The Conviction of Richard Nixon, James Reston, Jr.
The Conviction of Richard Nixon, James Reston, Jr.
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The Conviction of Richard Nixon
The Untold Story of the Frost/Nixon Interviews

Author: James Reston, Jr.

Narrator: Marc Cashman

Unabridged: 5 hr 40 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 06/19/2007


Synopsis

The Watergate scandal began with a break-in at the office of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate Hotel on June 17, 1971, and ended when President Gerald Ford granted Richard M. Nixon a pardon on September 8, 1974, one month after Nixon resigned from office in disgrace. Effectively removed from the reach of prosecutors, Nixon returned to California, uncontrite and unconvicted, convinced that time would exonerate him of any wrongdoing and certain that history would remember his great accomplishments—the opening of China and the winding down of the Vietnam War—and forget his “mistake,” the “pipsqueak thing” called Watergate.

In 1977, three years after his resignation, Nixon agreed to a series of interviews with television personality David Frost. Conducted over twelve days, they resulted in twenty-eight hours of taped material, which were aired on prime-time television and watched by more than 50 million people worldwide. Nixon, a skilled lawyer by training, was paid $1 million for the interviews, confident that this exposure would launch him back into public life. Instead, they sealed his fate as a political pariah.

James Reston, Jr., was David Frost’s Watergate advisor for the interiews, and The Conviction of Richard Nixon is his intimate, behind-the-scenes account of his involvement. Originally written in 1977 and published now for the first time, this book helped inspire Peter Morgan’s hit play Frost/Nixon. Reston doggedly researched the voluminous Watergate record and worked closely with Frost to develop the interrogation strategy. Even at the time, Reston recognized the historical importance of the Frost/Nixon interviews; they would result either in Nixon’s de facto conviction and vindication for the American people, or in his exoneration and public rehabilitation in the hands of a lightweight. Focused, driven, and committed to exposing the truth, Reston worked tirelessly to arm Frost with the information he needed to force Nixon to admit his culpability.

In The Conviction of Richard Nixon, Reston provides a fascinating, fly-on-the-wall account of his involvement in the Nixon interviews as David Frost’s Watergate adviser. Written in 1977 immediately following these celebrated television interviews and published now for the first time, The Conviction of Richard Nixon explains how a British journalist of waning consequence drove the famously wily and formidable Richard Nixon to say, in an apparent personal epiphany, “I have impeached myself.”

About The Author

James Reston, Jr., is the author of thirteen books, including Warriors of God, The Last Apocalypse, and Galileo: A Life. He has written articles for The New Yorker, Esquire, Vanity Fair, Time, Rolling Stone, and many other publications; three plays; and the scripts for three Frontline documentaries. He lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland.


Reviews

Goodreads review by James on July 28, 2017

If you're looking for objectivity, you won't find it here. If you saw Frost/Nixon (the play or the movie), then you might enjoy this book about how the interviews were conducted. Reston was a character in the play, and in these pages he shows how close the character was to the man. Reston despised N......more

Goodreads review by Colleen on March 08, 2017

This is the story behind the remarkable Frost/Nixon interviews. It is INSANE what went down, I can't even believe half of the injustices caused by this craptastic administration. However, this book is an excellent read on Nixon's character - a smart and strange man who was no fool, but definitely wa......more

Goodreads review by Scott on July 05, 2024

Pretty decent read - it's really short and punchy so you could definitely finish it in a few days. I don't think I'd recommend it to anyone as it's just an overview of the interview preparation and then a play-by-play of what actually happened during the sessions. I found all of the background leadi......more

Goodreads review by Chris on July 15, 2018

I was a little disappointed in this book. I picked it up after reading Nixon: A Life. It has a very biased view, which was not expected. It however did five good insight into the Frost/Nixon interviews. This is a good primer for the movie. It is a short book that can easily be completed in a couple......more

Goodreads review by susan moore on April 30, 2019

A pretty fast read, but then, I remember much of what happened. At first, I thought it would be mostly revenge seeking pointed fingers, but it was more thoughtful and more deliberate. I really enjoyed reading about the task these reporters/writers faced and its final outcome.......more


Quotes

A treasure trove of invaluable insights from an unimpeachable source. I couldn’t put it down.”
—Frank Langella, Tony Award nominee for Frost/Nixon

“Political history that reads like a thriller. Passionate, intelligent, entertaining, and human.”
—Michael Sheen, Evening Standard and Laurence Olivier Award nominee for Frost/Nixon

“A riveting account.”
—Richard Ben-Veniste, former chief of the Watergate Task Force

"Reston's memoir is a compact and gripping behind-the-scenes narrative focused on Frost's struggles to prepare for his encounter with the formidable Nixon. Reston captures Nixon's inner turmoil and myriad moods during the tapings.
Above all, the book sheds important light on Nixon's failure to rehabilitate his reputation after his 1974 resignation."
—Matthew Dallek, Washington Post