Blind Ambition : The White House Years

by John W. Dean

Paper Book, 1976

Collection

Description

A six-month New York Times bestseller: "Not only the best Watergate book, but a very good book indeed" (The Sunday Times). As White House counsel to Richard Nixon, a young John W. Dean was one of the primary players in the Watergate scandal--and ultimately became the government's key witness in the investigations that ended the Nixon presidency. After the scandal subsided, Dean rebuilt his career, first in business and then as a bestselling author and lecturer. But while the events were still fresh in his mind, he wrote this remarkable memoir about the operations of the Nixon White House and the crisis that led to the president's resignation.   Called "fascinating" by Commentary, which noted that "there can be little doubt of [Dean's] memory or his candor," Blind Ambition offers an insider's view of the deceptions and machinations that brought down an administration and changed the American people's view of politics and power. It also contains Dean's own unsparing reflections on the personal demons that drove him to participate in the sordid affair. Upon its original publication, Kirkus Reviews hailed it "the flip side of All the President's Men--a document, a minefield, and prime entertainment."   Today, Dean is a respected and outspoken advocate for transparency and ethics in government, and the bestselling author of such books as The Nixon Defense, Worse Than Watergate, and Conservatives Without Conscience. Here, in Blind Ambition, he "paints a candid picture of the sickening moral bankruptcy which permeated the White House and to which he contributed. His memory of who said what and to whom is astounding" (Foreign Affairs).  … (more)

Rating

½ (62 ratings; 3.9)

User reviews

LibraryThing member Oreillynsf
Blind Ambition is, a confession to succumbing to the baser aspects of power and the quest for it. But it is more than that. It's a look inside the world of White House Aides who, despite their access to huge amounts of information about the state of the country, seem to be so disconnected from the
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values of the people they are appointed to serve. Some have said it is self-serving, and it probably is. But I was impressed by Dean's willingness to identify his own mistakes, transgressions, and crimes. It's a very human story he tells, and tells well.
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LibraryThing member carterchristian1
Dean does not hide his role in this personal tale of Watergate, and is not defensive of some questionable activity, including his behavior to other inmates when he was behind bars. A good read. It is one of the best explanations of the Watergate caper from one who was there. Essential for any study
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of Nixon for this period.
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LibraryThing member Matke
About average as a memoir, this book’s special interest is, of course, the downfall of Richard Nixon and his presidency. Dean pulls no punches and doesn’t try to excuse himself in any way.

Publication

New York : Simon and Schuster, c1976.

Original publication date

1976

Pages

415

ISBN

0671224387 / 9780671224387

Language

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