Tricky Dick

To understand the rise and fall of Richard Nixon, one must look to his beginnings. Raised by a family with modest means in a childhood beset by tragedy, Nixon learns early to recognize opportunity and, perhaps more importantly, how to seize it.

Nixon loses one of the closest presidential elections in US history to John F. Kennedy. Following another loss in California, he retreats from politics, but in 1968, with a country in turmoil at home and abroad, Nixon senses an opportunity for a comeback.

After entering office in 1969, Richard Nixon finds that his survival hinges on a key promise: to end the Vietnam War. As the conflict rages on and the anti-war movement gains strength, the president suspects a conspiracy against him.

In a historic landslide, Nixon is re-elected to the Oval Office. But shortly into his second term, the cover-up of a break-in at the Democratic National Committee Headquarters at the Watergate complex starts to fall apart.

Until recently, "Tricky Dick" bore the distinction of being the most notorious US president. This four-part series explores Richard Nixon's life and times, tracking his rise, fall, shocking comeback and ultimate political destruction.