On His Own Terms: A Life of Nelson Rockefeller

Smith, past director of several presidential libraries and in-house historian for C-SPAN, has written a piece of first-rate scholarship on one of the most complex public figures of the 20th century, Nelson Rockefeller (1908–79). If you thought you knew "Rocky" (a name he disliked greatly), think again. At the hands of this acclaimed presidential scholar, we see a towering public figure in all his ambition, glory, and disappointment. In many respects, Rockefeller's story is America's story. Granted, he was born into one of the most consequential and controversial financial and social dynasties in the history of the United States. But, whether suffering from dyslexia or not realizing his insatiable political thirst for the presidency, Rockefeller's life narrative echoes America's quest for greatness and the dangers of hubris. Simply put, Smith makes his subject live, from the cradle to his final days. Rockefeller was a private person who loved the limelight and was as colorful as he was conflicted. As Smith so ably documents, he loved both the combat of the political arena and the solitude of the art gallery.