I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for Richard Nixon. He was the first president in my awareness of what a president was. He was a Republican, as our family was. And when the whole Watergate thing happened, the root-for-the-underdog in me watched his humiliation with sadness. My mom prompted me to write to him as a child, and I treasured the White House booklet he sent me, complete with a photo of his family.
When I saw that a book had come out about Nixon’s life after Watergate, I was intrigued.
“One must wait until the evening to see how splendid the day has been” — Nixon, quoting Sophocles
“After the Fall” doesn’t get into Watergate at all; it begins with Nixon giving his resignation speech. I hadn’t realized, or at least didn’t remember, that Nixon was seriously sick just months after resigning, and almost died. He had phlebitis in his leg and blood clots related to that. I hadn’t realized, probably because I was so young, that Ford’s pardon of Nixon was so unpopular.
Throughout the book, Nixon’s personality comes through. He was not a friendly, outgoing person, but was an intellectual and an introvert — probably well-suited to presidential duties, but not so well-suited to campaigning and that type of thing. He famously struggled with TV appearances.
He seemed to always have a chip on his shoulder, feeling that others were out to get him. Watergate no doubt fed into this in a big way.
“We’re out now, so they try to stomp us … kick us when we’re down … what starts the process, really, are the laughs and snubs and slights you get when you are a kid … You were a good athlete but I was not and that was the very reason I tried and tried and tried … Now some people we both know think that you go stand in the middle of the bullring and cry, ‘mea culpa, mea culpa’ while the crowd is hissing and booing and spitting on you. But a man doesn’t cry.”
Did Nixon realize the problems that caused Watergate? Definitely, and he summed them up with words similar to what I’ve often thought: “My excesses were never greater than any of my predecessors’. Yet I attempted to protect my closest friends and in the process let my country down.”
This book is written in a very readable way; it doesn’t get bogged down in political details that derail many other similar books, in my opinion. I enjoyed it largely because I lived through the entire period of Nixon’s post-Watergate life, and I found it interesting to read about events that had happened in my own lifetime.
The author tells about Nixon’s strong desire to stay relevant and to keep using his influence in his main interest: foreign policy. Indeed, his successors sought out his advice because he had a lot of wisdom in this area. This was true regardless of the presidents’ parties; Clinton greatly respected Nixon’s advice and gave a eulogy at Nixon’s funeral. Nixon was very frustrated by Jimmy Carter, on the other hand, feeling that the presidency was “too big” for Carter and hating that Carter’s inability to handle various situations was hurting the country.
There were many interesting bits involving politicians helping each other out. Hubert Humphrey, who Nixon beat in 1968, called Nixon after his resignation and was concerned by what he detected as Nixon’s depression. Knowing he was near his own life’s end, Humphrey asked Nixon if he would attend his funeral. Nixon agreed, and this appearance helped begin Nixon’s public rehabilitation.
Nixon’s personality comes through in this book. I was struck by his need to always work hard and overcome obstacles, whether real or just perceived. “Even when you’re down and bleeding … you have to get up and fight back. You can always do it. And when you feel you can’t go on, you must do it.” An interviewer said of him, “Here was an extraordinarily powerful and unorthodox intellect which simply had to exercise itself.”
Nixon did keep advising and traveling throughout his life, taking a diplomatic trip to Russia just two months before he died of a stroke at 81.
Giving a eulogy late in his life, Nixon quoted Winston Churchill: “Success is never final and failure is never fatal.” He lived that out in his own life.
Girls in White Dresses 
Thanks for reviewing this book. I’m sure I would enjoy it, if I could get over the agonizing I would be doing on behalf of Nixon. Seeing him resign, and their leaving the White House was one of the saddest political things I remember. It is said that Ford’s pardon of Nixon cost Ford the next term in the White House.
I was also a Nixon fan! Your insightful report of this book makes me want to read it, too. Thank you for sharing your thoughts today.
I’ve always been on Richard Nixon’s bandwagon! Some of his roots come from an adjoining county, Jennings. He is the only Presdent I have seen in person, in Vernon Indiana.
I like your review. I am always interested in what former Presidents do after leaving the White House. I can’t remember much about Nixon’s “retirement” so this book is a nice refresher. I, too, felt sad in seeing him and his family leave the White House after his resignation.
Nixon was president during ym teens, but I was not very politically aware until my first opportunity to vote (which was for Reagan). I remember when Nixon announced the end of the Viet Nam war–I excitedly ran and told my parents. And I knew about Watergate and his resignation and pardon, but other than that really did not know much about him. So I appreciate what you’ve shared here. Especially that last quote. These days people tend to totally write off public figures who has erred or sinned without giving them a chance to rehabilitate.