Product Description

An eye-opening look at the man whose notoriety over Watergate and whose accomplishments in foreign policy have made us forget that he was one of our most innovative modern presidents on matters of domestic policy.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #314536 in Books
• Published on: 1995-07-14
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 496 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Nixon was both the best and the worst of modern presidents, opines Hoff, who argues that Watergate clouded his substantial domestic achievements. In this closely argued reassessment, she criticizes his foreign policy accomplishments--only rapprochement with China remains intact--and profiles a president whose radical proposals for restructuring welfare and creating a national health insurance program remain relevant today, in her estimate. She also commends Nixon's expanded enforcement of affirmative action, bold reorganization of federal agencies and redistribution of power away from Congress and the federal bureaucracy toward state and local governments. Hoff, a professor of history at the University of Indiana, draws on her interviews with Nixon and his advisers, as well as recently released Nixon White House papers and tapes, to shed light on his role in the Watergate break-in and cover-up, his tense relations with Henry Kissinger and his rationalizations and paranoid insecurities.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Hoff, an Indiana University historian and senior editor of University Publications' microfilm edition of Nixon's presidential papers, presents a scrupulously researched analysis of Nixon's domestic and foreign policies and of Watergate. Placed in a "historical rather than histrionic perspective," Nixon is revealed as a progressive Republican burdened by an aprincipled nature that clouded his awareness of "conventional morality or ethical standards." Surprisingly, Hoff praises Nixon primarily for his domestic policies; revenue sharing, a proposed guaranteed income, and plans for national health insurance were liberal by today's standards. Nixon's foreign policy accomplishments, including detente, Middle East treaties, and relations with the Third World, were ephemeral and often subverted by Henry Kissinger, the ego-driven security adviser. Unlike most Nixon revisionists, Hoff believes that Nixon's obstruction of justice during Watergate warranted impeachment but that his overall accomplishments and his numerous books will ensure his rehabilitation. Hoff's important study synthesizes the latest research and offers interpretations that all serious Nixon scholars must consider. Highly recommended for academic and large public libraries.
Karl Helicher, Upper Merion Twp. Lib., King of Prussia, Pa.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
An editor of a microform edition of Nixon's presidential papers, Hoff strikes out from the archives into the territory of narrative interpretation. Her journey through his five White House years lives up to her watchwords pleading for "history, not histrionics"; leaving behind the haters, mostly elite liberals some of whom made their careers castigating Nixon, Hoff documents the quite liberal domestic agenda he approved--a look at which explains why Clintonites frequently extol Nixon's proposals, especially on health, to promote their own. (Nixon himself, in his last book, Beyond Peace [1994], denied the comparisons.) On foreign policy, Hoff the revisionist paints an overwhelmingly negative picture. She insists we view Nixon as a war president to better understand his extra-constitutional actions. She slams Kissinger hard and scores the "Nixinger" results an overall failure, the China opening excepted. Harsh though she can be, Hoff maintains scrupulous fairness in arguing for "restrained rehabilitation." Serious readers who can't abide the notion might do what she spent 10 years doing: consult the tangible evidence. Gilbert Taylor

Customer Reviews

Missed opportunity
I've recently become a bit of a Nixon buff, reading a dozen biographies of the man, all of which portray him in very different ways, from a paranoid, racist sociopath to a misunderstood visionary. I honestly don't know where I'd place Ms. Hoff's portrayal of Nixon within those two extremes. Her book makes some excellent points, particularly in citing the frequently ignored strides that Nixon took in domestic policy. Overall, however, her odd writing style and seeming preoccupation with revisionism make the flow of the book pretty choppy, as well as all out boring in places...

In my opinion, any book on Nixon is worth it if you are trying to figure out what he was all about. The fact is the guy was so complex, introverted, and troubled that all of them will be right and wrong at the same time...

Good Book
Professor Hoff, late of Indiana University, tries to rise above the Watergate mania that tends to totally overshadow all the other accomplishments that occurred during the Nixon administration. Let there be no doubt that Nixon was NOT a doctrinaire conservative, if he was even one to begin with. Nixon's early cabinet and advisers included some liberal minds. It is now known that many economic policies that were implemented during this time were very injurious to the US economy (wage and price controls come to mind) and contributed to the awful economic times of the late 70's and early 80's.
Nevertheless, this book is a good start if you want to learn a little bit about what went on besides Vietnam and Watergate.

Great Book, Different Perspective
Decent book, very informative. Even goes behind the scenes a little bit. Very thorough if you are looking for more information on domestic policies. Talks more about the good points instead of the infamous ones. Definitely good for Nixon sympathizers =)