Conspiracy: Nixon, Watergate, and Democracy's Defenders

August 15, 2020
An indisputably timely account of the last time an American president thought the Constitution didn't apply to him. Pearson only mentions Trump's name once, toward the end, but it's hard to miss the parallels in her portrayal of President Richard M. Nixon as a man who won election through tactics many "would call unfair or underhanded, even criminal" and who used his office to go after perceived enemies, valued personal loyalty above legality, and stubbornly stonewalled both the legal and congressional investigations that proliferated in the wake of Watergate. Pausing to fill in necessary background, such as the ins and outs of the federal court system or what investigative journalists do, she strings together events, from the 1970 election's "dirty tricks" through the climactic "Saturday Night Massacre" to Nixon's resignation (and pardon)--detailing in a suspenseful way the chains of increasingly disturbing revelations that just kept coming to light in newspapers and on national TV and casting the crisis in ethical terms by damning Nixon and his associates as oath breakers as well as crooks. In line with that stance, she commends those who stood fast in their loyalty to their country and its Constitution as heroes and concludes by stressing that, as citizens, we the people are likewise obliged to inform ourselves and to act and vote responsibly. Smooth, clear writing makes this an appealing and accessible read. A cautionary episode from a half-century ago that ends up sounding eerily relevant. (bibliography, timeline, cast list, endnotes, index) (Nonfiction. 11-14)

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November 1, 2020

Gr 7-10-Watergate is no small historical event and explaining this event to preteens and young adults needs to be done with a delicate hand. Pearson takes readers from the burglary at the Watergate Hotel through Richard Nixon's pardon by President Gerald Ford. As the text details the conspiracy, readers get a snapshot of President Nixon's personality and state of mind. Pearson provides a step-by-step overview of the investigation process. Readers may draw correlations between events that happened almost 50 years ago to current ones. That being said, Watergate was a very complex situation: "The Watergate story was confusing and complicated (it still is), and people didn't see how it had anything to do with them." There were many people involved in both sides, which means readers may have a hard time keeping track of all the players and their level of involvement. Tweens and even teens might struggle to follow the narrative. However, Pearson adeptly uses simple language and scaffolding in order to communicate with the intended audience. VERDICT Every school library collection needs history books that detail the good and the bad of U.S. presidencies, including Watergate and Richard Nixon. This title won't be in constant circulation, but it will fit the bill when a text is needed on Watergate.-Kim Gardner, Fort Worth Country Day Sch., TX

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November 9, 2020
Pearson (Fighting for the Forest) offers a compelling introduction to the Watergate scandal and the constitutional crisis it created. Though President Richard M. Nixon entered his second term in 1972 with a 49-state majority victory and a mandate to end the Vietnam War, investigations into the interrupted burglary five months prior—of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C.—threatened his tenure. The tautly drawn account effectively sketches Nixon’s “very dark side,” detailing his list of enemies and his plans to “destroy them.” Pearson also features the strong characters who unearthed the truth behind the burglary and the widespread corruption surrounding it, including Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, and Senator Sam Ervin, who led the Senate Watergate Committee hearings. Contextual primers intersperse the narrative, introduced by colloquially phrased questions, such as “What’s this about a grand jury?” Black-and-white photographs and documents further illustrate events. This rousing, accessible historical narrative offers opportune cautionary lessons about voting, civic involvement, and the importance of a free press. Back matter includes a comprehensive bibliography, timeline, and cast of characters. Ages 10–up. Agent: Susan Hawk, Upstart Crow Literary.