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The Arrogance of Power: The Secret World of Richard Nixon

Anthony Summers

3.86 · Rating details · 413 ratings · 34 reviews

The controversial biography of America's most infamous president, written by a master of investigative political reporting
Anthony Summers's towering biography of Richard Nixon reveals a tormented figure whose criminal behavior did not begin with Watergate. Drawing on more than a thousand interviews and five years of research, Summers traces Nixon's entire career, revealin ...more

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ebook, 656 pages

Published August 1st 2001 by Penguin Group (first published August 28th 2000)

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Mar 26, 2012 Erik Graff rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Nixon fans

Recommended to Erik by: no one

Shelves: biography

Having previously read Summer's book about J. Edgar Hoover I shouldn't have been as surprised as I was about the muck-raking quality of thie 'biography' of Richard M. Nixon. I write 'biography' because this isn't quite that. Very little mention is made of Nixon's achievements, much attention is paid to his character flaws and criminal activities--all of it documented, though much by means of hearsay, albeit some multiply-sourced.

The Nixon emerging from this study is a morally uncentered person w ...more

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Apr 18, 2013 Pete daPixie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: history-u-s

A stunning history book that is the size and weight of the Holy Bible, that appears to contain just as many profound accounts of past events and extraordinary revelations as the good book itself.
'The Arrogance of Power:The Secret World of Richard Nixon' is a startling, incredible, almost unbelievable and frightening political biography, written by the ex BBC correspondent Anthony Summers.
In almost five hundred pages of text, one hundred and twenty pages of Notes, a seven page Bibliography and In ...more

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Dec 29, 2016 Aaron Million rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: presidential-biography

This is a difficult book to categorize. It is not a full-fledged biography, as it neither covers Nixon completely from birth to death, nor does it discuss much of the policy side of his presidency. It is not presidential history as the focus is solely on Nixon and, again, the actual accomplishments of his presidency are skimmed over at best. It is also not a history of Watergate - the act actually does not occur until about 100 pages from the end.

Instead, this is more of an indictment of Richar This is a difficult book to categorize. It is not a full-fledged biography, as it neither covers Nixon completely from birth to death, nor does it discuss much of the policy side of his presidency. It is not presidential history as the focus is solely on Nixon and, again, the actual accomplishments of his presidency are skimmed over at best. It is also not a history of Watergate - the act actually does not occur until about 100 pages from the end.

Instead, this is more of an indictment of Richard Nixon: how he behaved, what he said, who he surrounded himself with, how he treated his family, the influence of his parents, his mental state, and most of all, his deceitfulness. Summers writes in a tabloid-esque manner, quoting anyone and everyone about anything and everything. Does that mean that some of the things that he documents are false, or that some of the things that were supposedly said were not actually said? Not necessarily. But when you have an author quoting from the maid of a call girl (p. 422), you can't help but question if that is really a strong enough source to cite in a book. Also, there is no table of contents, and no chapter titles. He also makes a mistake when he writes that Nixon was the first president in almost a century to work with an opposition Congress. Dwight Eisenhower had to deal with a Democratic congress for most of his presidency.

Yet, on the other hand, Summers has extensive footnotes and then chapter notes beyond that. He clearly has a goal in writing this book; the title of the book belies that. Thus, to make an argument that Summers was impartial in his treatment of Nixon would be difficult to make. However, with him sourcing everything as well as he does, he is able to present a convincing case for some of the allegations that he makes about Nixon.

Summers ably paints a picture of an out of control Nixon during the presidency. Utilizing the tapes that were then available, as well as numerous interviewers with people who were there at the time, he demonstrates how Nixon, at best, frequently acted irrationally and at worst, was a danger to the nation. It seems clear that Nixon had long had a drinking problem, and that he may very well have mixed pills with the alcohol. Too many people observed him behaving in a bizarre manner too many times for anyone to not at least seriously entertain the possibility that Nixon had a drinking problem and he allowed it to interfere in the carrying out of his duties.

Yet other times, Summers just seems to be out to smear Nixon as much as possible. One area where he was not entirely convincing was in asserting that he abused his wife, Pat. Sadly, is it quite possible that this occurred? Yes. But is there any proof? No, there is not. Summers goes off of, in part, what Nixon's daughters said about the atmosphere changing between their parents. He also cites several other people as having been told of abuse. But there is no conclusive proof. Although Summers definitely makes a case that Nixon could have abused Pat (and, again, he may very well have - there are too many rumors about it happening to casually dismiss the possibility, as horrible as it is), but in the end the reader must determine if that really occurred or not. As Summers himself states in a different part of the book (p. 282), while discussing Nixon's involvement with Howard Hughes: "In this gallery of corrupters and corrupted, men who suffered convenient memory lapses or simply lied, whose account can be deemed reliable?"

One thing does seem certain: Nixon had a lot of secrets, and they were not pretty ones. Nixon was a damaged man from childhood, struggled with trusting people, and was obsessed with having power. He mistreated his friends, his family, his staff, the country, and ultimately himself. One wonders if the man ever allowed himself a truly happy moment.

Grade: D+ ...more

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Dec 21, 2008 Alex Robinson rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: history

First off, I will confess I didn't complete this book. I find Nixon a fascinating figure but I found the style to be somewhat hysterical, along the lines of biographers like Albert Goldman. The author is so determined to show that Nixon was a sleazebag in every way possible that he winds up relying on a lot of hearsay ("Joe Smith said Nixon once kicked a dog, according to his valet Chet Jones") and makes some bold claims with little evidence (the fact that Nixon beat his wife, for instance). Nix ...more

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Jul 26, 2011 Steve rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: history, biography, political-science

I've been on a Richard Nixon kick, having read a couple of books regarding "Watergate" from Ben Bradlee's bio, the Woodward and Bernstein book "All the President's Men" and now this book by Anthony Summers. The detail (along with 125 pages of end notes documenting his research) was tremendous and painted a very detailed picture that leaves people to wonder how Richard Nixon got away with what he did for as long as he did.

It sometime felt like you were reading biographical fiction at times and th ...more

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Feb 03, 2009 Bronwen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book amazed me. I actually couldn't put it down which was a bummer because it's a big, heavy book and bringing it with me everywhere was a pain. I am fascinated by Nixon - corrupt to the bone, totally ruthless and also brilliant. His psychiatrist thought he was insane and there are unsettling descriptions of the Secret Service chasing him through the White House trying to tackle him mid-freakout. Of course, after GW Bush, he doesn't seem so damaging to the country but he was, obviously. A b ...more

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Oct 26, 2018 F.C. Schaefer rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: american-history

It seems like we shall never run out of books on Richard Nixon, nearly a quarter of a century after his death, the life of the disgraced 37th President still reverberates in the 21st Century. Walk into any bookstore and you will find at least one recently written book with him as the subject on the shelf in the biography section. THE ARROGANCE OF POWER: THE SECRET WORLD OF RICHARD NIXON by Anthony Summers was written in the early 2000’s and had sat on my own shelf for a few years and I only rece It seems like we shall never run out of books on Richard Nixon, nearly a quarter of a century after his death, the life of the disgraced 37th President still reverberates in the 21st Century. Walk into any bookstore and you will find at least one recently written book with him as the subject on the shelf in the biography section. THE ARROGANCE OF POWER: THE SECRET WORLD OF RICHARD NIXON by Anthony Summers was written in the early 2000’s and had sat on my own shelf for a few years and I only recently pulled it out to read. As the title implies, this is not a balanced “warts and all” look at Nixon’s career, but basically a “warts is all” deep dive into Nixon’s “secret life.” Summers treats us to accounts of heavy drinking, violent rages, bribes, slush funds, assassination plots, illegal financial deals, treason, epic rudeness, and lies, lies and even more lies. A lot of this stuff could easily be dismissed as rumor and innuendo, except that Summers backs it up with more than a hundred pages of notes on sources and interviews; which is good, because many of the things alleged in this book are incendiary.

My hardback copy comes in at nearly 500 pages not counting the notes, and it covers Nixon’s life from the early days in California to his resignation from the Presidency. That is a an easy read for a history and biography buff like myself, though others might find the going tedious, but I must say, Summers always has something interesting happening in every chapter. The book spends enough time on Nixon’s childhood to give us a picture of a young man scared by poverty and the emotional repression that came from living with two difficult parents, and the death of two brothers at a young age. Summers lets us know where Nixon’s will to succeed no matter what the cost mentality came from, along with a resentful sense of inferiority. Over and over throughout his career, we see Nixon painfully strive to fit in, yet there is always something off, an inability to simply be himself, because it is clear that Nixon never trusted himself, and he certainly never trusted others. He becomes a lawyer with little real interest in practicing law, serves as a junior officer in the Navy during World War II, and jumps at an opportunity to run for Congress as soon as the war is over. Nixon’s peculiar skills and driving ambition find a natural outlet in a political career, one that takes from the House, where he was one of the earliest Red baiters, to the Senate after a bruising and bitter campaign against a liberal Democrat, to the Vice Presidency, and on after to the defeats, comebacks, victories, and to the final political apocalypse that was the Watergate scandal.

And as bad as Watergate was, I found Nixon’s actions in the last days of the 1968 Presidential election to be far more reprehensible. That is when he sabotaged an opportunity to obtain a settlement in the Vietnam War by sending an emissary form his campaign to Saigon with a message for the South Vietnamese President to stall until after the election, to not send representatives to the Paris peace talks because Nixon would give them better terms than the outgoing administration of Lyndon Johnson. So fearful was Nixon that a last minute deal on Vietnam might elect Democrat Hubert Humphrey, and rob him of the Presidency, that he committed an act that could be considered treason. Though it is impossible to know what might have ultimately come out of the deal that never was, what we do know is that many more American boys, along with countless Vietnamese civilians, would continue to die in Southeast Asia over the next four years, as President Richard Nixon sought that elusive “peace with honor.”

I liked Summers account of Watergate, a complicated piece of history that he makes very comprehensible to the reader. Keeping track of who is who, and who knew what and when is no easy thing. We get a picture of a paranoid President plotting in the Oval Office from the get go, more than capable of approving of every breakin and every illegal wire tap, shredding the excuse that Nixon apologists have made over the years that the President was mislead by his subordinates into Watergate, and only covered it up out of loyalty. What is even more frightening are the accounts Summers relates of Nixon’s mental state as the scandal engulfed him; not only that, but the drinking that put him out of action at critical moments, as when American military forces were put on worldwide alert during the Yom Kippur War in October 1973 when the Soviets threatened to intervene in the Middle East. This was a decision made by Alexander Haig and Henry Kissinger while the President was asleep in the family quarters of the White House. Equally telling is the worries of members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the summer of ’74 that the Commander in Chief might actually use the military to stay in power as Congress made moves to impeach him. Some of the accounts seem extreme, but they all have a similar ring to them, and they come from many different witnesses.

What I think is a bridge too far is Summers’ allegation that Nixon physically abused his wife, Pat, on more than one occasion. Most of the evidence he sites is hearsay long after the fact, and I couldn’t help but feel that spousal abuse was such a heinous thing to accuse anyone of, that it should demand a higher level of proof. Still, Summers more than makes the case that Richard Nixon was capable of such actions.

What we almost never see in the pages of Summers’ book is what made Richard Nixon the most formidable political figure in American politics of the mid 20th Century: missing is the master political skills that allowed him to manage his own Presidential campaign in 1968 (John Mitchell was a figurehead); the grasp of foreign affairs the led him to détente with the Soviets and the opening of relations with Mao’s China; the drive and perseverance that took him from a meager beginning in California to a being a giant on the world stage; the opportunistic politician who realigned the American electoral landscape by making the Republican Party the spokesman for “The Silent Majority.” What we do get a real sense of is the Jekyll/Hyde nature of Nixon’s personality, the sanctimonious and pious public persona he projected in public for more than a quarter of century on the political stage, never once letting slip the foul mouthed, angry, paranoid, and bigoted man that raged behind closed doors.

The book was written nearly 20 years ago now, and some things date it; there is a fleeting mention of Mark Felt, then another one of Deep Throat, the famous leaker to Woodward and Bernstein, with no acknowledgement that they are the same person. And the massive dysfunction in the White House that Summers describes was certainly seen in a different light when it was read more than a decade ago, it all takes on a much different color when read today in the Trump era. In the end, the book is well titled, for THE ARROGANCE OF POWER makes for a damning case against Richard Nixon, one he spent his years in retirement trying to make the public forget. This is justice of a kind. ...more

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Jul 06, 2009 Alexander Santiago rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: americana, politics

This is probably the most disturbing read on an American president that I have ever come across. I thought I knew most things about Nixon, but this meticulously and carefully researched book blew me away! Nixon definitely did not earn the sobriquet 'Tricky Dick' for nothing, as the underhanded, Machiavellian tactics he employed not only during his run for the senate, but during his run for the presidency was absolutely mind boggling! And that is just the tip of the iceberg when you learn about h ...more

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Dec 16, 2009 Matt rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: biography

I enjoyed the history aspect and the tales of Nixon's younger days. Often, though, the author seemed bogged down in the intense details of certain monetary transactions and proof Nixon lied or covered things up. I would rather read more colorful stuff than those dry facts. Nevertheless, it's a pretty authoritative and compelling biography with one exception: There is next to nothing about the last 20 years of his life (1974-94). Surely details were to be had of his visits to the White House unde ...more

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Mar 18, 2008 Maryellen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This was a fascinating, well-written and researched book. It helped explain some of the conspiracy theories surrounding JFK's assassination. It explained a great deal about Cuba and Nixon's involvement. Watergate is presented in a clear and logical manner. It also covered all the political corruption in a presidential campaign. The spying, the counter-propaganda, digging for dirt, and sometimes making it up. All the nasty dirty tricks politicians use on each other. This book was quite an eye-ope ...more

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Dec 10, 2009 Carly rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009

"actually couldn't put it down which was a bummer because it's a big, heavy book and bringing it with me everywhere was a pain" >>> oh how I feel you with that one, I had exactly the same problem! Hence its taken me longer to read than I would have liked, but I think the depth of research is amazing and there were so many new facets of Nixon's character revealed that I haven't seen examined elsewhere. I have really enjoyed it, other than the seminal "All the President's Men" and sequel this is m ...more

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Feb 20, 2020 Jason Hillenburg rated it liked it · review of another edition

Far more salacious than substantive and, besides, there wasn't anything especially secret about Summers' "revelations" at the time of writing. Summers is a compelling writer, however, and his narrative of Nixon's personal and public journey makes for an involving reading experience. There is no extended analysis underpinning Summers' observations, though there are scattershot attempts. Nixon remains an enticing target for biographers because so few writers have penetrated his remaining mysteries ...more

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Mar 13, 2013 Dave Hofer rated it liked it · review of another edition

This was almost too dense but I haven't read a lot of political books. The author was very proud of interviews he conducted. No mention of Nixon meeting Elvis. ...more

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Sep 09, 2020 Khayer Chowdhury rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Picked this up in a charity shop for around a quid after I thought what the hell. Despite doing IR degrees for around 5 years, I rarely paid any attention to Nixon and his presidency despite him being at the centre of major global events at that time. Summers really exposes Nixon's character and flaws. The detail is alarmingly intricate and at times, scary. E.g. Nixon's Madman Theory.

This is definitely worth a read if you are interested in America's most psychopathic president who also was a pa ...more

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Jul 19, 2021 Luke Matteson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Excellent piece on a truly awful president.

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Feb 22, 2008 RJ Corby rated it liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Political & Watergate Junkies

**Pretty good, but overkill in some areas & lacking in others**

(Orig. Review, Jan '05)

This is not a biography of Richard Nixon, but merely an expose of some of the worst crimes committed by a chief executive in this country's history. Prior to reading The Arrogance of Power, I shared the widely held view that RMH was one of the worst, contemptible, corrupt presidents in US history, but after reading the book, I'm firmly convinced more than ever that he sits firmly entrenched atop the list.

Summer **Pretty good, but overkill in some areas & lacking in others**

(Orig. Review, Jan '05)

This is not a biography of Richard Nixon, but merely an expose of some of the worst crimes committed by a chief executive in this country's history. Prior to reading The Arrogance of Power, I shared the widely held view that RMH was one of the worst, contemptible, corrupt presidents in US history, but after reading the book, I'm firmly convinced more than ever that he sits firmly entrenched atop the list.

Summers does a brilliant job of uncovering much of Nixon's underhandedness, from his abuse of alcohol, prescription drugs (including, shockingly, Dilantin, a drug which can have mind-bending effects if abused. I know this because a relative of mine suffered from a stroke and was prescribed Dilantin for seizures. Every pill placed her in another world.), his approval of black bag operations, illegal contributions from Howard Hughes and foreign governments, etc. Summers also explores the accusations of spousal abuse and Nixon's alcoholism, but to be honest, he doesn't seem to have rock solid proof here. But, this book is worth the read even without exploring those two topics.

The author does a very good job, even to the point of repetition, on Nixon's misdeeds through his first term. And that thoroughness is backed up with a large number of interviews with critical players in this tragic play, along with evidence from the infamous Nixon tapes. Summers has produced a thoroughly researched book.

But, I was pretty disappointed with his examination of Nixon's second term, the Watergate crisis and his decision to resign. The last 3-4 chapters of the book, ending with RMH's resignation, should have been the climax, and these sections of the book should have been exhaustive. Unfortunately, they are not. Still, Summers earns high praise for this tome. If you are looking for a complete bio on Nixon, this isn't it. Nevertheless, this book is a critical piece in an overall study on Nixon and is vital to understanding our most tragic and flawed of presidents. The Arrogance of Power is worth the time and effort. Summers misses at least 4 stars because of the lack of depth and breadth in the critical passages covering '73 and '74 on the road to resignation. ...more

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Jan 29, 2009 Stuart rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: politics, history

Nixon was the most disturbed person to serve as President and surely in the top 5 list of worst presidents. At at time when some writers were trying to resuscitate Nixon's reputation, Anthony Summers wrote this biography to remind the world of Nixon's crimes and bring up many other things that you might not have known.

Nixon is synonymous with Watergate, but I think his greater crimes are 1) sabotaging Johnson's Viet Nam peace proposals before the 1968 election promising South Viet Nam that he wo ...more

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Oct 24, 2009 Robert rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book was absolutely fascinating and informative. I feel like I got inside the head of Richard M Nixon and his "la loi c'est moi" attitude. His sense of greatness was instilled into his psyche by his mother and his egocentric view was prevalent long before Watergate. The book makes it apparent since Nixon was a senator that corporations could handpick and inflate individuals that will do their bidding. Nevertheless, the book is heavy in detail and it gives you a sense of experiencing the hig ...more

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Mar 05, 2011 Geoff rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

There's no doubt that this is a massive book, and I don't just mean that it's heavy to carry around! Summers' research is superb but that kind of data demands much of the reader. The meat of the book is fascinating - Richard Nixon's whole seedy world is kind of mesmerising and even though there's a lot to digest it's hard to put down. ...more

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Jan 01, 2012 Frederick Bingham rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I started this book, and it was pretty good. It's a non-whitewashed biography of Richard Nixon. But do I really want to read a nearly 500 page book about an amoral scoundrel? Finished finally on 2/25/1/01. The book goes on to describe the Watergate years and the times leading up to them. It is a frightening discussion of the White House out of control. ...more

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Apr 21, 2007 Rich rated it really liked it · review of another edition

So far, so very good. Much better, I have to say, than Richard Reeves' work on Nixon. But for sure this is more of a polemic than anything else---Nixon for the non-historian, Nixon for the true-crime book reader, with all the salacious details. ...more

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Jun 18, 2014 Christopher rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Mr Summers give us a look into Nixon's life that I never read about or even heard about in any mention of him in history texts. I must give Mr Summers an A+ for his investigative skills and his interviews. This book was a great read and I would recommend it to any one. ...more

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Sep 24, 2015 Quinn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This was an awesome book. I've been reading a bunch of Nixon related books recently and this was a great addition to the mix. I've read a bunch by Woodward and Bernstein, but this is a book all its own. ...more

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Jan 03, 2008 Donald Krieger rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: anyone I know.

Recommended to Donald by: henry Kissinger

Juicy, fascinating book about Richard Nixon and the years of his presidency. A classic
tale of power and paranoia.

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Feb 11, 2008 Zareena rated it liked it · review of another edition

This one is really interesting, but can definitely be dry. The insanity of Richard Nixon is FASCINATING.

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Jun 18, 2008 Dana rated it liked it · review of another edition

Very interesting but a little long. Lots of detail that I didn't know or remember during Watergate times. Scary!! ...more

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Jun 10, 2010 Andrew rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A difficult read . . . provides a fascinating view of power. The machinations behind the scenes profoundly changed my view of Nixon. A tragic figure, sadly misunderstood.

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Mar 03, 2011 Maxo Marc added it · review of another edition

Doesn't paint a flattering picture of our former president. ...more

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Nov 23, 2015 Amanda Fay rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Although this book took forever to read it was really good!

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Mar 23, 2018 F. Denise rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

If you wonder what made Tricky Dick Tricky, read this book. Man of many paronorias and strange behavior. Crook, yes he was and much more.

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About Anthony Summers

Anthony Summers

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Anthony Summers is the bestselling author of eight nonfiction books. His investigative books include Not in Your Lifetime, the critically acclaimed book about the assassination of John F. Kennedy; Official & Confidential: The Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover; and most recently The Eleventh Day, on the 9/11 attacks—a finalist for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for History.