John A. Jenkins

Summer
of ’71

Five Months That Changed America

From award-winning journalist and author John A. Jenkins comes a revolutionary exploration of the summer before Watergate—a parallel world of a half-century ago when America faced events and crises strikingly similar to those of today—told through the lives and words of those who lived it.

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Summer of '71 book cover

About the Book

A Season That Echoes Today

Inflation rages. Crime is rising. Abortion rights take center stage at the Supreme Court. China poses an existential threat. Black lives are under attack. The president battles the press as he seeks to subvert not just the political order but the rule of law itself.

This is the Summer of ’71 — a pivotal, operatic season of hope and despair, missed opportunities and era-changing decisions.

More than a half-century later, the importance of events that defined the American experience during that fateful five-month period spanning May to September 1971 is difficult to overstate. Summer of ’71 brings it all to the page through first-person accounts only now becoming available: the papers, diaries, and oral histories of key players.

Award-winning journalist John A. Jenkins witnessed many of the events himself, and draws on Nixon’s White House tapes and a multitude of sources to tell the story of that time as no one else could.

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Behind the Book

Read an Excerpt

Get a behind-the-scenes look at Summer of ’71 with this exclusive excerpt, featuring the Introduction, A Note to Readers, Acknowledgments, Sources, and Photographic Credits.

John A. Jenkins takes you inside his research process — from the Library of Congress archives to Nixon’s White House tapes — and introduces the key figures whose lives define this pivotal summer.

Read Online → ↓ Download the Excerpt (PDF)

Audiobook Excerpt

Listen to the Introduction

A three-minute clip from Summer of ’71, read by the narrator

Official Book Trailer

Watch the Official Trailer for Summer of ’71

Media

In the Press

Articles & Interviews

📄 Interview

An Interview with John A. Jenkins

The Washington Independent Review of Books

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📄 Article

Watergate, Nixon & the Burglary: True Crime at the White House

CrimeReads

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📰 Newsletter

Featured in the Nantucket Sound Newsletter

Save Our Sound · July 2026

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📰 Book Review

In his book ‘Summer of ’71,’ veteran Washington journalist John A. Jenkins says we’ve been here before

The Boston Globe · Kate Tuttle · July 2, 2026

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📰 Article

The Move Into Gold by Other Nations Has Happened Before. It’s Bad News for the U.S. Dollar.

Barron’s · Randall W. Forsyth · June 5, 2026

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📚 Higher Education

Featured in the Penguin Random House Higher Education Newsletter

Penguin Random House Higher Education — Recommended for college curricula

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📄 Feature

Jenkins P’11 Chronicles a Defining Summer in American History

Hobart and William Smith Colleges · July 29, 2026

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🎙 Podcast Interview

Chatterbinge with Ed Kalegi — Hour 1, Segment 3

Chatterbinge · July 3, 2026 · 10 min

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🎙 Podcast Interview

My New Thing with Dan and Zach

John A. Jenkins — Summer of ’71

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🎙 Radio Interview

Westwood One Coast-to-Coast with McGraw Milhaven

Westwood One · July 6, 2026

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Opens in Google Drive

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Video & Event Footage

🎥 Author John A. Jenkins Puts Modern SCOTUS in Historical Context

🎥 Book Launch at Politics & Prose

Author Events

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30July

Orleans, Massachusetts

Sea Howl Bookshop

Orleans Historical Society · 3 River Rd · Orleans, MA 02653

6:30 PM

Books available for purchase and signing. Sales handled by Sea Howl Bookshop.

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13Aug

Georgetown, Texas

Lark & Owl Booksellers

205 6th St Suite 101 · Georgetown, TX 78626

7:00 PM · Check-in at 6:30 PM

Moderated by Travis County State Senator Sarah Eckhardt. Free admission.

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18Aug

Wellfleet, Massachusetts

Wellfleet Public Library

Wellfleet, MA

7:00 PM

In conversation with U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD).

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31Aug

Boston, Massachusetts

Boston Athenæum

10½ Beacon St · Boston, MA 02108

6:00 PM

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24Sep

Syracuse, New York

Parthenon Books

Syracuse, NY

6:00 PM

In conversation with Larry Bousquet.

📅 Calendar
5–26Oct

Online · Four Sessions

92NY Roundtable

Oct 5, 12, 19 & 26 · Online Course

Four-Week Course

Summer of ’71: Five Months That Changed America — four-session online course taught by John A. Jenkins.

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22Oct

Wildwood, Florida

Warfield Auditorium

Wildwood, FL

1:00 PM

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Earlier This Summer

15July

Provincetown, Massachusetts

East End Books

389 Commercial St · Provincetown, MA 02657

6:00 PM

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21July

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Harvard Bookstore

1256 Massachusetts Ave · Cambridge, MA 02138

7:00 PM

Moderated by Hilary Braseth, Executive Director of OpenSecrets.

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30June

Washington, D.C.

Politics and Prose

5015 Connecticut Avenue NW · Washington, DC 20008

7:00 PM

Book launch. Moderated by David Meyers.

Watch Recording
1July

Washington, D.C.

Library of Congress

101 Independence Ave SE · Washington, DC 20540

1:00 PM · Webcast

Watch Webcast
1July

Alexandria, Virginia

Old Town Books

130 S Royal St · Alexandria, VA 22314

7:00 PM

Learn More
7July

Sandwich, Massachusetts

Sandwich Public Library

142 Main St. · Sandwich, MA 02563

6:30 PM

Books available for purchase and signing. Sales handled by Titcomb’s Books.

More Cities Coming Soon

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Now Available · Hardcover · $29.00

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John A. Jenkins

The Author

John A. Jenkins

John A. Jenkins is a multi-award-winning journalist, author, publisher, and entrepreneur. With a specialty in partisans and power, he’s written hundreds of features for major magazines in the U.S. and abroad, including The New York Times Magazine, GQ, and The Washington Monthly.

A four-time recipient of the American Bar Association’s Gavel Award Certificate of Merit, one of the highest awards in legal journalism, he is the founder of Law Street Media, the most widely visited and highly engaged law-and-policy site on the web.

Prior to starting Law Street, Jenkins served for 15 years as President & Publisher of CQ Press, the leading political science textbook and reference publishers. Currently, he co-leads the predictive-AI start-up PoliScio Analytics, which he co-founded in 2022.

He lives in Washington, D.C. and can be found online at JohnAJenkins.com.

Photo by David Guy Ottalini

Visit Author Website

Also by John A. Jenkins

The Partisan: The Life of William Rehnquist (PublicAffairs, 2012)

The Litigators: Inside the Powerful World of America’s High-Stakes Trial Lawyers (Doubleday, 1989)

Ladies’ Man: The Life and Trials of Marvin Mitchelson (St. Martin’s, 1992)

For Book Clubs

Reader’s Guide

Summer of ’71 revisits five pivotal months in American history, when political unrest, media battles, public protest, and institutional power collided in ways that still echo today.

This guide is intended to spark thoughtful discussion and invite readers to reflect on the book’s themes, historical context, and modern parallels.

Download Reader’s Guide (PDF)
  1. Before reading Summer of ’71, what was your understanding of this period in American history? Did the book change or deepen that understanding in any way?
  2. Did this book change your understanding of the Vietnam War? In what way?
  3. A recurring idea in the book is that history moves in cycles. Do you think the events of 1971 feel familiar today? In what ways do you see parallels or differences?
  4. The summer described in the book includes political tension, protest, and distrust in institutions. How do you think Americans at the time might have felt about the direction of the country? How does that compare to how people feel today?
  5. When new information challenged those in power during this period, leaders responded in different ways. How do you think leaders should respond when institutions are questioned or exposed?
  6. Who coined the term “The Madman Theory,” and what was meant by it? Do you think that strategy was effective?
  7. The book reveals that a high-ranking politician believed John F. Kennedy’s assassination resulted from a conspiracy. Who was the politician, and what was his theory? Do you find it plausible?
  8. The book highlights moments when solutions seemed possible, yet ultimately slipped away. Why do you think opportunities for reform sometimes disappear? What factors make meaningful change difficult?
  9. Media plays a powerful role in Summer of ’71. Before reading the book, how did you view the role of journalism in political crises? Has your perspective shifted?
  10. The publication of controversial documents becomes a turning point in the narrative. Why do you think access to information can feel so threatening to those in authority?
  11. Public protest appears in many forms throughout the book. What role do you believe protest plays in a democratic society? When does it strengthen democracy, and when does it create instability?
  12. What sparked the Attica riots? How might they have been avoided? What criticisms do you have of how they were handled?
  13. The title focuses on a single summer. Why do you think the author chose to concentrate on five months rather than a longer stretch of history? What does narrowing the timeline add to the story?
  14. Several figures in the book are shown making consequential decisions under pressure. If you had been in a similar position, what factors would have influenced your choices?
  15. Consider the idea of trust in institutions. What builds public trust? What erodes it? Do you think trust, once lost, can be restored?
  16. The book portrays a country that was energetic, divided, and on the verge of change. Do you think periods of division are necessary for growth, or do they pose more danger than opportunity?
  17. Of all the events described in this book, which one do you think still has the most influence today?
  18. If this book were adapted into a documentary or film, which themes would feel most urgent for a modern audience?
  19. After finishing Summer of ’71, what question about American democracy lingers most for you?

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Press Kit

High-res images, author bio, book jacket, and press release available on request.

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