Kevin Mattson is the Connor Study Professor of Contemporary History at Ohio University. He is the author of Rebels All!, When America Was Great, Upton Sinclair and the Other American Century, Intellectuals in Action, and What the Heck Are You Up To, Mr. President? Mattson writes for the American Prospect, Dissent, the Nation, the New York Times Book Review, the Washington Post Book World, and many other publications
"Mattson's excellent book is a timely companion to the current election season." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Mattson's portrait of a crusading, emotional Nixon on the verge of victory colors in all the campaign's background details, including relevant pop culture detours and digressions, from Hedda Hopper and Lucille Ball to the hole in Adlai Stevenson's shoe." --Publishers Weekly "Mattson's book will appeal to historians, politicians, politics buffs, and those interested in the impact of television on the electorate." --Library Journal "Mattson, the author of six fine books on politics and intellectual history, contends that the speech transformed not only the 1952 election but also American political culture... Eisenhower and Nixon's 1952 campaign was an important contributor to unfortunate development[s for which] we are still paying the price... today." --Boston Globe
Mattson (history, Ohio Univ.; The Cause) deconstructs Richard Nixon's 1952 "Checkers speech," clearly describing a pivotal time in Nixon's career as well as a transformative moment in American politics. In 1952, Nixon faced pressure to resign as Dwight Eisenhower's running mate because of possible campaign finance improprieties. In what is still the most-watched television speech to date, Nixon painted a portrait of himself as the hardworking common man, fighting the good fight against powerful elitists such as Ike's opponent, Adlai Stevenson (whom Nixon dismissed as an "egghead"). Veteran narrator Keith Szarabajka's lively performance will engage listeners. Verdict This title will appeal to political junkies of all ages as well as those interested in how the media influences elections. ["Mattson's book will appeal to historians, politicians, politics buffs, and those interested in the impact of television on the electorate," read the review of the Bloomsbury hc, LJ 8/12.-Ed.]-Beth Farrell, Cleveland State Univ. Law Lib. (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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