Blind Ambition: The White House Years

by John W. Dean Narrated by George Newbern

Overview

This New York Times bestseller is an insider's account of the fall of Richard Nixon and has remained an indispensable source into Nixon's presidency. Blind Ambition is an autobiographical account of a young lawyer who accelerated to the top of the Federal power structure to become Counsel to the President at thirty years of age, only to discover that when reaching the top he had touched the bottom. Most striking in this chronicle is its honesty. Dean spares no one, including himself. But, as TIME magazine noted, Dean survived, despite the opposition of powerful foes...because he had no false story to protect and he had an amazing ability to recall the truth.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"Before you know it, you are turning the pages of Mr. Dean’s book as if you are reading about Watergate for the first time. And by the time you have finished, you are convinced that no previous book about the scandal—not even those by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein—has begun to tell the inside story as this one does.” —The New York Times
 
“A lively chronicle of megalomania and deception . . . Eminently readable . . . Dean is particularly good at reading the intricate network of White House power relationships, which he once climbed so surely.” —The New York Times Book Review
 
“The best and most enduring book written from inside the Nixon White House . . . A classic of lost illusions.” —Sidney Blumenthal, New York Times–bestselling author of The Clinton Wars
 
“Rare indeed is a memoir so utterly lacking in self-righteousness, false piety, and special pleading. It is a sobering reminder of the perils of ambition.” —Stanley Kutler, author of The Wars of Watergate

 

Library Journal - Audio

04/01/2017
This new edition of Dean's recounting of his years enmeshed in the Watergate scandal (first released in 1976) offers us a window into the maneuvering and scheming that eventually brought down a president. Without self-justification, Dean explains the way he was sucked into the morass that was Watergate. The author is honest about his own ambitions and initial pride at being so close to the center of power, despite the toll the work took on his personal life and mental health. For listeners who do not remember Watergate, a scorecard might be needed to keep track of who's who. For those who recall the events, this account delves into minutiae not generally available at the time. This primary source on one of the modern outrages of abuse of power by those pledged to safeguard government is the real-life version of a John Grisham legal thriller. Veteran narrator/actor George Newbern sounds as though he could be Dean telling his own story, which gives one the sense that the events only just occurred. VERDICT Recommended for historians, ordinary citizens who lived through it, and those seeking to explore America's governmental missteps and scandals. With a new preface by the author.—Cheryl Youse, Colquitt Cty. H.S., Norman Park, GA

Product Details

BN ID:	2940175607483
Publisher:	Dreamscape Media
Publication date:	12/27/2016
Edition description:	Unabridged

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