Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 21 › Conversation 021-054

Nixon phone call with Keogh on Book review and Autographed copy

Monday, March 13, 1972 · 3:50 PM–3:52 PM ET · White House Telephone · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Keogh, JamesConversation021-054 on Tape 21 (tape position 02:04:20–02:06:53)StartMonday, March 13, 1972 at 3:50 PMEndMonday, March 13, 1972 at 3:52 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 021-054 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 646310108 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon spoke with James Keogh by telephone to acknowledge receipt of an autographed copy of Keogh's book, "President Nixon and the Press," and to discuss its potential reception by reviewers. Nixon expressed interest in the book's content and mentioned his own reading habits, while Keogh confirmed he was also working on a forthcoming book and sought further anecdotes and quotes from Nixon and others.

  • President Nixon and the Press
  • James Keogh
  • Book review
  • Autographed copy
  • Forthcoming book
  • Anecdotes
  • Quotes
  • Kenneth W. Clawson

Audio

Download MP3 · 5.9 MB

This clip of the conversation was cut from the tape by the National Archives (catalog record ↗).

NARA Description

On March 13, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and James Keogh talked on the telephone from 3:50 pm to 3:52 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 021-054 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 21-54

Date: March 13, 1972
Time: 3:50 pm - 3:52 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with James Keogh.

[See Conversation No. 683-20/684-1A]

     Keogh’s book [President Nixon and the Press]
         -Autographed copy given to the President
         -Interest in book
         -Content
         -Review
               -Compared to Edith Efron book [The News Twister]
         -Kenneth W. Clawson
               -Former career as a writer
         -Forthcoming book by Keogh
               -Hobart D. (“Hobe”) Lewis
               -Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo
                      -Informatio for book
               -Quotes and anecdotes
         -The President’s reading habits

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was made by an AI model listening to the recording (gemini-3.8-flash) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Speaker names are the model's inference from the voices and the participant list. Words and names can still be wrong — verify against the audio and the finding aid before citing.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).

NixonHello?
OperatorMr. James Keogh, Mr. President.
NixonYeah.
OperatorGo ahead.
NixonHello?
KeoghHello, Mr. President.
NixonJim, I wanted you to know that they just brought me in an autographed copy of your book. I can't tell you that I read it, but I just looked at the titles, and I imagine it's very good reading. I hope that some people have the good sense to buy it. In any event, I'm going to see that some of my friends receive copies of it.
NixonDon't- don't- don't give it, believe it, I'll tell you. We're going to buy it. And it sounds extremely interesting. Is it going to- You think anybody'll review it, or will they black you out?
KeoghWell, I think they'll I think they'll review it because I think they're going to want to fight with it, and that's all right with me.
NixonWell, they they sort of they sort of sank that Efron book. I didn't think they'd reviewed it much, but in your case I guess they really have to review yours because of the position you held, don't you think?
KeoghI think they do. I think, right. I don't think it's possible to ignore us.
NixonBoy, I I hope they do, and as I say, I was sitting here with Ken Clawson, who's come with us now, you know, used to be in one of the publications here in town, and he's I just said, "You can't go home again now." [laughter] That's your problem.
KeoghWell, it's a problem, all right.
NixonYeah, but I hope you've enjoyed it, and hope your other opus is coming along well, too.
KeoghWell, I think it is. I've I think that we have a pretty good thing put together there. I talked with Hobe about it the other day.
NixonYeah, I talked to I got hold of I got tried to get the kids and Bebe and others. I'll try to recall a few things. I just, you know, things of that sort are so hard to recall, but I think they probably given you a little flavor.
KeoghYes, they have. Bebe's given me some very good things, and Manolo was helpful, and so, I think we're in pretty good shape there, but I can take still more. I can
NixonYeah, right.
NixonYeah.
Keoghuse anything that anybody can think of.
NixonThis is on the on the personal stuff, yeah.
KeoghYes, it's really it's it's all based on quotes, is what it is.
NixonQuotes?
KeoghYes, quotes. It's Oh, I see. It's It's It's Well, it's quotes and anecdotes.
NixonQuotes and anecdotes. Boy, those are the hardest things to find.
KeoghYes, but I think I have a feeling it's working out pretty well.
NixonMm-hm. Mm-hm.
NixonWell, okay. Well, we we miss you, and I'll I'll I'll see that I talk your book up, but without ever having read it. But don't- but assume I never read anything.
KeoghI think that
NixonYou see, that would knock down my credentials as being a know-nothing [laughter] if I read a book.
KeoghWell, I hope it does some good.
NixonYeah, it ought to. Okay. Give our best to your wife. Bye.
KeoghI hope it does.

Also recorded on March 13, 1972

  • 683-015 3:15 PM · 26 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Otto E. Passman, Henry A. Kissinger, Richard K. Cook, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:15 pm to 3:41 pm.
  • 683-016 3:41 PM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:41 pm and 3:48 pm.
  • 683-017 3:41 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:41 pm and 3:48 pm.
  • 683-018 3:41 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:41 pm and 3:48 pm.
  • 683-019 3:41 PM · 42 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:41 pm and 3:48 pm.
  • 683-020 3:48 PM · 30 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, Kenneth W. Clawson, James Keogh, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:48 pm to 4:58 pm.
  • 684-001 3:48 PM · 1 hr 46 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, Kenneth W. Clawson, White House operator, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:48 pm and 6:03 pm.
  • 021-055 3:52 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:52 pm and 5:11 pm.

All 56 conversations from March 13, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 021-054, March 13, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 646310108). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/021-054 (accessed November 2, 2026).