John W. Dean, former White House Counsel to President Richard Nixon, became a central figure in the Watergate scandal. His deep involvement in the events leading to the break-in and subsequent cover-up positioned him as a key witness for the prosecution. Following a guilty plea and crucial testimony, he received a reduced prison sentence. Dean now works as an author, columnist, and commentator on contemporary politics, offering sharp critiques of conservatism and the Republican Party.
The former counsel to President Nixon provides a critique of the Bush administration, its obsession with secrecy, and its willingness to deceive the American people.
This New York Times bestseller is an insider's account of the fall of Richard Nixon and has remained an indispensable source into Nixon's presidency. BLIND AMBITION is an autobiographical account of a young lawyer who accelerated to the top of the Federal power structure to become Counsel to the President at thirty years of age, only to discover that when reaching the top he had touched the bottom. Most striking in this chronicle is its honesty. Dean spares no one, including himself. But, as TIME magazine noted, "Dean survived, despite the opposition of powerful foes...because he had no false story to protect and he had an amazing ability to recall the truth." "(Dean's) lawyer warned him before he testified, 'Don't waste their time telling them what a nice guy you are.' He has apparently taken this advice to heart." (New York Times Book Review)