Never in American political history has there been so momentous a reversal of fortunes as that of Richard Nixon. How did it happen? What is this man's legacy to us all? These are among the questions explored by the staff of the Washington Post in the most penetrating examination of Nixon the man and the Nixon years ever put together. It is a story that begins with a small boy in a California town dreaming of distant places and golden opportunities. It is a story that climaxes with a man who achieved his dreams, yet more than anyone else was the instrument of their destruction. Richard Nixon, the people around him, and the controversies that have swirled throughout his entire career are brilliantly illuminated here. This is unforgettable human drama, and essential reading for all Americans.