Nixon, Vol. 3: Ruin and Recovery, 1973-1990 (Hardcover)

by Stephen Ambrose (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Ambrose pulls no punches in his startlingly frank look at Nixon ("He was heroic, admirable, and inspiring while simultaneously being dishonorable, despicable, and a horrible example") but notes that while working on his three-volume project begun with Nixon: The Education of a Politician, 1913-1962 , he developed a deep admiration for many of Nixon's policies and--"to my astonishment"--a genuine liking for the man. This final volume reviews the Watergate drama, bringing into sharp focus how painful an ordeal it was for the nation and for Nixon himself. Ambrose pronounces President Ford's pardon of his predecessor wise and courageous. Down but not out following his resignation on August 9, 1974, Nixon emerged from his self-imposed California exile to launch a new campaign as senior statesman. Ambrose traces this path in detail, showing that by the summer of 1990 Nixon was "respectable, even honored, certainly admired." Highly recommended for those seeking to fathom the Nixon enigma.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Although Ambrose discusses Nixon's post-presidential roles as author and elder statesman, this final volume of his three-part biography ( Nixon: The Education of a Politican, 1913-1962 , LJ 5/1/87; one of LJ 's "Best Books of 1987"; and Nixon: The Triumph of a Politician , LJ 11/1/89) is largely the story of Watergate. Unlike Tom Wicker's One of Us: Richard Nixon and the American Dream ( LJ 2/1/91), which credits Nixon as a domestic success, Ambrose concludes that because of Watergate, Nixon's well-intended national and international programs were not "accomplishments but might have beens." The ultimate and, to Ambrose, tragic legacy of the president who wanted to be admired but not liked was the destruction of the moderate wing of the Republican party. Complemented by Roger Morris's Richard Milhous Nixon: The Rise of an American Politician and Herbert Parmet's Richard Nixon and His America (both reviewed LJ 12/89), Ambrose's three-volume biography is an indispensable acquisition for academic collections and is highly recommended for most public libraries as well. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 7/91.
- Karl He licher, Upper Merion Twp . Lib., King of Prussia, Pa.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 656 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; First Edition edition (November 15, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671691880
• ISBN-13: 978-0671691882
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #357,178 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great objective piece of writing, October 15, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Nixon: Ruin and Recovery, 1973-1990 (Paperback)

This book seperates fact from fiction, truth from distortion. This final book about Nixon by Stephen Ambrose does a great job of giving both deserved criticizm and deserved acclaim for Nixons final years in the white house and his recovery afterword. Probably the best and fair book regarding Nixon from 1973-1990.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well balanced with the focus on Watergate, August 31, 2002

By	R.J. (Toronto, Canada) - See all my reviews

This third volume of the Nixon series is dominated by the Watergate scandal, with Ambrose skilfully detailing how the great election victory in 1972 slowly unravelled, as the full weight of the media and Democrat-controlled Congress worked to expose the whole tawdry episode. During this era, there was also the bombing of Hanoi followed by the Vietnam ceasefire, and summits with the Soviet leadership, but Watergate overshadowed all. Ambrose makes it clear that Nixon reinvented the story over and over, and bears a large burden of blame for the predicament he found himself in. He also makes clear that this was the opportunity for Nixon's arch enemies in the media and Congress to go for blood. The descent into the nightmare of possible impeachment and eventual resignation reads like an inevitablity, that Nixon lasted till August 1974 said a lot about his tenacity and stubborness in the face of relentless adversity.

The recovery of Nixon was never fully realized, although he was an authoritative elder statesman in later years, and Ambrose shows that Nixon had regained a fair amount of respect in his later years. Since his death the left has continued to disparage and villify his legacy, but as hard as it is to defend Nixon at times, he was still a statesman to be reckoned with, and his foreign policy record, especially with his China trip, is one of distinction. The eastern establishment despised Nixon, but he did not cater to them, it was the silent majority that was his constituency. One finishes this book wondering where America would have gone had the Watergate scandal not occurred.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and informative, March 31, 2005

By	Sean Claycamp (overland park, ks) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

For a guy that didn't grow up during Watergate, I found the third volume in this series to be a real page turner. Ambrose does a good job of telling you what happened, why it happened, how the public saw it and all the ways Nixon tried to keep the public from seeing it all.

Ruin and Recovery is a great subtitle for this volume because Nixon truly did recover. There were a few things he never lost... his ability to guage the American people and how they felt about candidates and the ability to breakdown foreign affairs. It was good to see that in the final years of his life he was called on as an expert on both.

I'm going to say it..."I ADMIRE RICHARD NIXON." Obviously I don't admire his Presidency or his decision-making during Watergate... but... for the most part I feel he was an idealistic, patriotic person that took a bad path and ruined his place in history at least when it comes to his Presidency. He did many things that Americans should respect though and it's high time we did.

I am glad he has made a recovery in the minds of many Americans and as I read this final volume I think I saw Ambrose almost making a case for Nixon being a kinder, gentler person who should be slightly more respected in American history.

Everybody makes mistakes and true Nixon made a big one, but I think in this final volume Ambrose almost makes a personal peace with Nixon and in a way advises Americans who resented Nixon to do the same.

Really an enjoyable series of books that I would recommend to anyone willing to spend 1900 words delving into what made Nixon both good and bad as a person and politican.