Counsel to the President: A Memoir

New York: Random House, 1991. First Edition [stated and thus presumed First Printing]. Hardcover. Very good/Very good. xix, [1],709, [7] pages. Illustrations. Bibliography. Notes. Index. DJ has slight wear and soiling, Inscribed and dated by Clifford on fep. Clark McAdams Clifford (December 25, 1906 - October 10, 1998) was an American lawyer who served as an important political adviser to Democratic presidents Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Jimmy Carter. His official government positions were White House Counsel (1946-1950), Chairman of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board (1963-1968), and Secretary of Defense (1968-1969); Clifford was also influential in his role as an unofficial, informal presidential adviser in various issues. Clifford was considered one of Washington's "superlawyers" due to the reach of his influence and seemingly limitless connections. Clifford's office overlooked the White House, emphasizing his long experience in the capital. In 1980, President Carter appointed him as special presidential emissary to India. Derived from a Kirkus review: Washington's most eminent lawyer, adviser, and confidant of Presidents offers a brilliant and entertaining memoir of life at the pinnacle of power. During WW II he became the naval aide to President Truman and quickly became Truman's principal adviser on domestic and foreign policy. Clifford became primary architect of many of Truman's most splendid accomplishments: the National Security Act, the desegregation of the Armed Forces, and Truman's 1948 electoral victory of Dewey. Then Clifford retired to become a private lawyer in Washington. He had a powerful impact on the policies of the Kennedy Administration. He became involved with the formation of policy in the Johnson Administration. Clifford became LBJ's secretary of defense. His narrative of the Vietnam tragedy fills the reader with regret that LBJ did not follow Clifford's wise counsel. His analysis of Richard Nixon's downfall and of the very dissimilar imperfections of Jimmy Carter's leadership are particularly illuminating.