Pat Nixon: The Untold Story

by Julie Nixon Eisenhower

Book Overview

From the pen of her daughter comes the fascinating biography of a truly remarkable First Lady: Pat Nixon. From the beginning of her relationship with a young California lawyer that she later followed... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0671244248
• ISBN13: 9780671244248
• Release Date: November 1986
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 480 Pages
• Weight: 2.05 lbs.

Customer Reviews

"iron and courage," and a lot of love

This is one of the most engrossing books I have ever read; fast paced, extremely moving in parts, painstakingly researched, and written in a solid, straightforward style . Pat Nixon was born in 1912, and after her mother's death when Pat was 13, she had a hard existence that taught her the survival skills to work her way through her education during the Depression, the many political campaigns that sometimes ended in failure, and the stress and isolation of being First Lady during times of war, revolt, and impeachment. It is also a love story; it was love at first sight for Richard, but it took many ardent, romantic letters and several years of wooing to win the heart of this strong and fiercely independent woman...for him, she was always "part of everything beautiful I see," and he never tired of telling her how proud he was of her. There are excerpts from many letters, journal entries, and interviews with friends and family, as well as conversations between mother and daughter. Also fascinating are the glimpses into the lives of the powerful and famous, like J.Paul Getty, Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson, Leonid Brezhnev, and many more. The early chapters will be interesting for those who like me, live in Southern California, as a snapshot of what life was like in the first half of the 20th century; the descriptions show how much it has changed, and it is also significant to take note of the growth of our government since the days when Nixon was vice president in the '50s. The recounting of the violence and unrest of the '60s in the middle chapters vividly brings to life that troubled time, which we tend to gloss over and forget. There is much history in this book, that provides a good perspective to the world conditions of the present era. Mrs. Eisenhower does not shy away from the downward spiral of the Watergate crisis, and is very blunt about how it affected her family; she truly does tell us "The Untold Story," and lays out many facts, succinctly and with candor. Written in 1986, it has many marvelous photographs, and clear, readable print. The editing is terrific; there are no dull passages, and no awkward phrases. I am in the habit of giving books away once read, but this is one I will keep. Mrs. Nixon passed on the 22nd of June, 1993, exactly ten months before her husband. They both rest side by side, surrounded by aromatic roses, blue agapanthas, and the sound of birdsongs, in the garden of the extraordinary Nixon Library and Birthplace in Yorba Linda, California. The peace and beauty of this memorial site is overwhelming, and so fitting for this courageous, loving woman.