Description
First edition of Leaders by Richard Nixon, with a great inscription for the future Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich.
Octavo, [10], 371pp. Blue hardcover, black cloth spine, title stamped in silver on spine. Stated “First Printing: October 1982” on copyright page with full number line. Light sunning along top edge of text block, some wear to spine from handling, front hinge showing wear. Stable text block. In the publisher’s dust jacket, $17.50 on front flap, light wear at top edge of spine, bright illustrations.
Inscribed on the half title: “To Newt Gingrich – A rare breed – a conservative intellectual / from / Richard Nixon / 10-1-82.”
When this book was inscribed to Newt Gingrich, he was representing Georgia’s 6th Congressional District. He had recently visited with former President Nixon, to discuss “growing the Republican party.” Nixon suggested that “house Republicans are boring…they have been boring since I was there in 1946… they are hidden away in the political news [and thereby], you cannot reach enough people to create a majority.” (Gingrich, Nixon Foundation, 2022) What came out of Nixon’s suggestion to “be more dynamic” was the Conservative Opportunity Society (COS), which was co-opted by the Reagan administration as the “opportunity society” for the successful 1984 reelection campaign.
