The Young Nixon and His Rivals: Four California Republicans Eye the White House, 1946-1958

During his rise to national prominence, Richard Nixon as forced to confront the political ambitions of fellow Californians Earl Warren, William Knowland and Goodwin Knight, all of whom shared in his dream of becoming president. The simultaneous ascent of these four Republican politicians--dubbed the "four giants" by the regional and national media--led to intense personal rivalries which would affect presidential politics for more than a decade. This book traces Nixon's relationships with each man from 1946, when he was the least well-known of the four, until 1958, when the experienced vice president facilitated the self-destruction of his two most dangerous rivals. It is the story of a bitter competition moderated by common identity and shared party loyalty, focusing on the personal qualities which made each of these politicians so formidable--and so flawed.