The Watergate Scandal: King Richard Nixon's American Tragedy

“Wealthy and kaleidoscopic… Dobbs has carved out one thing intimate and extraordinary, skillfully chiseling out the main points to deliver the story to lurid life .”
—Jennifer Szalai, New York Instances
 
 
From the best-selling creator of One Minute to Midnight: a riveting account of the essential days, hours, and moments when the Watergate conspiracy consumed, and finally toppled, a president.

In January 1973, Richard Nixon was inaugurated for his second term after a landslide victory. Initially enjoying high approval ratings, his presidency quickly unraveled by April as the Watergate scandal intensified. Described as a "full-blown cancer" by White House counsel John Dean, Nixon's downfall is vividly captured in "King Richard." This gripping narrative delves into the tumultuous hundred days when the Watergate conspiracy unfolded, revealing the crimes of a vindictive president as his associates turned against him.

Delving into thousands of hours of recently unearthed taped recordings, Michael Dobbs immerses us in the heart of the conspiracy, meticulously reconstructing these pivotal moments with cinematic precision. Through his narrative, he vividly portrays the escalating paranoia among key figures and their frantic efforts to shift blame as the pressure mounts. We eavesdrop on Nixon's strategizing with his advisors, his outbursts against his adversaries, all while glimpsing tender moments with his loved ones. The result is an unparalleled, up-close depiction of a president grappling with his most significant crisis in history.

Central to the captivating drama is the complex character of Nixon himself, a man whose strengths, including his unwavering determination to succeed at all costs, ultimately become his downfall. From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of power as the most influential figure in the world, Nixon's grave errors in judgment lead to his very public downfall. He forges his own path to greatness, only to be the architect of his own demise.

Structured like a classical tragedy with a uniquely American twist,
King Richard is an epic, deeply human story of ambition, energy, and betrayal.