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 menâKennedy, for example, told a trusted friend that if he didnât receive the Democratic nomination in 1960, he would vote for Nixonâdegenerated into distrust and bitterness. Using White House tapes, this book exposes Richard Nixonâs dread of a Kennedy ârestorationâ 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).