Time and Chance

Gerald Ford's Appointment with History

By James Cannon

Subjects: History, American History, Political Science, American Politics
Paperback : 9780472084821, 528 pages, 40 B&W photographs, 6 x 9.25, February 1998
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3998/mpub.8486
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A biography of President Gerald Ford by one of his closest advisers

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Contents

Prologue     xi

1. A Boy's Life 1913-31
King v. King; Growing Up     1

2. Learning 1931-45
Ford at Michigan and Yale, First Love, and World War II     18

3. The Challenge 1946-48
Ambitions; Breaking the Bosses     40

4. A Man of the House 1949-60
The Education of Jerry Ford     53

5. Recognition 1961-64
Public Life: Dreams and Tragedies     69

6. Leader of the Opposition 1965-68
The Gamble and the Goal     81

7. From Triumph to Tragedy 1968-72
A Friend Gone Far     97

8. Betrayed June 23-November 7, 1972
Weaving a Web of Deception     117

9. The Burden of Guilt November 8, 1972-April 29, 1973
The Epiphany of Richard Nixon     134

10. The Regency May-July 1973
Alexander Haig, Acting President of the U.S.     160

11. Outcast Summer of 1968 to October 10, 1973
Agnew: A VP's Life, and How It Ended     181

12. The Choice October 10-12, 1973
Congress Dictates the Next President     201

13. Impeach! October 13-24, 1973
Nixon in Fear: The Saturday Night Massacre and the Consequences     215

14. Passage October 13-December 6, 1973
Ford: Confirmed for Accession     229

15. The Narrow Path December 7, 1973-July 30, 1974
Ford as Vice President: Loyalty v. Independence     259

16. Proposition July 31-August 2, 1974
"Make the best deal you can and resign"      289

17. Reversal August 3-6, 1974
The Deal Refused; The Crime Revealed     309

18. Deliverance August 6-8, 1974
The People's Verdict: Nixon Must Go     321

19. Transition August 8-9, 1974
Ford: Call to Duty     336

20. The Legacy and the Pardon August 9-October 17, 1974
The Curse of Nixon v. The Best of Intentions     351

21. The Record October, 1974-November, 1976
A Brief Summary of Ford's 895 days as President     393

Epilogue: The Great Triumph of the American Democracy     411
Appendix A     417
Appendix B     417
Appendix C     421
Acknowledgments     423
Source Notes     426
Bibliography     434
Index     472
Photographs follow page 272.     485

Description

Gerald Ford came to the presidency at the time of one of our nation's greatest constitutional crises, the downfall of President Richard M. Nixon in the aftermath of the Watergate affair. His service as president concluded a distinguished career in the House of Representatives during which he served as leader of the Republican Party in the House. With unrestricted access to Gerald Ford's papers, James M. Cannon tells the story of Ford's rise and Nixon's ruin, providing new insights into this troubling period of our history and Ford's role in guiding the nation through it. Cannon tells the story of Ford's difficult early life and the beginnings of his career in politics in the period immediately after World War II. He tells the story of Ford's rise to prominence in the House of Representatives during the 1950s and 1960s, giving us a fascinating picture of the Congress. In addition, in telling us about the personal life of Gerald Ford, he gives us a sense of the price Ford paid for his success.
"James Cannon, formerly national affairs editor at Newsweek and Ford's domestic policy advisor, has written a superbly provocative and arresting biography that traces Ford's life from his July 4, 1913, birth in Omaha, Nebraska, to his September 8,1974, decision to pardon Nixon of the Watergate conspiracy." --Washington Post Book World
James M. Cannon is a journalist and was Domestic Policy Adviser to President Ford and Chief of Staff to Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker.

James M. Cannon is a journalist and was Domestic Policy Adviser to President Ford and Chief of Staff to Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker.

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