The Fireside Watergate

1973, possibly first edition, from Sheed & Ward
Nicholas von Hoffman and Gary Trudeau
The Fireside Watergate
Original price $4.95, purchase price $2.95
Good condition hardcover with worn dustjacket
C+

This obviously is the first of my books to mention Watergate, and while it was written before all was revealed, there's certainly enough here for a satire.  Unfortunately, it's just not that funny.  Oh, Trudeau's cartoons (some of which we'll see again in the next Doonesbury collection) are fine, but von Hoffman somehow manages to turn the comedy gold of political scandal into tinsel.  Only his pun of "Impeach Melba" and the discussion of all the IIs, IIIs, and Jrs. in the Nixon White House made me grin.  He's very mean-spirited, which would be OK if it didn't feel pointless.  I also found his misogyny, particularly towards Dean's "Castro convertible" (wife), to be gratuitous. 

As I recall, Schell's The Time of Illusion and Lukas's Nightmare: The Underside of the Nixon Years, which we'll get to in '76, are both not only more insightful but funnier.  Still, let's give von Hoffman credit for turning in his assignment early, and look forward to Trudeau getting a whole book to himself again soon.