AUDIOBOOKS | NEW BOOKS OF NOTE | BARGAIN BOOKS | Find a seller

Reviews of Nixonland: The Rise of a President and the Fracturing of America by Rick Perlstein

Nixonland: The Rise of a President and the Fracturing of America

by Rick Perlstein

Heralded by stunning reviews, Perlstein's best-selling NIXONLAND begins in the blood and fire of the Watts riots - one week after President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act, and nine months after his historic landslide victory over Barry Goldwater seemed to have heralded a permanent liberal consensus. The next year scores of liberals were thrown out of Congress, America was more divided than ever, and a disgraced politician was on his way to a shocking comeback: Richard Nixon. Six years later, President Nixon, harvesting the bitterness and resentment borne of that blood and fire, was re ...

Average Customer Rating:

4.2 out of 5

13 of 14 (93%) customers said they would recommend this book to a friend.

Customer reviews of Nixonland: The Rise of a President and the Fracturing of America

rating

4 out of 5

Oct 3, 2009

By Don, The United States

"This works as a summary of the Nixon years from 1962 through his re-election in 1972. As that era recedes in history and distance tends to blur our recollection, this book is a useful reminder of just how venal and, yes, psychotic Nixon was in his years as President. We forget how deep the political corruption of his reelection campaign ran and how dishonest he was with the public during his campaigns and his administration.

Perlstein is less successful in trying to draw parallels with our current political era and, in particular, the diviseviness of the country. As Perlstein colorfully portrays it, the late '60's and early '70s was really a tumultuouis era--full of generational, political and racial hatred and tension. Our current era seems much less divided; sure, there is a vocal, angry and often unhinged right wing (and during the Bush administration a vocal and angry and not so unhinged left wing), but in my view there is a much greater push on the part of public opinion for consensus and for getting past the partisan bickering.

One big difference between that era and this is that in the Nixon era, there were leaders in Congress who were willing to act and speak independently. This has always been the case with the modern Democratic Party, but has ceased to be the case with the Republican Party.

In any event, I recommend this book as a terrific and entertaining political history of the era."

rating

3 out of 5

Aug 26, 2009

By Terry, The United States

"Yeaaah, this was somewhere between two and three stars for me, personally. It's quite well-written, which to me means intelligently written, or, written for an audience the author assumes is intelligent, which I appreciate. Occasionally though Perlstein lapses into these weird, almost conversational, sarcastic asides which seem out of place and sort of inappropriate for a work of history and politics. The book is EXHAUSTING in its detail of back-room politicking, so if you are deeply interested in how politics and elections work then you're in for a treat (and/or you'll be heartily disenchanted). I enjoyed the overview of the changing nature of what it meant to be a "Democrat", and I also enjoyed the more pop culture aspects of the books, where the rebels of the early 1960s become the superstars (with attendant egos and, really, failures) of the party by the early 1970s. But really it's all about politics in every way shape and form, so it's definitely for people who enjoy intricate details specifically about politics."

rating

3 out of 5

Aug 13, 2009

By Ken, Provo, UT

"The best biographies are as much about the time and place as they are about the person. Nixonland almost took this to the extreme. Nixonland is about the war, riots, and social upheaval of the 60s and 70s. This epoch battles between the hippies and the squares also talked about Nixon.

I liked the book and would have given it four or five stars, but for some significant flaws. The biggest flaw in the book was that it was too polemic. Perlstein does not like Nixon, or the squairs. His tone is often snarky. Perlstein is so intent on trashing Nixon that I question his accuracy. I don't know enough about the era to say were he has gone wrong, but it is clear that he is giving the reader only one side of the story.

The other problem with the book is that it ends too abruptly. Nixon is out of office, and bam, the book is finished in ten pages. Nixonland is otherwise sweeping in scope, describing significant social changes- changes that have continued long after Nixon left office. The book needed more of an epilog, more description of the lasting effects of these changes. Either Perlstein got tired or the editor said enough.

Even though I strongly disagreed with portions of the book, I still recommend this book."

rating

4 out of 5

May 31, 2009

By Mo, The United States

"Though I'm still reading this book (skipping around) I find myself asking why is it that Nixon in particular gets this reputation as repulsive because of how he ran his election...I don't see a lot of difference with other politicians...the election we just had was a rather bizarre one that I'm sure will be written about extensively in years to come. Plenty of smearing of candidates, by one side favored in the media, and in fact enjoined by the media. Definitely something to be pondered and reflected upon by future historians.
I was born in the 60s, but due to the 60s hype - very little of the dirty underside is ever aired...I found mysleft stunned by the ugly savagery of the so-called good guys (hippies, et. al). I wasn't aware of the extent of the riots. And why does Johnson get let off the hook for so much for the ugliness of that time? He was a rather evil character in that he sold the Vietname war in order to further his domestic agenda.
My naivitee I assume, I'm still reading - completed Stan Karnow's excellent Vietnam - what would be the next in reading order? I can't say I love Perlstein's style, I find it a little snarky a times and he makes comments as if everyone already agrees with his analysis. But overall it is compelling and edifying. Highly recommended; can be set aside and returned to time after time to get the hefty thing done. Important book."

rating

5 out of 5

May 5, 2009

By Patricia, Astoria, NY

"This is an extraordinary book which traces the political career of Nixon through the 40's until the 70's. It was remarkable in that it explores how Nixon shaped American politics for the second half of the 20th century, exploiting the backlash from the dramatic social change in the 60's to drive a wedge through Democratic party. It described a complex brilliant man --calculating, paranoid, passionate -- during a dramatic period of American history and how he was able to consolidate power by creating a new cultural politics, fear-based and which separated the populist economic message from populist culture."

rating

5 out of 5

Apr 26, 2009

By Kenneth, Portland, OR

"How the United States could both put Barack Obama into the White House and seriously consider Sarah Palin as a Vice Presidential candidate finds some explanation in this book, which was like a yoke around my neck (in a mostly good way) for the better part of a week. The creation of the Red-Blue divide and its exploitation by Nixon is at the book's heart, but perhaps the book's most interesting lesson is just how violent the "Summer of Love" 60's/70's actually were, from the riots in Watts to the Manson murders to, of course, Vietnam and its malcontents. It's hard not to be sympathetic to the view (Nixon's view, really) that the wheels were coming off the American project, despite the concomitant advances in civil rights and all the rest. A thought-provoking book that reads very much like a novel and certainly another demonstration of truth being stranger than fiction."

rating

5 out of 5

Apr 16, 2009

By Christopher, Medford, MA

"In 1964 LBJ achieved the largest popular vote victory in Presidential history capping off the most liberal movement in America. Just 8 years later, Richard M. Nixon would win the largest electoral land-side in Presidential history, ushering in the most Conservative administration in American history. How did this happen?

From Watts to civil rights legislation; from Woodstock to the riots in Chicago, Nixonland is a look at how one of the most reviled men in American history tapped into the inner doubts and insecurities of White America and created the new Conservative movement- people who were poor voting against higher taxes on the wealthy; people with no education reviling those with education; and how a few words bristled back and forth could make all the difference between a political powerhouse and a complete failure.

And at the very center of it all is the lowly Richard Nixon who knew how to play the game better than anyone. It was not "dumbing down" the electorate, it was "power to the people"; it was not attacking the opponent, it was "defending the record"; it was not racism, it was "equality"; it was not fighting the poor it was being "tough on crime"; tough, not mean; aggressive, not power-hungry; the President, not a crook. Quite possibly the most engrossing and interesting ride down the turbulent world of 1960s politics.

An absolute must read."

rating

5 out of 5

Jan 25, 2009

By John, San Francisco, CA

"Totally entertaining book about the United States in the 1970s. Less about Nixon than the title suggests; Perlstein is more interested in how Nixon recognized the voters' drift to the right and how voters responded to Nixon as "one of them" notwithstanding ample evidence of Nixon's paranoia and anti-social behavior. Perlstein handles Nixon behavior with great gentleness and understanding; it it the voter that gets the raised eyebrow. The Left-liberals are (I think rightfully, so to speak) dispatched with disdain on account of their almost childish misreading of the mood of the Country during those most turbulent times."

rating

5 out of 5

Jan 13, 2009

By Jeff, New York, NY

"This is a lengthy, but very detailed, discussion of how the modern political landscape came to be. Writing too much about it would rehash the book, but the author comes from his background as an analyst of Barry Goldwater's effect on the FDR-Truman consensus to discuss how Nixon leveraged, and extended, social divisions and the rifts in American public consciousness to create his political career.

If you think you fully understand the modern culture wars, and everything that went on in the 1960s, you don't... until you've read Nixonland.

Surprisingly, the book does actually acknowledge Nixon as a pitiable, if not exactly sympathetic, character. He did seem to believe in himself as a man with a higher calling--setting the correct international policy and stance towards the world--but it's hard to take this too seriously when you consider everything else he did, from the dirty tricks and crimes to his widely migrating domestic positions and even manipulation of foreign affairs (e.g. the prosecution of the Vietnam war), in order to ensure he could grasp the reins of power. At some point you have to question your status as divinely ordained charioteer if you feel it's necessary to crash into rocks to keep your hold...

As for the book itself, Perlstein's writing style is personable, interesting, and engaging. He treats his narrative voice self-consciously, frequently presenting events speaking from Nixon's perspective (or that of his prejudices), giving us a certain insight into the man's psychology (while disavowing that this book is meant as a psychobiography, which it definitely is not). However, his narrative voice may be a bit too glib and winking for some readers. One habit I found particularly annoying was his insistence on referring to major political figures by diminutive versions of their first names, even when those are not the names by which they are famous, and in one or two cases where this introduces some ambiguity. Also, he's quite ready to throw in references to some famous figures as asides, with no explanation. This poses less difficulty for the reader who is already a political junkie with a good knowledge of the last forty years' history, but I can imagine, in fifty years' time, that it might make the book unreadable in parts. And I swear I'll scream if I see another politician described as "glad-handing," whatever that even means.

In all, this book is highly recommended. One word of warning: if you care about politics in America, it will likely be quite depressing, or at least make you want to tear your hair out. Sadly, no matter how much dramatic tension the narrative pulls together, we all know that in the end the bad guys won this one. Steel yourself for it."

rating

4 out of 5

Jan 8, 2009

By Billy, Athens, OH

"A brilliantly written, left-leaning polemic against the rise of Nixonian conservatism, Perlstein examines why a democratic electorate awared LBJ an overwhelming victory in 1964 but, in 1972, awarded an almost similar victory to Nixon's brand of conservatism. He focuses on three main points.

1. American's voted for LBJ because to do anything else would "court civilizational chaos." Either years later, they voted for Nixon for the very same reason. In short, LBJs stance on poverty and civil rights rallied against the injustices of Selma's white police beating black protestors. Yet, in 1965, the LA riots of Watts began to switch the opinions of the white electorate. Nixon deftly picked up on this tide change and courted the silent majority.
a. In short, By 1972, with Vietnam protests dying down, Nixon removing troops, societal upheaval was on the decline. To vote for McGovern might threaten stability.
2. Nixon's politics were appealing because they were rooted in resentment. Perlstein divides the American electorate into two camps-the resentful and the resented; Nixon expertly exploited the resentments of the middle-class, a resentment the often-excluded Nixon shared for an elitist liberal establishment.
3. Nixon used the built up angers and resentments of the 1960s to win the ultimate political comeback of the 20th century.

Nixon's election marked the split division of electorate that would dominate US politics for the next 50 years, perhaps ending with Obama, but unlikely. In Nixon, the culture wars arose."

STAFF REVIEW

Customer rating:

5 out of 5

Fascinating and haunting, Sep 15, 2008

By greebs, San Rafael, CA

"Rick Perlstein has written a phenomenal account of, largely, the years between 1964 and 1972. Why those years? Because in '64, LBJ won the election with about 62% of the vote, a crushing margin. Just eight years later, Nixon did the same thing - for, of course, the other party. What happened in those eight years to switch the national sentiment?

Lots of things, and while many of them have to do with the changing world (Vietnam, Civil Rights), many others were the direct result of Nixon style politics (which, Perlstein and others charge, create a different world, aka Nixonland.)

What's fascinating about the book is how many details a casual observer (or relative youngster) forget - that Watergate broke BEFORE the '72 election, for example.

What's haunting is that you could replace the names from this book with a slew of real people from today's political world and it would read like an analysis of today's politics. And what's sad is when you see people decrying the state of politics for the same reasons they are talking about today. At least one way to read this book (and it seems to be Perlstein's way, based on the last sentence of the book) is that not much has changed, and we are still living in Nixonland.

Truly an important, impressive book and well worth your time."

rating

5 out of 5

Aug 1, 2008

By Pglusman, Berkeley, CA

"I am of the age where, until his death in 1994, I considered Nixon to be the omnipresent evildoer. He was around when I was born, and he was still around 47 years later. You couldn't get rid of him. I felt the boomers would be more correctly called the "Nixon Generation." I was too young to remember him vilifying Helen Gahagan Douglas, but I do remember him as Vice-president getting (literally) stoned in Caracas. I remember him running againt Pat Brown for Governor. His, "you won't have Nixon to kick around anymore" speech. His secret plan to end the Vietnam war. Every word that came out of his mouth was a lie. And when it got exposed in 1973-1974 it was so much fun to watch the hearings on television and see his weasels and gofers up before the Senate Watergate Committee turning on each other as Nixon solemnly stated: "I am not a crook." That was when congresspersons and senators had some guts and would bring up a sitting president on charges.

Perlstein was born in 1969, the first year of the Nixon presidency. He writes, however, like he was in the middle of it. His narrative is lively, ironic, and ultimately, depressing. The country, in the years since, has not progressed but regressed. Nixon, in retrospect, looks like a wise man. Despite his "enemies list" he seems a civil libertarian compared to what we have now. Surely he is responsible for the beginnings of what American politics have descended into, but other, more skilled practitioners have dug the hole far deeper than Milhouse could ever have dreamed.

Perlstein takes us through the years 1964-1972 as if they had happened yesterday. That was when America fractured into what Perlstein terms the Franklins and the Orthogonians, representing very roughly the in crowd and the out group and Nixon's Whittier College. We are now red and blue staters.

Perlstein, with a few exceptions, gets it right. (The SDS chant was "Ho, Ho, Ho Chi Minh, NLF is gonna win" and not "Ho Chi Minh is gonna win."

A must read for anyone who wants to understand late 20th century history. My only quibble is that Perlstein stopped with the election of 1972, and did not bring it forward to the more fun and amazing Watergate scandal times of 1973 and 1974, when we all watched the hearings and marveled at Sam Ervin ("I'm just an old country lawyer") digging up things we could not believe.

Now everyone takes that same dishonesty, immorality and dirty tricks in the white house as base-line normality."