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The best sentence I read today, circa 6:36 a.m.
Nixon, who became vice president at age 40, was well described as “an old man’s idea of a young man.”
That is from this review of Nixonland, a book which is rapidly approaching the top of my pile.
Posted by Tyler Cowen on May 10, 2008 at 06:39 AM in Books | Permalink
Comments
That's interesting, I thought Kinsley came up with that re: Gore. Or did the review (or book) copy Kinsley.
Posted by: Henrico Otto at May 10, 2008 8:22:03 AM
By stressing the importance of Nixon’s character in shaping events, and the centrality of resentments in shaping Nixon’s character, Perlstein treads a dead-end path blazed by Hofstadter, who seemed not to understand that condescension is not an argument.
Oh snap!
Posted by: BlogReader at May 10, 2008 11:30:03 AM
I think Kinsley wrote it in 1987.
Posted by: wugong at May 10, 2008 3:23:37 PM
I had some time, waiting for my kids, to pick his up at Borders over coffee and left it there. The book is sweeping in its lack of depth, and broad in its lack of ideas.
It's the same stuff spewed by other leftist, 60s, "in my day we protested and ended a war" revisionistas. At it's best it's witty in spots, but mostly it's just tedious.
A much better investment in my caffeine-imbibing time was Drawing the Line at the Big Ditch: The Panama Canal Treaties and the Rise of the Right by Adam Clymer. He makes a really interesting case for why a seemingly small issue played a huge role in invigorating the right in the US, and helped Reagan get elected by giving him an easy to hammer issue in his 1976 loss. The Canal issue was a big deal in congressional and senate elections and then went away (a bloodless transition under Carter) before Reagan ran again in 1980. The book actually spends little time on the Canal, but gets into great detail about the later 70s move of the Republican party to the right.
Nixonland is a book that will warm your heart if you hate Nixon, and don't want to be bothered by petty details like history, economics, social movements, or prose.
Posted by: The other Eric at May 10, 2008 4:57:02 PM
Eric--
I can't take seriously anyone who uses the word "revisionistas". Plus your review of a book is based on browsing it in the book store cafe. I have read neither book, but I'm sure you are a silly blowhard.
PS If you were trying to be satirical, and I misread your post, I apologize. Next time write a review based on a perusal of the book on the can in the bookstore. That image provides stronger satirical cues.
Posted by: MostlyAPragmatist at May 11, 2008 12:48:57 AM
While silly blowhard may actually capture my style here, I read quickly and had a lot of time on my hands that day. Satire was not my object nor my destination. As far as reading Nixonland in the can, I'd advise against. I can only take one shit at a time.
Posted by: The other Eric at May 11, 2008 8:43:06 AM
"I think Kinsley wrote it in 1987."
It was in a TRB in 1987 (6/1/87, Vol. 196 Issue 22, p4) – written by Kinsley:
As for his youth, Gore is an old person's idea of a young person
Incidentially, that TRB mocked Gore for his wonky moderation and pursuing such ideas as sponsoring the "Supercomputer Network Study Act" intended "to explore the potential of fiberoptic networks to link the nation's supercomputers... What will happen in the future, the article wondered if our supercomputers are lonely and unlinked? (It also dismissed Al Gore's concerns about global warming).
Posted by: Jacob at May 11, 2008 8:17:32 PM
