In the Arena: A Memoir of Victory, Defeat, and Renewal

by Richard M. Nixon

The former president shares his personal views of the Watergate scandal, his resignation and pardon, his long political career, and his struggle to return to public life

Genres: Politics, History, Biography, Nonfiction, Presidents, Memoir, Biography Memoir

384 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1990

About the author

Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States from 1969 to 1974. During the Second World War, he served as a Navy lieutenant commander in the Pacific, before being elected to the Congress, and then serving as the 36th Vice President of the United States in the administration of Dwight D. Eisenhower from 1953 to 1961. After an unsuccessful presidential run in 1960, Nixon was elected in 1968, and re-elected to a second term in 1972. Under President Nixon, the United States followed a foreign policy marked by détente with the Soviet Union and by the opening of diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. Nixon successfully negotiated a ceasefire with North Vietnam, effectively ending the longest war in American history. Domestically, his administration faced resistance to the Vietnam War. In the face of likely impeachment by the United States House of Representatives and conviction by the Senate for the Watergate scandal, Nixon resigned. His successor, Gerald Ford, issued a controversial pardon for any federal crimes Nixon may have committed while in office. Nixon is the only person to be elected twice to the office of the presidency and the vice presidency, and is the only president to have resigned the office.

Nixon suffered a stroke on April 18, 1994 and died four days later at the age of 81. ' to 'Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States from 1969 to 1974. During the Second World War, he served as a Navy lieutenant commander in the Pacific, before being elected to the Congress, and then serving as the 36th Vice President of the United States in the administration of Dwight D. Eisenhower from 1953 to 1961.

After an unsuccessful presidential run in 1960, Nixon was elected in 1968, and re-elected to a second term in 1972. Under President Nixon, the United States followed a foreign policy marked by détente with the Soviet Union and by the opening of diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. Nixon successfully negotiated a ceasefire with North Vietnam, effectively ending the longest war in American history.

Domestically, his administration faced resistance to the Vietnam War. In the face of likely impeachment by the United States House of Representatives and conviction by the Senate for the Watergate scandal, Nixon resigned. His successor, Gerald Ford, issued a controversial pardon for any federal crimes Nixon may have committed while in office. Nixon is the only person to be elected twice to the office of the presidency and the vice presidency, and is the only president to have resigned the office. Nixon suffered a stroke on April 18, 1994 and died four days later at the age of 81.

Reviews

[W · Rating 4 out of 5]

So,yeah,Richard Nixon has plenty of detractors and there is much that he did wrong.But there is one thing I like about him.He met great adversity in his life,but he was always able to bounce back.

I remember reading a memorable sentence about him,"the rise and fall and rise and fall and rise and fall of Richard Nixon."

He lost an election in 1960 and yet became President in 1968.He resigned from the White House,was vilified the world over and yet managed to reinvent himself as an elder statesman and notable writer.

In terms of dealing with adversity and setbacks,this is an inspiring book.It is a series of essays which offer Nixon's thoughts and advice on diverse subjects like family,struggle,wealth,purpose,power,time and temperance,among other things.

Whatever his faults as a politician,Nixon was a fine and thoughtful writer.

[Amjad · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was written so simply, I am from Pakistan and not much good in English but this book didn't give me any trouble in reading or understanding.

Fantastic book written by Mr. President. He covered all the major world affairs of his time and the role of Pakistan for establishing relations between US and China. Also his way of politics and scandals and the normal life, he is a good author than the President.

He admits the efforts of Pakistani president Gen. Ayub Khan for helping to bridge the relations between US & China.

I will quote the words in which he compares Pakistani president’s visit to China with his China visit, (I did not remember the exact words but it was something I like ;).

["I asked Gen. Ayub Khan, President of Pakistan 'what attracted you most in your visit to China'. Khan replied: people, thousands of people, on my way from airport to president house, cheering and waving Pakistani and Chinese flags in their hands"

After the efforts of Gen. Ayub Khan, I made my visit to china (this was the very first visit of any US president to China)
What I saw were the streets, totally deserted streets, on my way from airport to president house".]

[Alisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worth the read no matter what you think of his politics or his personal quirks and credibility. I found this fascinating. He delves into many topics deeply enough to get more than the surface view. Somewhere early in the book he mentions that a critical skill to get through law school is an iron butt for all the hours it required in the library. I thought that was funny, and refreshingly candid.

[AriesOne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Candid...Inspiring...surprisingly the best book written by RN or written about him for me. Wether you have a negative or positive opinion of RN, this book reveals his honest take on his experiences in the public arena. A good read for me!

[Aaron Million · Rating 3 out of 5]

In contrast to many of Nixon's post-presidential works, this one is not solely focused on foreign policy. This is not a memoir in the strict sense of the word. While that is the genre that would most closely define this effort by Nixon, the book often reads as a sort of how-to guide to become a politician. Other times, Nixon dives off into a foreign policy discussion about dealing with Russia. And yet other chapters are devoted to certain traits or habits that he thinks are essential for being President.

He divides the book up into parts, with the final one titled Twilight. This proved to be a solid ending to the book as Nixon writes honestly about how he is moving towards the end of his life, but that despite all of the defeats that he suffered (he writes about his resignation to say that his family was very much opposed to it) he thinks that he has lived a good life and is glad that he took many risks throughout it. Nixon certainly had a lifetime of experience to share, and a perspective that few people have ever had. His time spent at the highest levels of government, his foreign policy travels, the mind-boggling array of world leaders that he knew, combine to make him a true authority when writing about foreign policy, governing, or politics.

The book does suffer from being somewhat disjointed. This is due to variety of different themes for his chapters. He bounces around to different topics and different time periods. He also frequently returns to the same topic in later chapters - such as mentioning his opening to China in 1972. He writes of it several times during the book, but basically has the same thing to say about it each time. He also tends to quote Whittaker Chambers quite a bit - perhaps a subconscious nod to how important he viewed the Alger Hiss case to his career.

On Watergate, he accepts responsibility for it - but only in general terms. He writes that he should have demanded a higher moral tone for his administration. He would be hard-pressed to find anyone who does not think that. But as for specifics concerning the scandal, he does not take the blame. For example, he denies the intentional erasure of the eighteen and a half minute segment of the tape of a crucial conversation that he and H.R. Haldeman had.

There is also the obligatory harping about how the press was unfair to him, and how the media really did him a disservice as president because it focused - in his opinion wrongly - on the anti-war demonstrations, which further caused many civil strife throughout the country. He comes back to the press so many times - not just in this book but in others - that it really seems to be an obsession with him. He also takes a few veiled swipes at Henry Kissinger, mentioning at one point how National Security Advisers can have large egos. Overall, some interesting observations, and certainly worth reading as Nixon has so much experience to share based on all of the things that he had been involved in throughout the course of his life.

[Muhammad Ahmad · Rating 1 out of 5]

I learned from reading this that Richard Nixon never made any mistakes. He was merely misunderstood.
I learned that his greatest political achievement was defying public opinion to serve on McCarthy's House Un-American Activities Committee and prosecute Alger Hiss. I also learned that Nixon was a Great Man: he confessed right away.

[Mark Voreis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, particularly the chapters on philosophy and life advice, is an amazing read from one of the most intelligent presidents we’ve ever had. I’ve really begun looking at the life & career of Richard Nixon as a sort of a Greek tragedy over last few years.

May and December of 1972 and how he handled the North Vietnamese stonewalling negotiations through (finally) bombing their military bases in the north have always stood as examples of the best decision not necessarily being the most popular one.

He was a very wise man, and I believe that the 1960 election was shady in a few key swing states (look into it I’m telling you). He handled adversity and his tale of rising and falling and rising and falling again is one for the ages.

[lukas]

ol' nixy himself does the audiobook for this one, what a listen (🥱💤)

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting, insightful and enlightening not only about the former President but the USA, war, peace, communisim, Vietman, Russia, China and foreign relations.

[Printable Tire]

Abridged audio-book gym listen.

There are few things more intimate than someone narrating their life story in your ear for three hours. I had only known the fuzzy, mainstream caricature of Nixon before listening to this memoir, read by his familiar raspy, often parroted voice (sort of a combination of Walter Cronkite and Leonard Nimoy). Now I wouldn't consider him a good friend, but I've heard what he has to say, his side of things, his pubic beliefs and earnest proclamations (if not his private ones), his pragmatic though sensitive philosophies, his eye-rolling platitudes, and he's become a more sympathetic character, despite (or perhaps because of) his self-righteousness and delusions. It's odd to think a book by Nixon could be uplifting, and yet it is: a cosmic loser-cum-underdog, Nixon persevered, and though history hasn't been kind to him, unlike a more recent president who is also at odds with the press, Nixon deserves our understanding, if not respect.

[E.H. Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

President Nixon has written ten memoirs, and In the Arena is focused, as many of them are, on a specific topic. He doesn’t really go into his childhood or early life; this book is about what it takes to be President, and what you’re faced with when you become President.

I’ll be honest; if you’re not a Nixon fan, you’re not going to like this book. This is not a dirt-dishing book in which he confesses to everything his opponents accused him of. I am a Nixon fan, so I loved his autobiography. He discusses foreign policy, domestic issues, peace with honor, social and economic issues, and of course, Watergate and the media. After reading this one, I’m definitely going to read another of his memoirs.

http://hottoastyrag.weebly.com/in-the...

[Bronwyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is richard nixon,s life and career in his own words as he talks about his life as a child growing up, as a boy, as a student at duke university, his rise in politics, cultimating in his rise to the presidency. the downfall of his administration, and his later life in san clemente, and in new york. his feelings for his family and friends, and what he feels was to blame for the downfall of his presidency, and his career

[Ben Moody · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can't really understand Nixon until you read his book. Whatever Nixon may have been, he was a great writer and a very astute politician. It sounds more like an end of life confessional of a man trying to make his peace with the world and himself, and to share his wisdom and insight. But well worth reading.

[Brad Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far one of my favorite auto-biographies and it happens to be written by a strong formidable man. Tears of anguish will emerge as you read through the various roller coasters of the Nixon presidency. Most of the topical points he discusses are still relevant today. A MUST READ! You will find inspiration in several quotes and will not be able to put the book down.

[Antonio Yaniz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good analysis of the ups and downs of the 37th President, who had one of the most interesting and tumultuous political careers in history. Nixon was a man of many facets, but all of them were fascinating, whether you agreed with his opinions or not.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, easy read that strikes a surprisingly personal and informal tone. Best presidential autobiography I've read.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Certainly an interesting and engaging read. U.S. presidents, like all historical figures, are always far more complex than any one narrative presented about them. Nixon is perhaps the definition of this rule. Here are a few thoughts:
First, he is defensive for all of the obvious reasons; about Watergate, about policy, about his public persona, about his decision making. That is to be expected in an autobiography. Supporters will appreciate his "setting the record straight," while detractors will say he is just trying to justify his shortcomings and cement a legacy. Historians will listen, but they will also check the receipts. Listening to Nixon defend himself reminded me of the David Frost interviews (of which I have endured all 7 or 8 hours). There is nobody in front of you seeking clarification or pressing you for a straight and honest answer in the autobiographical format. Presidential autobiographies are important historical documents, but you always have to listen to them with a sense of inquiry.
Second, despite modern conservatives aligning themselves with a "Nixonian" worldview, I'm not sure they really have. I'm not sure many modern conservatives really understand Nixon beyond the Southern Strategy, the Silent Majority, Vietnam, and Watergate. This follows something I noticed in my reading of Barry Goldwater last year.
Additionally, there are gaps here. Massive gaps sometimes. Difficult topics are left to the side. The cultural challenges of the 1960s are footnotes more than passages here. The topics selected felt cherry-picked to put a best foot forward.
Finally, reading Nixon's words reminds me of something I thought reading Jimmy Carter, Barack Obama, Herbert Hoover, and a few other presidential autobiographies; these people have the absolute most unique perspective of the United States. Post-presidency, they are allowed to step away from all of the controversy and venom of politics to become these sage elders who have seen the best and worst in our country and have gained knowledge from those experiences. No longer restrained by policy, polls, or advisors, they are allowed to become idealistic.
Even quotable passages here were moments that felt simultaneously inspirational and contradictory to the Nixon I've studied as a political figure.
Historians will never be kind to Nixon's presidency, as well they probably shouldn't. Watergate (and Vietnam) created a deep cynical divide in our nation that has only developed further. That said, we are all more complicated than our best or worst decisions, and Nixon's own voice presenting nuance to his life, and political career is an essential element of the overall historical narrative.

[Ayman Ashour · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found these Nixon memoirs fascinating and moving in terms of his journey from the greatest heights to complete disgrace and his ability to build back a productive meaningful life after leaving the White House. There is plenty of regrets and contrition over his role in Watergate, but it’s mostly of the type I should have been firmer, there is some of the I never ordered this or that, my predecessors did worse, I didn’t know and the media this and that. Only once there was a clear cut acceptance of the blame of not having set the right moral tone. I felt some sympathy especially comparing him to Donald Trump.

After few early chapters on Watergate and some interesting history of his “wilderness” years, following loss to JFK in 1960 and loss of California governor race in 1962, the book is mainly made of short chapters on various fascinating topics ranging from his views on religion, to stories about his wife and parents, to stories about his rise in Congress, winning the Senate in 1950 and fascinating stories of his meetings with Mao and Li and later following Tienman Square with Deng Chao Peng.

There is plenty of wisdom from Nixon’s life and those he admired the most like Churchill, DeGaul and others. I especially enjoyed some of his saying on various topics. These include: you may not lose what you have if you don’t risk, you certainly can’t win more without risk, “
small people seek office to make something out of themselves while great people seek office to achieve something and of course several sayings on failure and not defining oneself by failure. Several of the sayings may come across as cliché, but from Richard Nixon, they came across as wisdom gained from an incredible lifetime of trials, successes, failures, or as he learnt from a friend life is made up of 99 chapters.

[Eric Chevlen · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the Arena: A Memoir of Victory, Defeat, and Renewal," by Richard Nixon, takes its title from a famous passage of a speech by Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt wrote:

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

The title is apposite, and it is clear that Nixon sees himself as such a man. This short book is memoirs written long after Nixon had left office. It does not go into the detail that one may find in Nixon's other books, such as Six Crises. Rather, In the Arena is a reflection on his successes and failures, as well as musings about political power and international competition in general. He ascribes some blame to himself for the Watergate scandal which led to his downfall, but denies any knowledge of the break-in before it happened. He explains and justifies his decision to bomb Hanoi as the Paris peace conference was ongoing, but makes no mention of the subsequent conquest of South Viet Nam by the North two years later.

The mood of the book is wistful. It brings to mind Aeneas' address to his men after a terrible storm had divided his fleet and tossed the survivors to a rocky shore. Acknowledging their setback, Aeneas said "forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit" [perhaps to recall even these things will one day be pleasing].

[Julio The Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was flying aboard a small aircraft headed for St. Louis International Airport reading this memoir when our engines caught fire. Luckily, Dick Nixon had just alerted me that "you never know how tough you are until you're tested". I shrugged at my misfortune and went back to my book. IN THE ARENA is filled with little nuggets like that. Did you know Watergate was just "a political vendetta on the part of my enemies"? Now you do. Speaking of enemies, Dick has a whole chapter by that title where he concludes, "an enemy is just a friend we haven't met yet". And so many friends! Nick Nixon, his nickname in the Army in the Pacific, has another chapter entitled "Friends" where he lists all of them alphabetically, "{Walter}Annanberg to {Ron Ziegler}". That takes care of the accusation that the shortest book ever published was THE FRIENDS OF RICHARD NIXON. Tricky Dick has some suggestions for America too. Let's make the war on drugs a priority, even if it busts the budge, because "if the U.S. government had to worry about spending, Lincoln would have lost the Civil War". While we're on the topic of presidents, Dick is sorry he voted for presidential two-term limits when he was a green congressman, and wants endless succession. Let's not forget family. Pat, "my First Lady, was tougher than the finest steel" but for some reason his two daughters, to whom he sent memos on how to polish up his image during those White House days, are barely mentioned. Tons of fun, and a handy guide should you come close to dying yourself.

[Phillip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nixon has no shortage of books - in the order of most interesting, I might say this is near the bottom. You still get the quintessential reflective Nixon in this book, but he repeats themes that can be found in other places about the importance of foreign policy and the proper stances to take. He give his defenses about Watergate and Vietnam, each that a reader can take or leave. But for the majority of the content of the book, it would be as if he was writing a weekly newspaper column and gave his "takes" on various topics. At the end of the day, even when this was written, he has some out outdated views on social topics. I think it's more interesting to have Nixon reflect on his experiences on the domestic and world stage rather than his thoughts about the quality of television content. Also the book does get repetitive in places, as he analyzes the philosophy and approaches of communism. If you're a die-hard Nixonite, then I'm sure you'll enjoy this book. But if you are a more casual reader, I'd suggest his Memoirs, Six Crises, or other books.

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a somewhat standard collection of essays themed around elements of life lesson that Nixon thought to be important. Rather than tell his life story, he speaks of his learning and growing experiences from childhood to elder statesman.

He is an interesting character. There is a certain pain underneath him that I cannot really describe. This constant looming paranoia. Kissinger once said that Nixon lacked most of the qualities that make a great leader, yet he was so fueled to achieve his goal that nothing would stop him. You have quite a bit of that here in the book. Nixon doesn't necessarily gas himself up, nor does he entirely admit his faults, but it is simply so late in his career that he has grown smart in knowing which subjects to approach and how to do so.

Interesting, though not particularly entertaining.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, Richard Nixon gives you his perspective of life and the kinds of problems he faced and how he handled them. Good read for anyone interested in getting into politics and the good and bad that come with it. A good quote from Nixon, John Chancellor asked Nixon how do you think history will remember you? Nixon replied "History will treat me fairly. Historians probably won't because most historians are on the left" Nixon describes the sixties at the time when public education in America went down the tubes. Before and I've heard/read from multiple sources, American public education used to be the best in the world for many decades. China and Russia are a big part of Nixon's foreign interests and we see they still play a major role in the world today.

[Cole Marsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was pretty solid and fairly interesting if you’re into Nixon and/or Cold War era politics whether it is domestic or foreign policy because this book really gets into topics like Vietnam, USSR, China, HUAC, etc. Nixon also gets into his own personal life as he really bounced back from adversity more than once. I’m not a Nixon fan but I’m not a Nixon hater either but I have to give it to him that he does own up to a lot of faults he had and not just with Watergate but with his own decisions even prior to being president. He also discusses topics that are still relevant today and it’s quite interesting to hear it from a Cold War era politician who lived in a different world from ours.

[Will Standridge, II · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richard Nixon's memoirs reveal the wit and intelligence of one of the 20th century's greatest foreign policy thinkers. Misunderstood and (possibly) unfairly tarnished, Nixon's insights into international relations are both profound and enlightening. His portrayal of events allows readers to appreciate his nuanced approach, even as he navigated the tumultuous waters of the Watergate scandal. This book serves as a reminder that we should listen to both sides of any controversy, including this defining moment in American history.

Moreover, his reflections on faith, leadership, regret, and marriage are also surprisingly incisive and helpful. This is one of my favorite memoirs I’ve read.

[Garret · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Politics separates the men from the boys. Boys go into politics to be someone. Men go into politics to do something.” I had often considered Richard Nixon a stereotypical president who catered to deep state interest, he did but I can also see he was an influential president. His 1974 Saudi petro dollar accords made America what it is today. I was not a fan of his involvement in the Vietnam war but after reading this I now can conceptualize not everything is black and white, his administration inherited a hot shit-Sandwich called the Vietnam war and tried to do what they could with it. He is one of the greatest orators in my opinion, guy just spits stimulating wisdom.

[Jon Beadle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading Nixon’s perspective, and I take his memoir to be sincere. He was a man caught at center of a transition of power in America, achieved monumental foreign policy wins, and resigned in shame. What I find most interesting, is his comeback to public life.

However, his explanations for watergate are very thin. He admits to contributing to a climate of secrecy, but nothing more than that. His lack of friends seems to have led to his downfall. Nevertheless, unlike Jimmy Carter, his post-presidency activity helped Presidents, not hurt them.

[John R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite being a disgraced President, Nixon delivers one last gift to the American people via this intimate and informative memoir. The President, blends his personal stories with wisdom that he’s gained through an illustrious career in politics and intellectual journey. I learned so much from this book, and caught myself frequently Googling the referenced historical figures.
“In The Arena” by Richard Nixon should be considered required reading for anyone considering a career in politics or diplomacy.

[Marian Rivas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ended up reading a summary, which I downloaded from the Kindle store. I know it's not the same as reading the whole story, but the versions with the whole story that I found were blinding me. It's due to the size of the letter, also in a book about politics and especially in a language other than yours, sometimes you have to give in but I understood most of the context which was the pressure he felt in those years.

[George Cross · Rating 5 out of 5]

“How do we want America to be remembered two hundred years from now? As a people who built the biggest houses, drove the fastest cars, and wore the finest clothes? As a society whose rock stars were more admired than great teachers; beautiful people more than interesting people; scandal more than good deeds? Or do we wish to be remembered as a people who created great music, art, literature, and philosophy and acted as a force for good in the world?”