The world of intrigue was not anomalous in John Meier’s life. His father, Herbert, was a German immigrant whose loyalty to the fatherland led him to risk his life in providing shelter to German spies during World War II. The web that Meier would find himself ensnared in would involve reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes, the Nixon administration, and the CIA. Meier met Hughes in 1956 and was offered a position with Hughes Aircraft. Meier would maintain periodic employment with the Hughes organization for over fifteen years and would become privy to Hughes’ secrets and his political influence. Hughes’ largesse towards Richard Nixon and his family had allegedly cost Nixon the 1960 Presidential election, and Meier witnessed a larger payment to Nixon that may have triggered the Watergate burglary in 1972. As Nixon’s downfall began and chaos reigned in the Hughes organization, Meier retained the secrets that many were seeking.

John Meier(1933-2023) lived an eventful life that featured heroic service in wartime (Korea) and working as a reliable aide to one of the most powerful men in the United States, if not the world. The author’s narrative possesses the hallmark traits of a suspenseful espionage novel as Meier finds himself battling rivals in the Hughes organization (i.e. Robert Maheu, Summa Corporation) and various malevolent factions of US government agencies (CIA, FBI, IRS). The enduring mysteries of the motive behind the Watergate burglary and the enigmatic final days of Howard Hughes are seen through the eyes of Meier and are conveyed in a plausible, if convoluted, manner. The biography paints Meier as a sympathetic figure who became an unwilling pawn in a pair of high-stakes chess games. This is a book that will appeal to history lovers.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review

A 2024 Eric Hoffer Book Award Montaigne Medal Finalist

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