South Florida resident, bestselling New York Times author and Richard Nixon admirer Roger Stone hit Tampa Tuesday evening to promote "Nixon's Secrets," his newest book on the former president.
Stone himself was a firsthand witness of the ins and outs of the former presidents time in office -- he served as the youngest member on Nixons staff in 1972. It wasnt until after Nixons presidency, however, that the two fostered a closer relationship, which continued until Nixons death.
The book chronicles Nixons triumphs, losses and the hard work and resilience that carried him through his presidency.
My book is the story of the rise and fall, and rise and fall ... and rise and fall, and ultimate resurrection of Richard Nixon, which is pretty good, because Jesus Christ only pulled that resurrection thing off once, he told the crowd at the signing.
Many people tend to overlook Nixons presidency due to Watergate -- exactly what compelled Stone to pen his book.
He does have an inherent greatness, and I think people have lost sight of that, he told Sunshine State News. He has real, solid accomplishments and unfortunately, all of that gets lost in Watergate.
Stone said he had two goals in mind when writing the book: to tell the story of Nixons comeback and to create a historical reappraisal of the Watergate scandal.
The narrative weve been told by [Bob] Woodward and [Carl] Bernstein is not the truth, he said.
Stone has challenged the existence of the secretive informant Deep Throat, calling him fictional, used by Woodward to end examination into his sources and cover up his own personal background.
Despite Watergate, Stone contends Nixon is still one of the most interesting figures in modern time.
I just want people to see that [Nixon] is endlessly fascinating, he explained to SSN. Hes the most compelling and most durable figure of the 20th century -- hes someone who dominates politics for 40 years. Its an exceptional run.
Up next for Stone? A profile on former President Bill Clinton and former first lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Theyve both been involved in crimes that have not been publicly reported, said Stone, who said hes already started writing the book, which will focus on alleged assaults committed by the former president.
Stone said the book will be released early next year.
Reach Tampa-based reporter Allison Nielsen via email atallison@sunshinestatenews.comor follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.