PAT AND DICK – The Nixons, an Intimate Portrait of a Marriage

January 07, 2014 | News about
• Will Swift

In PAT AND DICK, biographer Will Swift brings his years of experience as a historian and as a marital therapist to this unique examination of a long-misunderstood marriage.

“Richard and Pat Nixon may have had a turbulent, 53-year marriage—but their relationship was also widely misunderstood, says presidential biographer Will Swift in his new book, Pat & Dick: The Nixons, an Intimate Portrait of a Marriage. Swift shares some of the surprisingly sweet aspects of their marriage, as well as some of the romantic missives the couple wrote to each other.”

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PAT AND DICK available now.

Praise for PAT AND DICK :

“The marriage of Richard and Pat Nixon undergoes sharp analysis by Swift…a nuanced portrait…a model of well-documented revisionist history.”—Kirkus (starred review)

“With an eye for the telling detail, Will Swift deftly revises our view of the Nixon marriage, showing that the reserve the couple displayed in public masked a deep love and abiding respect. The marriage underwent strains that would test even the strongest ties, and Swift is frank in assessing these. He uses his expertise as a psychologist to compare the Nixon marriage to others—in the ups and downs, the use of varying techniques to preserve the union, and the differing needs of the two partners. Even readers who thought they fully understood “Plastic Pat” and “Tricky Dick” will be enlightened by Swift’s perspective and delighted with his vivid descriptions.”—Betty Boyd Caroli, author of First Ladies: From Martha Washington to Michelle Obama

“The daunting challenge in writing a dual biography, particularly one about a president and First Lady, is composing the subjects in a comfortable balance, so that one does not eclipse the other. Swift meets this challenge brilliantly, and his Nixons—equally fascinating—illuminate each other. The result is an insightful and engaging book.” —Daniel Mark Epstein, author of The Lincolns: Portrait of a Marriage