure, and the stress and isolation of being First Lady during times of war, revolt, and impeachment.
It is also a love story; it was love at first sight for Richard, but it took many ardent, romantic letters and several years of wooing to win the heart of this strong and fiercely independent woman...for him, she was always "part of everything beautiful I see," and he never tired of telling her how proud he was of her.
There are excerpts from many letters, journal entries, and interviews with friends and family, as well as conversations between mother and daughter. Also fascinating are the glimpses into the lives of the powerful and famous, like J.Paul Getty, Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson, Leonid Brezhnev, and many more.

The early chapters will be interesting for those who like me, live in Southern California, as a snapshot of what life was like in the first half of the 20th century; the descriptions show how much it has changed, and it is also significant to take note of the growth of our government since the days when Nixon was vice president in the '50s. The recounting of the violence and unrest of the '60s in the middle chapters vividly brings to life that troubled time, which we tend to gloss over and forget. There is much history in this book, that provides a good perspective to the world conditions of the present era.
Mrs. Eisenhower does not shy away from the downward spiral of the Watergate crisis, and is very blunt about how it affected her family; she truly does tell us "The Untold Story," and lays out many facts, succinctly and with candor. Written in 1986, it has many marvelous photographs, and clear, readable print. The editing is terrific; there are no dull passages, and no awkward phrases. I am in the habit of giving books away once read, but this is one I will keep.

Mrs. Nixon passed on the 22nd of June, 1993, exactly ten months before her husband. They both rest side by side, surrounded by aromatic roses, blue agapanthas, and the sound of birdsongs, in the garden of the extraordinary Nixon Library and Birthplace in Yorba Linda, California. The peace and beauty of this memorial site is overwhelming, and so fitting for this courageous, loving woman.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Nixon Family Revealed, June 29, 2006

By	V. L. Wilson "Louisa Rehman" (Millville, New Jersey United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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This review is from: Pat Nixon: The Untold Story (Paperback)

The life of former first lady Pat Nixon, 1912-1993, is beautifully detailed in a fascinating biography written by her daughter, Julie Nixon Eisenhower.

Altho it was first published in 1986, it is worth reading again as we compare the presidency of Richard Nixon and George W. Bush. As for their wives, Pat Nixon and Laura Bush are both inspiring women, tho different personalities.

Julie's research and observations about her mother's amazing abilities, her courage and grace, her love for all people and especially her family, is deeply moving. This is an excellent portrait of the Nixon family, especially about her beloved mother, Pat, and it is very personal.

The White House years during the Vietnam war were filled with turmoil. I remember watching President Nixon tender his resignation on television and seeing his family trying to hold back the tears. Reading about the administration trying to control "leaks", the corruption that existed and the biased media, is not unlike today's political frustrations, more than forty years later.

Thank you Julie Nixon Eisenhower for a well written portrayal of your family. So many books have been written about the Nixon presidency,your family, etc. however, you have given the American people a valuable tool in which to make their own judgements. You are unafraid to write the truth as you view it and I, for one, deeply appreciate this thoroughly enjoyable book.