Synopses & Reviews
First as friends, then as bitter enemies, John Kennedy and Richard Nixon shared a rivalry that had a dramatic impact on American history and that has never been understood until now. One would become the most dashing figure of the post-World War II era, the other would live into his eighties, haunted and consumed by the rivalry. In Kennedy and Nixon, Christopher Matthews offers a fresh and surprising look at these two political giants, offering a stunning portrait that will change the way we think about both of them. John Kennedy and Richard Nixon shared a dream of being the great young leader of their age. Starting as congressmen in the class of 1946, the two men developed a friendship and admiration for each other that would last for more than a decade. But what drove history, Matthews shows, was the enmity between these two towering figures whose 1960 presidential contest would set the nation's bitter course for years to come. In this startling dual portrait - a modern-day Amadeus, with Nixon as the talented, frustrated, always outdone Salieri to Kennedy's Mozart, the charismatic genius - Matthews shows how the early fondness between the two men (Kennedy told a trusted friend that if he didn't receive the Democratic nomination in 1960, he would vote for Nixon) degenerated into distrust and paranoia, the same emotions that, in the early 1970's, ravaged the nation. Christopher Mattew's revealing book sheds new light on this complicated relationship and the role that it played in shaping America's history.
Synopsis
In this startling dual biography, Chris Matthews shows how the contest between the charismatic Kennedy and the talented yet haunted Nixon propelled America toward Vietnam and Watergate.
John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon each dreamed of becoming the great young leader of their age. First as friends, then as bitter enemies, they were linked by a historic rivalry that changed both them and their country. Fresh, entertaining, and revealing, Kennedy and Nixon reveals that the early fondness between the two men--Kennedy, for example, told a trusted friend that if he didn't receive the Democratic nomination in 1960, he would vote for Nixon--degenerated into distrust and bitterness. Using White House tapes, this book exposes Richard Nixon's dread of a Kennedy "restoration" in 1972 drove the dark deeds of Watergate.
Synopsis
In this compelling, smart, and well-researched dual biography, Chris Matthews shows how the contest between the charismatic John F. Kennedy and the talented yet haunted Richard Nixon propelled America toward Vietnam and Watergate. John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon each dreamed of becoming the great young leader of their age. First as friends, then as bitter enemies, they were linked by a historic rivalry that changed both them and their country. Fresh, entertaining, and revealing, Kennedy & Nixon reveals that the early fondness between the two men--Kennedy, for example, told a trusted friend that if he didn't receive the Democratic nomination in 1960, he would vote for Nixon--degenerated into distrust and bitterness. Using White House tapes, this book exposes Richard Nixon's dread of a Kennedy "restoration" in 1972 drove the dark deeds of Watergate.
Matthews tells his stories well, and Americans have a seemingly bottomless need to have these stories retold (The New York Times Book Review).
Synopsis
Timed to re-release simultaneously with Chris Matthews’s new book Jack Kennedy, which Simon and Schuster will publish this fall, this national bestseller explores the fascinating, largely unknown, relationship between Nixon and Kennedy and the crucial ways in which it shaped them—and the nation.
Hardball is a tough, funny, tell-all revelation of how politics really works. From tales of raw ambition and brutal rivalry to behind-the-scenes stories of famous disagreements, Matthews reveals the truth about master politicians such as JFK, LBJ, and Richard Nixon, while he explains the real meaning of rules such as “Only talk when it improves the silence;” “Positioning is everything;” and “Always concede on principle.”
Whether addicted to Washington politics or office politics, readers will enjoy this unprecedented guide to grown-ups’ favorite game—the game of position, power, and survival in the world today.
Synopsis
John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon each dreamed of becoming the great young leader of their age. First as friends, then as bitter enemies, they were linked by a historic rivalry that changed both them and their country. In this startling dual portrait, Chris Matthews shows how the contest between the charismatic Kennedy and the talented yet haunted Nixon propelled America toward Vietnam and Watergate. Fresh, entertaining, and revealing, andlt;Iandgt;Kennedy and Nixon andlt;/Iandgt;shows how the early fondness between the two menand#8212;Kennedy, for example, told a trusted friend that if he didnand#8217;t receive the Democratic nomination in 1960, he would vote for Nixonand#8212;degenerated into distrust and bitterness. Using White House tapes, this book shows how Richard Nixonand#8217;s dread of a Kennedy and#8220;restorationand#8221; in 1972 drove the dark deeds of Watergate.
About the Author
Chris Matthews is anchor of MSNBCandrsquo;sandnbsp;andlt;iandgt;Hardballandlt;/iandgt;. He is author of andlt;iandgt;Tip and the Gipperandlt;/iandgt;;andlt;iandgt; Jack Kennedy: Elusive Heroandlt;/iandgt;;andlt;iandgt; Kennedy and Nixonandlt;/iandgt;;andlt;iandgt; Now, Let Me Tell You What I Really Thinkandlt;/iandgt;;andlt;iandgt; American: Beyond Our Grandest Notionsandlt;/iandgt;; andlt;iandgt;Hardball: How Politics Is Played by One Who Knows The Gameandlt;/iandgt;; and andlt;iandgt;Politicians: The Backroom World They Never Show Usandlt;/iandgt;.