Blind Ambition

In 1970 John Dean was interviewed as the next counsel to the President; a little over four years later he was in jail. He rose, and fell, by being a willing servant. Dean's office was the center of Nixon's intelligence operation (lawyers have client confidentiality). His story was recreated from documents and taped conversations. Dean was working for the Justice Dept. when he was asked about working at the White House by Bud Krogh. John Mitchell advised him that the WH "was not a healthy place" (p.12). (Was this relatively young lawyer recruited to be a future fall guy?) The expenses for the San Clemente complex had been safely buried in inconspicuous budgets (p.16). Dean joined the WH, and soon learned "to keep my mouth shut" (p.23). Dean learned how interior decorating kept political scores (pp.29-30)! He also learned how to move upwards in influence by traveling downward through power plays, corruption, and outright crimes (p.30). Just as he made it to the top, he actually touched bottom.Dean's education began when he read the "Huston Plan", which removed most legal restraints on wiretaps, mail intercepts, and burglaries. J. Edgar hoover vetoed the plan - the risk was greater than the reward (or turf protection?). More mundane matters are listed on pages 39-40. Page 45 tells of his first liability over a burglary. Page 51 tells how Erlichman won his power struggle against Mitchell. The Dita Beard letter is discussed on pages 53-59. J. Edgar Hoover said it was genuine, another action that infuriated the Nixon WH. The next liability was hiding the Town House Operation (pp.59-62). By May 1972 the ITT scandal ended and Kleindienst was confirmed; it looked like the end of the problems. Chapter 3 tells of the Howard Hughes affair. No mention of the Wallace shooting at all; Wallace's removal from the campaign allowed Nixon to win in a landslide. Dean tells the details of political intelligence for Nixon.Chapter 4 begins with the burglary at the Watergate. Dean was called for advice, and told to investigate the "plumbers". The most important thing in all this is the friction and conflict among Nixon's men (pp.94-95). When Dean met Liddy they went for a walk outside; was this to avoid bugs (p.96)? If Strachan knew, Haldeman knew, and so did Nixon (p.98). It went up to the top of the chain. Next Strachan came to confess to Dean that he purged Haldeman's files (p.100). Then Sloan called to confess giving "large bundles of cash" to Liddy. Colson disavowed any knowledge or responsibility for Hunt. But Hunt was still on the WH payroll and had an office there (p.103). Page 121 summarizes the problems in defending the Administration, and how Dean hid evidence by turning it over to the FBI (p.122). He then crossed the line into criminal culpability. Dean's personal rapport allowed him access to the warring factions (p.125); but this sucked him into the conspiracy.Chapter 5 tells of his new powers: one of the top people, meeting many new women (p.127). The Pres

This story is quite interesting. When I first read it, during the 1970s, I bought Mr. Dean's version of events hook, line and sinker -- and boy did he suck me in. He postured himself as someone involved way over his head who ended up being, in effect, a victim. I have concluded that some of the presented details are true, and some are not. The presentation, however, is uniformly riveting. Read additional Watergate material for a broader view and better picture. The lesson here is that you can't always believe the story which appears, at first glance, to be the most convincing.

This book is a well-written book, giving unparalleled glimpses into the Nixon White house and the character of its denizens. Dean, a controversial and not very admirable character, reveals many truths in this book, some really hair-raising to a naive believer in the virtues of government. He also provides many fascinating details, such as the constant rearrangement of offices and furniture in the White House to reflect internal political standings. Though surprisingly candid about his own personal flaws, he does paint himself in a more sympathetic light than is merited. Nevertheless, the overall candor and truth of his reports stands in contrast to those of other eyewitnesses. The controversial and revealing nature of his narrative is marked by the remarkable divergence of opinion seen in reviews of this book; a hard core of Nixon ideologues will hate Dean forever.

Let's not forget who John Dean was, and what he did.John Dean was, depending on your point of view, either a scorpion whose sole purpose was the covering of his own behind, or a young man, as Nixon put it later, in way over his head, struggling to contain a situation he didn't understand.In either case, Blind Ambition is my personal favourite and least self-serving of all the Watergate biographies. Dean, while making every attempt to present his actions in a favourable light, doesn't leave any of them out, and freely acknowledges his complicity in unethical and criminal behaviour.This book is readable and intelligent. And, after struggling to contain the nausea I felt after reading Haldeman's simpering, transparent gibberish (The Ends of Power), refreshing. So far as I can tell, Dean has written the most honest and frank book of all the Watergate participants. It correlates to all the Watergate indexes and chronologies I've seen.You may still think he was a snake, but you will, I believe, come away with a better understanding of the Nixon White House. Very much worth a read.

I read this book 20 years ago whilst on vacation. Its contents have remained clearly with me until today - the excitement of getting plucked from 'nowhere' and given the job of White House counsel to the president - the concern as the Watergate break-in takes on a life of its own and eventually goes out of control - bringing down the American Government - John Dean's book remains, for me at least, a classic study of creeping disillusionment with high office. Not to be bettered.