European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 10, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Books Page 8ambrose details Nixon a comeback from watergate by Mike Feinsilber the associated press historian Stephen Ambrose says that Richard Nixon rehabilitated himself from the disgrace of watergate by waging a calculated comeback Campaign As skillful As any in his political career. It would have been easier Ambrose says if Nixon a the Only president to resign his office the Only one forced to accept a Pardon to avoid indictment and trial a could have allowed himself to speak eight words a i covered up. It was wrong. In a  a the could have resurrected himself much Sumer become the elder statesman earlier had he admitted his wrongdoing in the cover up and apologized for it a Ambrose writes in the concluding Book of his three volume Nixon biography. A the american people wanted to forgive him but he would not let them. His Pride kept him from saying what he insisted was not True that he had committed acts for which he needed forgiveness. He did not want forgiveness nor sympathy nor understanding he wanted respect a Ambrose writes. A slowly Over the decade and a half following his resignation he earned the respect the hard Way Nixon a  Ambrose a professor at the University of new Orleans is one of the academic worlds Foremost experts on Nixon. His books have been praised As evenhanded although Nixon has dismissed him As a just another left Wing historian and refused Ambrose a interview requests. In Nixon ruin and recovery 1973-1990, Ambrose provides his own answer to a question that has intrigued generations of Nixon watchers what caused his ruin a Lack of character writes Ambrose. Quot Nixon had gifts in abundance a brains accept former president Nixon at mondays Reagan Library dedication ceremony. Ably Nice looks stage presence a faithful family awesome willpower among others. Indeed he had nearly every gift that the gods could bestow. The one that he most lacked was  other flaws Ambrose concludes were that Nixon lacked an ability to respect others that he put himself a first last and in Between Quot and that lie was a infected with  a the was the angriest american president Quot Ambrose says. A the was a Man who could not Trust others and had no real  Nixon once told Bill Gulley director of the White House military office a the minute you Start getting familiar with people they Start taking  Nixon s Foremost hero Ambrose writes was Charles de Gaulle the prickly Leader of the resistance who Rose from postwar political defeat to become president of France. Writes Ambrose a in describing his hero As a self created Man a Man of self discipline a risk taker an aloof Man who underwent perpetual inner struggle Nixon was surely giving us an excellent  Nixon was a candidate for National office five times a winning four of those races a but no Campaign was better plotted than his comeback alter his aug. 9, 1974, resignation. In the first weeks in exile in his California Home. La Casa Pacifica he was so depressed that Benton Becker an emissary from president Gerald r. Ford recalled 10 years later that he found Nixon to be Quot an absolute candidate for suicide the most depressed human being i have Ever met and i did no to think it was an  son in Law David Eisenhower informed Ford that Nixon a might go off the deep  Nixon emerged slowly a a Charity Golf tournament. The David Frost television interviews a speech in a Small town in Kentucky his memoirs a trip to China a dinner invitation to the Carter White House at the absolute insistence Ambrose writes of the dinners chinese guest endless networking with important people by Telephone costly and successful Battles to avoid appearances at watergate related trials attendance at the funerals of old allies and foes offering advice to Republican presidents Ford Reagan and Bush. Along the Way. Nixon managed to Block Access to his 42 million documents and the great bulk of his tapes. Quot his own writing was the most important ingredient in his comeback a Ambrose writes. Quot. He concentrated on foreign affairs past present and future l in had much to say and some of it he said Well. In the process lie managed to make the indisputable Point that among the world leaders of the second half of the 20th Century he was the american who knew More of them than anyone else. Quot what had seemed impossible in the summer of 1974 had happened by the summer of 1990. Nixon was respectable even honoured certainly admired. As with his earlier comebacks and successes there was no mystery or Miracle involved. I be had planned the Campaign and executed it carefully and  Nixon always dry Wynaught by saying his biggest mistake in watergate was not burning the tapes. By 1990, Ambrose said people born after 1965 asked of Nixon a what did he do that was so terrible a for All that Ambrose writes Nixon a place in history is fixed. Ambrose predicts that 200 years from now school kids will learn Only one thing about Richard Nixon he resigned in  Story slipping South in under fire by Larry Bensky i of Angeles limes treated a Quot a Covert operation Quot and released to the press and Public with just a Lew Days Advance warning. Under l ire an ame Neun Shuy is being published with a Lanai e Worth of the Iran Olra hearings the Sebes. The books huge press in halt a million copies and Media Blit including excerpts i rumpled on the cover of i inc and two consecutive appearances on Aik s i Luline bring no Small Decicc of import Lance to the question of the Book s intent and Worth. Is this As Oliver North and professional word Smith William Novak claim a Quot personal Story Quot in which the principal bares his soul in the hallowed autobiographical tradition of proving himself Quot neither Saint nor hero but Ordinary mortal involved in Quot sometimes less than perfect activities or is it a Slickly crafted version of the self serving statements that North and his attorneys have been publicizing since the former National Security Council aide became larger than life through his appearances on National to 41 years ago alas after Reading All or even excerpted parts of under fire even the most casual Follower of Iran Contra will he tempted to conclude the latter. It is not that North and Novak s work lacks a frequent ring of sincerity and authenticity. Rather. The fault with this casually constructed rambling through Iran Contra is that it fails largely by omission to engage most of the Central questions posed by an impressive and grow ing array of ideologically diverse Iran Contra Era authors including Ben Bradlee or. Theodore Draper. Michael led Cen. Jane Mayer and Doyle Mcmanus c Onstantine Menges Joseph Perseo Leslie Oakburn and Bob Woodward. Ii North has read any of these and other probes into the at Lair Slegal and political complexities he Nils to show it in under fire. Just about the Only criticism he considers is the Contention by the Miami heralds pulitzer prize winning reporter Alionso Chardy that one of North s tasks at the National Security Council was to draw up contingency plans for suspending the c institution and rounding up dissidents in Case of nuclear War or some other National emergency. Without referring to Chardy by name. North and Novak Call his article Quot bombastic and  what does one learn about Oliver North from his autobiography that he holds himself legally blameless for most of the Reagan Era Covert shenanigans because of an undocumented belief that 1 Tex ident Reagan knew everything Quot although he did t always know what he  Thi stars and stripes Book department says under fire is on order and should be in its bookstores Soona sunday november 10. 1991