Ohio Books

Last time I looked, Woodward & Bernstein's "All the President"s Men" had 58 Amazon reviews; Lukas' "Nightmare" had none. Now, that's a travesty. If you have to read just one book about Watergate this book has no competitor. If you have to read just one book to show what good journalism can be, ditto. We say that journalism at best is "a rough draft" and we need to await "the verdict of history." But Lukas put this together in a matter of months and after 30-odd years, it still stands unchallenged on the shelf.

The fulcrum of this book is, of course, the "third-rate burglary" from which Watergate takes its name. But Lukas is far-sighted enough not to begin with that. He gives us the larger context of the early Nixon years: the internal wiretapping, the fund-raising money machine, the systematic campaign of dirty tricks against the 1972 Democratic campaign, both primary and general.

Indeed, for me perhaps the true pivot point is not the burglary at all, but rather that moment in January, 1972, when Gordon Liddy launched "a well-prepared thirty-minute 'show-and-tell'" to introduced "Project Gemstone" -- intended as "a vast intelligence-gathering and dirty-tricks campaign" against the Democrats and (one would have to say) against the electoral process itself. Here it all is: electronic surveillance and wiretapping; breakins; kidnap squads; mugging squads; call girls; sabotage. John Dean says he found it "mind-boggling." But Attorney General John Mitchell was more restrained: "That's not quite what we had in mind," he said. And Jeb Magruder was more proactive: "Cheer up, Gordon," he said, "You just tone the plan down a little and we'll try again."

For my money, that is the point at which any decent public servant would have stood up and shouted "GET THIS GUY OUT OF HERE! Don't let him come within a dung-fork's distance of any public policy issue any time, anywhere, ever again." Of course we know better now: in fact, Liddy's campaign did go forward largely as he had planned it. And it was not a free-lance operation: rather, it was embedded at the very heart of the Nixon administration.

From the introduction of Gemstone we move on moment by moment through the burglary, the coverup, the coverup of the coverup and finally, Nixon's resignation. By that point, almost any reader will concede that Lukas has documented his case. The denoument is the celebrated "smoking gun" -- the text of the tape of Nixon's conversation on June 23, 1972.

"What made the tape so damaging," says Lukas, "was ... the plain, irrefutable language which showed that six days after the Watergate burglary the President of the United States knew a great deal about the break-in, realized that Liddy and [E. Howard] Hunt had been involved, recognized Mitchell's probable complicity, personally ordered a cover-up of the facts, and used the CIA and the FBI to protect his personal political interests."

Watergate was a tragedy, of course, and any honest account is bound to make pretty sordid reading. But at the end, one can find uplift. For however many people behaved badly, quite a lot of people behaved well: famously Eliot Richardson, who resigned as Attorney General rather than fire Archibald Cox; perhaps more subtly Congressman Peter W. Rodino, Jr., who succeeded (at no small efort) in keeping the House hearings decent and honorable; more surprisingly Congressman Lawrence Hogan, conservative Republican from Maryland who upstaged some of his more liberal colleagues by declaring for impeachment (he was offended at what Nixon had done to the FBI). And I'd even save a kind word for Hugh W. Sloan, Jr., a campaign staffer who did, concededly, take part in some of the money-sloshing, but who in the end refused to go along with the coverup.

Woodward and Bernstein have their place in Watergate history, if not nearly as great as their own (well--Woodward's) self-promotion would suggest. If they did not originate much in the way of real Watergate news, they did a great deal to keep the topic on the agenda. But their project also did a great deal of long-term harm, helping to facilitate the growth of a climate of "client journalism" where reporters get cozy with sources and manipulate the process as much as any active participant. Tony Lukas died far too young (and a suicide). As a monmument, he leaves a body of exemplary journalism, of which this is a capstone.

Nightmare, by J. Anthony Lukas

In April 1973 J. Anthony Lukas was assigned to write an article on Watergate. This was followed by a second article; then a third. This book covers the whole story of Richard Nixon's abuse of his presidential powers. Chapter 1 starts with the 1970 election, which was not favorable to Nixon's hopes. He wanted a big victory in 1972. Attorney-General John Mitchell was a state and municipal bond lawyer who new about back-room deals. Protests in May 1971 Washington were met with Nixon's public disdain; privately he was worried (p.10). Nixon chose young men who had no independent judgment (p.8). Nixon felt threatened by the Establishment: "Wall Street, Cambridge, Georgetown" and others (p.13). A private security entity was created to investigate Nixon's enemies. [Was Nixon's problems due to an inferiority complex "lifelong sense of powerlessness" (p.18)?] Chapter 2 describes the insecurity of Nixon. The Huston Plan was killed by J. Edgar Hoover; but it seems to have gone forward (p.37). Sophisticated officials don't discuss secrets over a telephone, but in person in a private place (p.55). You never know who is listening to you.

Nixon's 1972 campaign raised an unusually large amount of corporate money; often from companies that had problems in Washington (p.127). [Is creating problems for corporations a way for government to raise campaign contributions?] "Most contributions from the business community ... are made in response to pressure ..." (P.128). [The more business is regulated, the more money that can be extracted by the officials in Washington. "They all do it."] Nixon also raised money from the wealthy who wanted to be appointed ambassadors (p.134). Page 142 shows how a company backs the twin-party system. There are no witnesses on a golf course. [Could Nixon's greediness have caused the Establishment to turn on him after the election?] Kevin Phillips' book noted that the lack of a Wallace candidacy would swell the 1972 Republican vote (p.147). Nixon tried to stop Wallace (pp.147-149), and failed. But something happened (p.150). The most famous dirty trick was on Ed Muskie (p.163). Bogus letters to newspapers and congressmen were used to create public support for Nixon, at least 50 a week (p.166). There is a report about Senator Thomas Eagleton's health (p.168). The next step was to stage break-ins (before Watergate).

And so the book continues with so very many pages on the Nixon Presidency. The Note on Sources says there was a glut of information where the difficulty was finding the truth among self-serving and conflicting data. The 45 pages of index to the 569 pages of text make this a reference book on Nixon's Presidency. The Sources list the books, articles, interviews, documents, and remarks used for this book. This is a one-volume book of information this topic. Lukas watched what Nixon did, not what he said. Not much has changed since this 1975 book was published. Lukas' comment that W. Mark Felt, Jr. was believed to be the source called "Deep Throat" has been confirmed (p.273). [The pagination is from the hardcover edition.]

North From The Mountains is the latest in "The Melungeons: History Culture, Ethnicity, and Literature" series from Mercer University Press. This groundbreaking series is the first such to extensively study the Carmel Melungeon settlement since 1950. John Kessler and Donald Ball effectively collaborate to trace the history of the Carmel Melungeon settlement from 1700 onward, and provide the reader with exhaustive firsthand information connecting the Carmel population to the Melungeons and other mixed-blood populations in the Mid-Atlantic region. With documentary evidence and facts gathered from visits to and informants of the Carmel area, North From The Mountains is a highly detailed documentary offering fascinating insight into the lifestyle and relationships of the Carmel community and recommended for students of American history and regional development.

"North from the Mountains" is a splendid read on the incresingly popular subject of Melungeon heritage. This is both an excellently written and exhaustively researched book by meticulous authors. It is a great read on Americana on the first person part of the senior author. Both men are experienced authors of scholarly papers, and their work on this book is the result of their exacting and uncomromising dedication to making as certain as possible that every last word in this book is documentable. I consider it the standard against which I will judge all other books on the subject. The Bibilography will set me off on searches for further material. It is a truly worthy book to add to any library, both personal and collegiate.

'Images of America.... North Ridgeville'
by Carol G. Klear
Thanks for putting together such a GREAT BOOK!!!
I bought three (3), as gifts..... now I need to order one for my self!!!! .... Best Wishes from Steve, a over 30 year resident !!!

Carol Klear has been elected to narrate the history of North Ridgeville, Ohio. Who better? Carol Klear had been the long time editor of the local North Ridgeville newspaper, The Press and Light.

After searching near and far for history of my hometown with little or no result, finally a quality pictoral history has emerged. North Ridgeville history seems to be the best kept secret on the internet. The North Ridgeville Historical Society does have a website, but contains a mere few paragraphs on the city's rich history.

Photographic images of days gone by bring the city into a new light for new residents and lifers alike. Prominent names of the city's great past are matched with faces. Pitts, Diederich, Myers, Bauldaff, Worcester, Noll and Smith along with many others come alive within the pages.

This book is the best source of the history of North Ridgeville and pays off big with excellent photographs. They are arranged in well written chapters starting with The Faith of Our Fathers. The following chapters tell a rich tale of the people, their work and the lives of North Ridgeville.

I love this book. It's been a long time coming and it is well received in our North Ridgeville home.

This book got me through my sub-I/internship/residency. At 2 AM, when you get that train wreck of a patient going to the unit, you'll use it a lot. Mine is still useable, but VERY tattered/torn. I have dozens of notes in the margins. As an ABIM certified internist, I still use it on occasion.

This book is a must in the health care practice

Of the two available books on Ohio landlord/tenant law, this is by far the better... and luckily, by far the cheaper. If you're considering buying one of the two, in my opinion this is definitely the one you should go for. It is far more complete, dealing with issues that its competition doesn't discuss, and is much less tenant-oriented.

As a Legal Aid Attorney, I am frequently assigned landlord/tenant cases to either negotiate or litigate on behalf of tenants. I consider Peter's book on the subject my bible, and it is an indespensible part of the desk copies that I have. If you are an attorney litigating this subject matter in Ohio, and do not have a copy of Peter's book available as a reference, you are undoubtedly unprepared.

Frederic White has covered just about everything in here. While the book may take a long time to ship, it is worth whatever wait you have to endure. You probably have a year long lease anyway. The book provides an excellent overview to Ohio Landlord Tenant Law, and gets into specifics as well. If you have a question, this book very likely has your answer if you are serious about finding it. An excellent reference manual. I have it in my law office to this day.

This is an excellent book and is presented in a question and answer format which allows you to find a direct answer to your question easily. It also provides sample pleadings and forms for tenants and landlords. If you are going to be a renter for a year or more, I highly recommend this book to not only find answers to current landlord tenant problems but also prevent problems from happening in the first place. This is an excellent guide to Ohio Landlord Tenant Law.

Mike Curtain is the most respected newsman in Ohio and this book is required reading for every reporter who wants to understand politics in the Buckeye State. This is not an opinion book or a partisan screed -- that's not Curtain's style. This is a straight-forward and detailed accounting of who got elected, what the trends were, and how each region of the state tends to vote -- and why.

The most comprehensive source for Ohio politcal history. Not intended to read cover to cover, this almanac is a great fact book. Mike Curtin, former statehouse political reporter and now Editor of The Columbus Dispatch, lives up to his name as THE source for Ohio politics facts.

The only reason I am filing this review is that I want to correct a comment that is on this page (page reviewing the 8th edition of the book). An old review of the book has been placed on this page erroneously. It refers to the book's being out of date. It is referring to a much earlier edition of the book and was reviewing that edition of it. The book on this page is the latest edition, the 8th, published in August of 2004. I just used it myself this fall term of 2004, and will be teaching from it again this winter semester of 2005. It is completely updated. You will discover that if you buy earlier editions, also for sale on amazon, that they are out of date. I insist that my students use the 8th edition and made them return earlier ones. An out-of-date text is of little use in our classroom.

The text does a superb job of covering real estate law essentials in Ohio, however, there due to recent (1996) legislation, two of the largest and most important chapters are out of date and must be re-written!!! If anyone knows of an update or a way to contact the authors or the publisher, please write me at KRKost@ezo.net

THIS IS ABOUT THE OHIO STATE FOOTBALL TEAM THAT WON THE BIG TEN, ROSE BOWL AND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. THE BOOK BRINGS BACK SEVERAL GREAT MOMENTS DURING THAT SEASON, BY HAVING FORMER MEMBERS OF THE TEAM AND COACHING STAFF DISCUSS GAME BY GAME STATEGY AND HIGHLIGHTS. SOME OF THE PLAYERS AND COACHES INVOLVED ARE REX KERN, LARRY ZELINA, JIM OTIS, EARLE BRUCE AND LOU HOLTZ. THIS BOOK BROUGHT BACK ALOT OF GREAT MOMENTS FOR ME. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS FOR ALL OHIO STATE FANS. GO BUCKEYES.

I got the video version for Christmas. I am only 38 years old and was always curious about the full story of the '68 Bucks. For scarlet and gray fanatics this is bread and butter with some sugar on top.

Great detail, personal stories and game footage.

This is, by far, the most imaginative and compelling collection of Buckeye football trivia and memorablia around. This has provided endless hours of joy and is the PERFECT gift for any Buckeye fan. The same "vault" series is also available for Michigan and Notre Dame fans --- but why would you ever be caught buying that?!!!!

GO BUCKS!!!!

This is an interesting collection of Buckeye memorabilia that you will see nowhere else but a museum.