Will: The Autobiography of G. Gordon Liddy

by G. Gordon Liddy

Book Overview

Since its first publication nearly 20 years ago, G. Gordon Liddy's extraordinary autobiography has shocked, moved, and inspired millions of readers with its startling candid depiction of a man who is... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312880146
• ISBN13: 9780312880149
• Release Date: January 1980
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 374 Pages
• Weight: 0.84 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Wham! Impactful whether you love him or hate him

G. Gordon Liddy seems to generate a lot of different views. Liberals hate him, though Al Franken is a good friend of his. Conservatives respect him, though he doesn't seem to be able to stomach Bill O'reilly. Timothy Leary - well, they considered each other respected adversaries. Mr. Liddy's autobiography will provide keen insights into the man, the story and the legend.This is more than just a viewpoint on Watergate. In fact, if that's what you're after, you'll probably be disappointed. The book covers his upbringing, his early military career, his arrest of Timothy Leary, his personal development of willpower, and his initial forays into the political arena.Who cares? Well, one of the questions of Watergate is "Why?" and this helps quite a bit. As someone who was very young at the time, I do not have a great deal of recall of the situation. Mr. Liddy does a good job explaining his views of society at the time - that America was at war from within, and he was duty bound to do everything in his power to re-elect and then protect the President.You know the outcome of the Watergate breakins, but the story still draws you in. You know bad things will happen, but you want to see how the G-man comes through it. His stay in prison is common knowledge, but how did survive and even thrive in there?I suspect this autobiography will amplify your feelings of the man. Those that hate him may find him a monster. Those who like him will deepen their respect. I came in to the book on the fence, and find myself admiring a man whom I still am working to comprehend. To use one of his favorite words, you'll find this a very potent book. Even if you don't like him.

amazingly interesting

This book by Conservative G. Gordon Liddy is great. Those liberal lefts that are hesitant about reading a book by Liddy, be assured it is not politically driven. In fact, he speaks very little about politics. Actually this book is about overcoming your fears and believing in yourself. The stories he tells of his childhood, the army, and his prison time is extremely interesting while the stuff about Watergate is extremely informative. Liddy holds nothing back in this great book. A Must Read.

The Autobiography of 'The Perfect Soldier'

G. Gordon Liddy knows Government like few other men -- inside and out. He served in the United States Army, as an Assistant District Attorney, in the Federal Bureau of Investigation and in the Treasury Department. In private life he practiced law and served as Counsel for former President Nixon's 'Committee to Re-elect The President'. During the re-election campaign he organized and participated in the Democratic National Committee Watergate Headquarters break-in, was caught, was convicted and was sentenced to twenty years' imprisonment. Liddy's refusal to cooperate with the Watergate investigation and subsequent impeachment hearings earned Liddy punishing assignment to the worst Federal prisons. Liddy never cooperated. In 1977 former President Carter commuted Liddy's sentence to eight years and Liddy was released after serving fifty-two months.Liddy wrote "Will: The Autobiography of G. Gordon Liddy" long after all other affected parties had told everything. Liddy's premise in "Will: ..." is the self-conquest of human fear and human weakness, molding oneself into the perfect soldier. His crusade began during his sickly childhood, continued through his Army, Government and private careers, and sustained him through Federal prison.Liddy describes his experiences candidly, clearly and well. He views humanity with cynicism born from long experience. Liddy's crusade to mold himself into a perfect soldier, his actions and his attitudes are *extremely* controversial, yet Liddy is an *extremely* intelligent man whose life molded his attitudes.I recommend "Will: The Autobiography of G. Gordon Liddy" as *eyewitness history* that WILL force readers to shake their heads and to think.

Nietzsche Knows Best

As a former conservative turned to what Mr. Liddy would call a "liberal nitwit," I have nothing but praise for this fascinating book. And the words of other five-star rating reviewers are right on target. What I want to emphasize is that G. Gordon Liddy is, to my mind, one of the few living embodiments of the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche. This may seem strange to leftist college profs, to whom the great iconoclast of the nineteenth century is a hero for his debunking and (to use a modern word) deconstruction of so many traditional modes of thought, and who wish to carry on his work in the name of democracy and justice. But Nietzsche was in truth a right-wing aristocrat, and his destruction of the old "myths" was certainly not done to pave the way for the banality of a Starbucks coffee hour. G. Gordon Liddy knows this; and whether or not he has actually read any of Nietzsche is, for this astute and articulate defender of the old order of things, quite beside the point. Liddy's book is an account of a man who believes that he has cracked open the secret of life, and decides to live accordingly, on his own terms and by his own lights. As a Christian and a Catholic, I do not agree with Mr. Liddy's conclusions. But his own desire to escape any self-observed hypocrisy is, in contrast to many of his opponents, simply admirable.

Fascinating study

This book is a fascinating study of the man in his own words. He is honest and straight-forward about the events and his actions--right or wrong. No excuses or alibis--he takes responsibility for himself. Do not be swayed by negative implications by his detracters of Liddy's interest in Hitler. I have read these innuendoes elsewhere already and they are out of context. This man is an American patriot. I do not agree with his politics but respect him for standing by his principles. The book is very good reading--easy style as if you were hearing Liddy telling a story