Book Summary
The secrets of Watergate were hidden by lies and deceit, and only one man had the right and the power to bring the White House to justice. In this book Special Prosecutor Leon Jaworski for the first time explains and documents the details of the behind-the-scenes struggles for the White House tape recordings, the release of which culminated in a historic Supreme Court decision and the resignation of President Richard Nixon. It is the story of America's most traumatic experience in recent history, recounted by the man who knows the story best. The book identifies the maneuvers that created new legal precedents, making it must reading for everyone interested in courtroom proceedings. But it is also a story of grim thrusts and counterthrusts between Jaworski and his staff and the men who served the President: the inscrutable Fred Buzhardt, the suave soldier-diplomat Alexander Haig, the shrewd and energetic counsel for the President, James St. Clair. The book contains moments of great drama that have remained untold until now. There is the moment when Leon Jaworski first found evidence that could lead to the impeachment of the President -- and had to keep it secret while the President continued to proclaim his innocence. There is the moment when Alexander Haig, shocked to the core by what Jaworski was telling him, gazed out at the snow-covered White House grounds with tears in his eyes. There are moments when Jaworski found himself betrayed by broken promises, and decided that he had the right and the power to take the President to court. The book details the hard decisions made, the frightening gambles taken, the battle of the Supreme Court, the resignation of the President, the pardon. Above all, this is a story of personal courage. For when President Richard Nixon appointed Leon Jaworski as Special Watergate Prosecutor in November 1973, there was uneasy speculation in Congress that the new man from Texas was "the President's man." Newspapers editorialized against his appointment, and members of both the Senate and the House echoed their sentiments. Even the dedicated young lawyers of the Special Prosecution Force, who had seen their leader Archibald Cox stripped of his powers, were skeptical that Jaworski could do the job. Wasn't he a member of the Establishment, with easy access to the throne rooms of political and financial power? Wasn't he a political conservative? And old! How do you communicate with a man of sixty-eight? But Leon Jaworski quickly proved himself to be his own man. He always had been. A trial lawyer at age twenty, a prosecutor at the Nuremburg War Crimes trials, he had always championed the rights of society and the rights of the individual. Besides being President of the American Bar Association, he was a warm human being known to his peers as a brilliant legal strategist and tactician. And if his age worried his staff, he quickly bridged the gap of generations by his words and deeds. Leon Jaworski is a man who serves justice and his story of one of the greatest legal battles in American history makes unforgettable reading. - Jacket flap.
