Write it When I'm Gone

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	Write it When I'm Gone
	by Thomas M. DeFrank Sales Rank: 7877	Discount: 34 % ~~List Price: $25.95~~ $17.13 At Amazon on 4-18-2008.

*Features* Cover Type: Hard Cover with 272 pages Published by: Putnam Adult October 30, 2007 Written in: English ISBN 10 Number: 0399154507 ISBN 13 Number: 978-0399154508 Book Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.2 x 1.4 inches Weighs: 1 pounds *From Publishers Weekly* Longtime Newsweek correspondent DeFrank was an untested reporter when he was placed on what seemed like a hard-luck beat: covering Vice President Gerald Ford. After all, what could be less thrilling than reporting on the doings of the congressman from Michigan who had been appointed to replace Spiro Agnew as Richard Nixon's veep? DeFrank was given an unprecedented scoop early in his job, when Ford let spill that he believed Nixon's presidency was doomed, but the reporter agreed to put a lid on it: "Write it when I'm gone," Ford told him. Brick reads dramatically, with fitful stops and starts, giving the patina of History to some of the less fondly remembered elements of 1970s politics. His reading conveys some of DeFrank's sincere fondness for Ford and the friendly relationship they struck up while Ford was vice president and in the White House. Simultaneous release with the Putnam hardcover. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition. *Book Description* In an extraordinary series of private interviews, conducted over sixteen years with the stipulation that they not be released until after Ford's death, the thirty-eighth president of the United States reveals a profoundly different side of himself: funny, reflective, gossipy, strikingly candid-and the stuff of headlines. In 1974, award-winning journalist and author Thomas DeFrank, then a young correspondent for Newsweek, was interviewing Vice President Gerald R. Ford when Ford blurted out something astonishingly indiscreet related to the White House, came around his desk, grabbed DeFrank's tie, and told the reporter he could not leave the room until he promised not to publish it. "Write it when I'm dead," he said-and that agreement formed the basis for their relationship for the next thirty-two years. During that time, they talked frequently, but from 1991 to shortly before Ford's death in 2006, the interviews became something else-conversations between two men in which Ford talked in a way few presidents ever have. Here is the real Ford on his relationship with Richard Nixon (including the 1974 revelation that, in DeFrank's words, "will alter what History thinks it knows about the events that culminated in Ford's becoming president"); Ford's experiences on the Warren Commission; his complex relationships with Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter; his startling, never-before-disclosed discussions with Bill Clinton during the latter's impeachment process; his opinions about both Bush administrations, the Iraq war, and many contemporary political figures; and much more. Here also are unguarded personal musings: about key cultural events; his own life, history, and passions; his beloved wife, Betty; and the frustrations of aging. In all, it is an unprecedented book: illuminating, entertaining, surprising, heartwarming, and, in many ways, historic. *Reader Reviews* Tom DeFrank and Gerald Ford had a secret relationship for over thirty years. Ford accidentally told the 28-year-old writer for Newsweek in 1974 that Nixon's presidency was doomed, and after the young writer agreed not to print the slip, a trust was formed that gave DeFrank access to three decades of thoughts of the 38th President of the United States. Ford spoke to him without prejudice not just on Nixon and Watergate, but on other major issues of the past quarter century, often providing opinions that rivaled what Ford himself entered into the public record in his memoir or in interviews. This unparalleled access given to DeFrank came with one condition from Ford: "Write it when I'm gone." DeFrank presents Ford as a politician to the end, a man who realized the true Gerald Ford and the one given to the world were at odds with each other. Ford preferred that the inevitable clash between the two occur only after he was dead. Ford felt an obligation to have his true feelings and remembrances appear in the alterable history of the country, but he did not want to deal with the fallout. Now that the truth is in print, readers can compare it (or at least as much as was given by DeFrank) against what Ford himself carefully allowed himself to say during his lifetime. With these new insights, Ford now seems to be a more complicated and shrewd craftsman than the popular image of him during his life. And so, what are some of the new insights given by the book? Along with the new account of how Ford began to realize he could eventually become the first unelected president and found himself in the conflicting position of being able to help make that happen if he abandoned his loyalty to Nixon, the two bombshells hat will no doubt be referenced in the media deal with his true feelings on Reagan and the Clintons. About Reagan, Ford gives as much a lecture in curtsey to America as he speaks about the President. When DeFrank spoke to Ford about the dying Reagan, Ford expressed a reluctance to tarnish the man's image with criticism, believing that someone who served the country in Reagan's capacity deserved to die in peace. Readers who remember Ford interviews during this time will recall the reverence and almost awe he seemed to have for his dying former political rival. But his kind words for Reagan were only meant to be spoken during the difficult times for Nancy and the rest of his family. After Reagan died and enough time passed to begin a true examination of the man, Ford wanted it known that he saw Reagan as "a superficial...intellectually-lazy showman who didn't do his homework and clung to a naive, unrealistic, and essentially dangerous worldview." With those thoughts, Ford is both at odds with the people who danced on Reagan's grave (even before he was in it) and those today who fail to see any faults in the man. Ford was also visible in the media during the Lewinsky scandal, working as a mediator between the flag-bearers of his party and the man who occupied his former seat. During that time, Ford refrained from speaking about the personal problems of the Bill Clinton, instead focusing on trying to end the national nightmare without further embarrassment to the nation and to the presidency. But now his true feelings are on display. He speaks of Clinton in a manner similar to a judge sentencing a sex offender, using harsh, pronouncing language that suggests Ford was uncomfortable being in his presence. He draws upon his experiences with his wife's own addictions to alcohol and drugs, claiming that Clinton's problems may result less from poor decisions than from a disorder beyond his control. Comment \| Permalink \| (Report this) Back To Top
Write it When I'm Gone Available from Amazon Price: $17.13 Updated on 4-18-2008.

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