About the Author

H. Larry Ingle is the author of Quakers in Conflict: The Hicksite Reformation and First Among Friends: George Fox and the Creation of Quakerism. Retired from the History Department of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, he lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA.

Reviews

"A spirited case that Nixon's religious views helped shape his character and actions, and deserve consideration by both scholars of the American Presidency and those interested in Quaker Studies."--Quaker Studies

"An excellent scholarly treatment of a topic unexplored in such detail. One might expect that a religious biography of Richard Nixon might consume all of, well, four or five pages--or, as Nixon himself did in his autobiography, dispatch the matter in three short paragraphs. H. Larry Ingle, however, has produced a worthy study of the topic, one that delves into archival materials and also calls on the author's extensive knowledge of Quakerism."--Randall Balmer, author of Redeemer: The Life of Jimmy Carter

"By carefully assessing the former president's religious backgrounds and beliefs, Ingle's work benefits Nixon scholars and historians of American religion alike."--Fides et Historia

"By highlighting Nixon's religious life and its evolution over time, Ingle is able to provide depth and dimension to the person and character of one of America's most villainized public figures."--Reading Religion

"Extremely well written, impeccably researched, and highly accessible. Ingle presents an active thesis which will engage both Nixon scholars and readers. Nixon's First Cover-up stands alone on its subject, and it is an excellent addition to the Nixon literature."--John Robert Greene, author The Limits of Power: The Nixon and Ford Administrations

"Ingle usefully addresses what he correctly labels as a shortcoming in Nixon scholarship: a lack of careful analysis of Nixon's religious background and beliefs. Both Nixon scholars and students of American religious history are well served by this book."--Journal of American History

"Nixon's heritage featured what the author calls an 'intensive' Quaker upbringing (p. 45), a conversion experience at age thirteen, matriculation at Whittier College, and Sunday school teaching at the East Whittier Friends Church following his graduation from Duke University Law School. Yet his renunciation of that heritage included his naval service in World War II; his spurning of the local Friends congregations while in Congress, the vice presidency, and the presidency; and his disparagement of those Quakers who protested his prosecution of the Vietnam War. To Ingle, the Watergate scandal was the logical culmination of a public life that had long since forsaken moral clarity for political ambition."--Catholic Historical Review