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The Invisible Bridge
- The Fall of Nixon and the Rise of Reagan
- Narrated by: David de Vries
- Length: 39 hrs
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The Invisible Bridge
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Summary
From the bestselling author of Nixonland: a dazzling portrait of America on the verge of a nervous breakdown in the tumultuous political and economic times of the 1970s.
In January of 1973 Richard Nixon announced the end of the Vietnam War and prepared for a triumphant second term - until televised Watergate hearings revealed his White House as little better than a mafia den. The next president declared upon Nixon’s resignation “our long national nightmare is over” - but then congressional investigators exposed the CIA for assassinating foreign leaders. The collapse of the South Vietnamese government rendered moot the sacrifice of some 58,000 American lives. The economy was in tatters. And as Americans began thinking about their nation in a new way - as one more nation among nations, no more providential than any other - the pundits declared that from now on successful politicians would be the ones who honored this chastened new national mood.
Ronald Reagan never got the message. Which was why, when he announced his intention to challenge President Ford for the 1976 Republican nomination, those same pundits dismissed him - until, amazingly, it started to look like he might just win. He was inventing the new conservative political culture we know now, in which a vision of patriotism rooted in a sense of American limits was derailed in America’s Bicentennial year by the rise of the smiling politician from Hollywood. Against a backdrop of melodramas from the Arab oil embargo to Patty Hearst to the near-bankruptcy of America’s greatest city, The Invisible Bridge asks the question: what does it mean to believe in America? To wave a flag - or to reject the glibness of the flag wavers?
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Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Callum hynd
- 05-10-22
A brilliant saga of post Watergate america
Originally I just picked this up expecting a dry statistical tale of why preferences switched in America over time, what Ive uncovered is a sprawling deepdive into the American psyche of the 70's as moments such as Watergate, patty Hurst, Helsinki and the first jaws movie helped set the stage for the America of today, though it's not there yet by the end of this book, that's the next volume Reganland which I can't wait to get my hands on, also pls nixon land audible
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Herion & Shortbread
- 20-10-20
Great Listen
Great book for the detail on the Watergate fallout and the birth of Reaganism - although some prior knowledge is needed to fully appreciate
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- STEVEN CHI
- 21-05-23
Brilliant account and narration
A perceptive intelligent and often humorous account of a major period in American history. Maybe the best performance by a narrator I have heard so far - perfect voice and tone for this book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mr
- 19-10-16
Sweeping view of the aftermath of Watergate
Sweeping view of the aftermath of Watergate in a cultural and political context. The story uses a device of dropping in and out of a biography of Reagan from college days to 1976 Republican convention. This is an excellent a method of telling a narrative of the change in Republican party politics post-Nixon, and US culture at large over those decades. Gives the feel of Reagan trying to be the savior - Come the hour come the man.
Perfect title this book is exactly what it claims to be, it nicely tells a story of how Reagan's ideological conservativism took over the Republican party, from the pragmatic days of Nixon and Kissinger.
Plenty of little sub-stories like how the Vietnam War POWs were treated, and left a leftwing terror group brainwashed a kidnap victim, give the narrative life. This audio book was really easy to follow, a splendid listen I would highly recommend to anyone interested in Republican politics, election campaigns or just the 1970s in general.
Part Reagan bio, part a story of the 1970s. Get this now you will enjoy.
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4 people found this helpful