Just Plain Dick

"It all started with some businessmen bankrolling Richard Nixon to become a “salesman against socialization.” But in this precursor to current campaign finance scandals, Nixon had some explaining to do to keep his place on Eisenhower’s Republican ticket, so he took to the airwaves. The speech saved and bolstered Nixon’s political career and set the tone for the 1952 campaign. Just Plain Dick is political history and more. It’s the story of a young man nearing a nervous breakdown and staging a political comeback. While the narrative focuses tightly on the 1952 election cycle—from the spring primaries to the summer conventions, from the allegations against Nixon to the speech in September and finally the election in November—Mattson also provides a broad-stroke depiction of American politics and culture during the Cold War. Entertaining and suspenseful, Just Plain Dick is ideal for political junkies and those fascinated with 1950s America."