Bringing Down a President

June 1, 2019
President Richard Nixon's downfall as a result of the Watergate scandal is vividly recounted in a screenplay-style narrative. In Balis and Levy's narrative, contextual paragraphs identified as "Fly on the Wall" are separated from direct quotes taken from Nixon, his administration, the Watergate burglars, reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, and members of Congress. The purpose of choosing this narrative format is never explained, nor is it readily apparent. Many of Nixon's lines and those of his staff come from transcribed Oval Office recordings. It's inventive all right, but there are some odd inclusions. Is it necessary to know that Howard Hunt urinated in a whiskey bottle while hiding in a closet? What use is it to know what John Dean's wife wore on each day during his weeklong testimony before Congress? Why do the authors need to identify who ate what when Nixon, John Mitchell, and Bob Haldeman met for lunch? Perhaps worse are the exclusions. In recounting Nixon's political career, the authors note he made a name for himself "fighting communists with Senator Joe McCarthy," but there is no explanation of how fraudulent and destructive McCarthy's anti-communist crusade was, nor that it was specifically Nixon's role in the Alger Hiss trial that got him noticed. In lieu of photographs and archival material are Foley's interpretive black-and-white illustrations, which bring a graphic-novel-esque flair to the design. An intriguing but flawed attempt at narrative innovation. (timeline, source notes, bibliography) (Nonfiction. 10-14)

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August 1, 2019

Gr 7-10-Richard Nixon wrote a single sentence to Secretary of State Henry Kissinger on August 9, 1974. It read: "I hereby resign the Office of President of the United States." Nixon became the first president ever to resign from office. What led up to the resignation, including possible impeachment, is the premise of Balis and Levy's book that features well-placed illustrations by Foley. Organized in chronological order that introduces the cast of characters with the heading "The Game Begins," the presentation of the accounts of the Watergate scandal adequately brings the story to life with primary source materials. Yet there is one distracting element: the repetition of "fly on the wall" in the narrative. While Balis and Levy introduce the idiom in their introduction, it is an unnecessary and distracting addition to this straightforward nonfiction that reads like any captivating true crime novel. Idiom aside, breaking down the confusing sequence of events about this presidential cover-up from nearly a half century ago provides an opportunity for historical reflection that may have escaped the consciousness of teen readers. VERDICT The book's unbiased presentation is refreshing. Its focus on the human aspects of Watergate, equally so. Ultimately, Balis and Levy walk readers through the scandal with expertise. A compelling book that deserves to be on the shelf.-Alicia Abdul, Albany High School, NY

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from July 1, 2019
Grades 7-12 *Starred Review* With Watergate much in the news of late, the coauthors' reconstruction of the national debacle that resulted in the resignation of then President Richard M. Nixon is both timely and relevant. It is also an absolutely riveting story told partly in quotations from documented sources and partly in crisply written expository sections called Fly on the Wall (as in, I wish I had been a fly on the wall ) that augment and expand the quotations. The lively and informative text is enriched by illustrator Foley's many expert black-and-white pictures that capture the spirit of the words and the character of those involved. Particularly revealing are his portraits of the president and the other principal, larger-�than-life players in the drama. Though the scandal sparked a constitutional crisis, it had at least one salutary result: it evidenced, as the authors write, that nobody is above the law, not even the president . . . the country is ruled by laws, not by a king. And yet they caution, The cynicism and skepticism of our current political culture has its roots in the years of the Nixon scandals. That said, this valuable book reminds us that we can learn from the lessons of history and so avoid reprising the dark days of this national nightmare.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)