On August 9th 1974, Richard Milhous Nixon became the first president in the history of the United States to resign from office. His staff gathered in the Whitehouse to bid him farewell, as millions of Americans watched on television, some in sorrow and disbelief, others are glad to see him go. As president, Richard Nixon had accomplished great things, and had been reelected overwhelmingly, but he was also widely distrusted, sometimes ridiculed, even despised.

In this episode of American Experience, we gain new insight into the inner workings of a man who was a tireless campaigner, having survived more than a quarter of a century of political battles, but so self conscious that he disliked shaking hands and found it hard to look anyone in the eye.