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Washington Behind Closed Doors: The Company
THE NOVEL
327 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1976
About the author
John Ehrlichman
13 books8 followersJohn Daniel Ehrlichman was counsel and Assistant to the President for Domestic Affairs under President Richard Nixon. He was a key figure in events leading to the Watergate first break-in and the ensuing Watergate scandal, for which he was convicted of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and perjury and served a year and a half in prison.
Following his release from prison, Ehrlichman held a number of jobs, first for a quality control firm, then writer, artist and commentator. Ehrlichman wrote several novels, including The Company, which served as the basis for the 1977 television miniseries Washington: Behind Closed Doors. He served as the executive vice president of an Atlanta hazardous materials firm. In a 1981 interview, Ehrlichman referred to Nixon as a "very pathetic figure in American history." His experiences in the Nixon administration were published in his 1982 book, Witness To Power.
Ehrlichman died of complications from diabetes in Atlanta in 1999, after discontinuing dialysis treatments.
Following his release from prison, Ehrlichman held a number of jobs, first for a quality control firm, then writer, artist and commentator. Ehrlichman wrote several novels, including The Company, which served as the basis for the 1977 television miniseries Washington: Behind Closed Doors. He served as the executive vice president of an Atlanta hazardous materials firm. In a 1981 interview, Ehrlichman referred to Nixon as a "very pathetic figure in American history." His experiences in the Nixon administration were published in his 1982 book, Witness To Power.
Ehrlichman died of complications from diabetes in Atlanta in 1999, after discontinuing dialysis treatments.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 28, 2019
If you love a DC behind-the-scenes novel like I do, you will love this book. Given the author's background I figured he knows what he is talking about when it comes to the details of protocol and process, etc. So many authors get this stuff wrong. He may have as well, I'm no expert. But he gave me no reason to doubt the accuracy of his details.
I loved that in the 1970s one could have left one's house in Georgetown at 5:55 pm and gotten to National Airport in time for a 6:30 flight.
I loved that in the 1970s one could have left one's house in Georgetown at 5:55 pm and gotten to National Airport in time for a 6:30 flight.
March 1, 2023
2 stars -1 star for definitely still being under copyright = 1 star
*Very* thinly veiled nonfiction, supposedly written as fiction. The story about tricky Richard "Dick" Nixon^WMonckton, and his Plumbers, and William Martin who definitely, couldn't possibly be Richard Helms, and so on. The tale of a true conspiracy, one that unravelled. A suggestion that there was more to it than the public was aware -- a very plausible account that the CIA knew, the whole time, but stayed quiet, about what Nixon was up to.
This book was written back during an era when
* The POTUS causing the deaths of say, 8000 americans was something people would freak out about - Covid has killed so, so many, that this is below the threshold of scandal, and I found it hard to take the whole Rio del Muerte subplot seriously (though it was clearly based on a real event, or some real events, pretty sure Noam Chomsky has touched on it in some of his public talks)
* there was a free press, or at least enough of one that the POTUS couldn't just get them all in line and whip them around wag-the-dog style, and if the POTUS *was* corrupt, the american people could actually do something about it. At least if the CIA nudged things along.
A couple of details stuck out
1) There is mention of the NSA, both of what it did, and the fact that they were engaging in *domestic* surveillance in addition to their (legal, though still dubious) mass-surveillance of foreigners. Considering The Puzzle Palace wasn't to be written for another 6 years, this was a detail that was shockingly honest. Perhaps given the whole thing was written as fiction, people weren't supposed to notice that little detail. Generally: this is a story of The United States grappling with surveillance, a surveillance that has run amok.
2) This book, among other things, tells the story about Dr. Henry Kissinger^W^WTessler, perhaps not at the peak of his influence, but certainly at some of the key points early in his career that established him. It definitely flushes him out, as a character. It doesn't redeem him, but it does make his career path make more sense.
3) This book takes place in 1971, and as such, it is actually a decent resource for so many little details of that era, the paranoia of the US executive around that time. Perhaps this isn't so interesting for most, but as someone interested in the events of 1971, it was a pleasant surprise to find so much in this book. Especially the description of how washington functioned at the level of the cocktail parties and intrigue; this will be invaluable later.
4) The description of the functioning of the CIA/FBI, as a bureaucracy, and the really valuable work that was done (and threatened with budget cuts) - bookish analysts reading the newspaper, extracting little details, and having situational awareness through paying attention. Given I spent the rest of the day following ~6,500 people around the internet, I can appreciate the hint here.
5) How many of the political issues were interconnected, especially at the level of the POTUS. How the rise of China began. How it was *directly* connected with bussing in places like Chicago, and racial desegregation. How a real conspiracy succeeded, for awhile, to make very different things fit into a much bigger puzzle.
*Very* thinly veiled nonfiction, supposedly written as fiction. The story about tricky Richard "Dick" Nixon^WMonckton, and his Plumbers, and William Martin who definitely, couldn't possibly be Richard Helms, and so on. The tale of a true conspiracy, one that unravelled. A suggestion that there was more to it than the public was aware -- a very plausible account that the CIA knew, the whole time, but stayed quiet, about what Nixon was up to.
This book was written back during an era when
* The POTUS causing the deaths of say, 8000 americans was something people would freak out about - Covid has killed so, so many, that this is below the threshold of scandal, and I found it hard to take the whole Rio del Muerte subplot seriously (though it was clearly based on a real event, or some real events, pretty sure Noam Chomsky has touched on it in some of his public talks)
* there was a free press, or at least enough of one that the POTUS couldn't just get them all in line and whip them around wag-the-dog style, and if the POTUS *was* corrupt, the american people could actually do something about it. At least if the CIA nudged things along.
A couple of details stuck out
1) There is mention of the NSA, both of what it did, and the fact that they were engaging in *domestic* surveillance in addition to their (legal, though still dubious) mass-surveillance of foreigners. Considering The Puzzle Palace wasn't to be written for another 6 years, this was a detail that was shockingly honest. Perhaps given the whole thing was written as fiction, people weren't supposed to notice that little detail. Generally: this is a story of The United States grappling with surveillance, a surveillance that has run amok.
2) This book, among other things, tells the story about Dr. Henry Kissinger^W^WTessler, perhaps not at the peak of his influence, but certainly at some of the key points early in his career that established him. It definitely flushes him out, as a character. It doesn't redeem him, but it does make his career path make more sense.
3) This book takes place in 1971, and as such, it is actually a decent resource for so many little details of that era, the paranoia of the US executive around that time. Perhaps this isn't so interesting for most, but as someone interested in the events of 1971, it was a pleasant surprise to find so much in this book. Especially the description of how washington functioned at the level of the cocktail parties and intrigue; this will be invaluable later.
4) The description of the functioning of the CIA/FBI, as a bureaucracy, and the really valuable work that was done (and threatened with budget cuts) - bookish analysts reading the newspaper, extracting little details, and having situational awareness through paying attention. Given I spent the rest of the day following ~6,500 people around the internet, I can appreciate the hint here.
5) How many of the political issues were interconnected, especially at the level of the POTUS. How the rise of China began. How it was *directly* connected with bussing in places like Chicago, and racial desegregation. How a real conspiracy succeeded, for awhile, to make very different things fit into a much bigger puzzle.
January 18, 2017
One of Nixon's sidemen found time during the Watergate crisis to knock off this Washington-based thriller, about a CIA boss trying to deal with US Presidents 1960-70. JFK, LBJ and Tricky Dick all appear under the thinnest of disguises, along with impressions of Kissinger and various minor leaguers. We get authentic detail of the intrigues, double-bluffing and ludicrousness going on in the top chambers. The author's most implausible move is to have it that the Kennedy-counterpart died of an honest accident, and wasn't even assassinated.
July 1, 2016
Casi un año para terminarlo jeje. Es una lectura ligera que se trata de un escándalo en USA por parte del presidente y su equipo.
December 31, 2021
Read this after watching the series. Caused my interest in American politics. Didn't understand Nixon at that time. Did understand in later years. I guess having read the conspiracy theorists and seeing the indictments after watergate and reading people like mark lane that there is a hidden aspect I didn't see in the book. An interesting one. About JFK and the CIA which goes beyond the paperback. Very enjoyable at the time. Good introduction to watergate and its links to the cia - although the CIA was much more involved that the book shows.
July 6, 2021
Given the date of publication, and the current U.S. political landscape, this book satisfied with its intrigue and power machinations. The romance stuff, eh, but not so insipid or intrusive that it ruined the story.
May 25, 2014
An enjoyable read, loosely based on the author's time as one of Nixon's key aides in campaigns and in power. The book focusses on a fictional CIA Director, how he got to that position under the sponsorship and control of 2 presidents, and how he survived under the next president. Part of the interest is in tying the fictional characters to the real-life players on whom they were presumably based. Nixon is obvious, as is Kissinger and Haldeman. Others less so.
The author was himself convicted as a conspirator in the illegal activities related to Watergate, so he was right in the thick of the real action (although I understand he denied this to his death). I presume that the main storyline of this book, about the CIA Director, is more fictional than the parts about Watergate-like behaviour from the White House, but would be intrigued to find out how much of it is based on real life too.
A good read, especially if you are interested in the real-life story of Watergate.
Want to read
November 24, 2016Many moons ago, I saw this as a mini-series on TV. Having now read All the President's Men, I thought I'd have a see how the "fictionalised" version stacks up against the real story.
September 25, 2014
More interesting as a fictionalized version of the Nixon White House and DC in the 60s and 70s than as a thriller.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews