The Watergate Crisis (Greenwood Press Guides to Historic Events of the Twentieth Century) [Hardcover]

Michael A. Genovese (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0313298785 | ISBN-13: 978-0313298783 | Publication Date: September 30, 1999 | Edition: annotated edition

The Watergate crisis marked the beginning of the age of cynicism in America. This readable and insightful account examines what happened in Watergate, who was involved, what it meant then, and what it means now. By analyzing the overall impact of Watergate on events that followed, this work will help students and other interested readers to better understand today's politics. In addition to a narrative overview and a series of topical essays about Watergate, this guide provides a timeline of events, biographical sketches of the key players, the text of important primary documents, a glossary of terms, and an annotated bibliography. Watergate refers to a series of crimes and abuses of power including obstruction of justice, conspiracy, criminal coverup, perjury, and destruction of evidence. As a result of the Watergate crisis, the press became more intrusive and personal, the public became more cynical and apathetic toward government, executive-congressional relations became soured and divisive, and partisan clashes became more bitter. Genovese, a noted presidential scholar, discusses Nixon's political personality, addresses the question of whether any president is above the law, and offers a contemporary view of presidential corruption in historical perspective, which is valuable in light of the Clinton impeachment hearings. This readable analysis and ready-reference guide provides valuable resources for students.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 10 Up-Genovese combines fairness with passion in this readable analysis. The bulk of the book provides a historical overview of the Watergate crisis, an account of the development of Nixon's political personality, a discussion of whether the president can ever act outside legal limits, a presentation of historical precedent for presidential corruption, an analysis of Nixon's relationships with the news media, and a conclusion about the Watergate legacy. The historical section is a model of conciseness, balancing fairness with insightful comments backed up by contemporary quotations. The section on personality compares the views of several psychohistorians. The legal section is very short but blunt while the one on presidential corruption goes into considerable detail. Genovese concludes that Watergate damaged the fragile American political consensus and helped lead to the distrust that many Americans feel toward government in general. In addition to this analysis, the author provides a list of key players with biographical sketches of many of them; excerpts from some primary documents including transcripts of White House tapes, the Congressional impeachment resolution, and a Supreme Court decision; and an annotated bibliography. There are a few pages of black-and-white photographs, primarily portraits, and a few shots of Congressional hearings and other events. Rebecca Larsen's Richard Nixon (Watts, 1991), written at a slightly lower reading level, covers the same history with less analysis, and includes illustrations that better capture the events. Genovese's book will support curricula in American history or political science at the high school level.
Jonathan Betz-Zall, Sno-Isle Regional Library System, Edmonds, WA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

“Students searching for help in locating resources specific to different aspects of popular culture will find these volumes an excellent starting point....this set would be an excellent addition to any high school or public library.”–VOYA

“Genovese combines fairness with passion in this readable analysis....The historical section is a model of conciseness, balancing fairness with insightful comments backed up by contemporary quotations.”–School Library Journal

“Reference librarians should add this one to their collections, for students and interested laypersons will find it an excellent guide to this nation's most serious political scandal.”–American Reference Books Annual

“[G]enovese has performed a worthy service to anyone interested in the events that shaped recent U.S. political history or who might wish to include Watergate as a window into more recent U.S. politics. The book's excellent appendices include brief notes on the central characters of Watergate and a fine collection of relevant documents. These include excerpts from the tapes, the Supreme Court's ruling in the US v. Nixon, the Judiciary Committee's articles of impeachment, Nixon's resignation speech, and even a summary of the Nixon staffers who were convicted, plea bargained, or, in the lone case of John Connally, acquited. There is even a glossary of Watergate related terms, like "unindicted co-conspiritor." Those of us who occasionally teach a seminar on Watergate for undergraduates will be especially grateful to find, finally, a book seemingly made for such a course.”–Presidential Studies Quarterly

“Taken as the guide to Watergate as it is intended to be, this book is a well-stocked compilation of important facts and resources.”–Journal of Government Information

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Greenwood Press; annotated edition edition (September 30, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0313298785
• ISBN-13: 978-0313298783
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,309,765 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Boring Book, March 16, 2004

By 

Paul Haataja (hancockMI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Watergate Crisis (Greenwood Press Guides to Historic Events of the Twentieth Century) (Hardcover)

This Book is an okay if your an adult but it is a little boring for aperson like me.

0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars its a good one folks, March 21, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Watergate Crisis (Greenwood Press Guides to Historic Events of the Twentieth Century) (Hardcover)

i liked it because it gave good info about the crisis and the affects of watergate.