On 9 August 1974, President Nixon resigned because of criminal activity in connection with Watergate and flies to California. At noon the same day, Gerald R. Ford becomes the 38th President of the United States. In the ensuing 895 days, Ford's term in office, he dealt with South Vietnam, North Korea, the Helsinki Accord, Cuba, the operational transfer of the Panama canal, the death of Franco, the invasion of East Timor by Indonesia, public outrage at CIA misdeeds, the US Bicentennial and Operation Paul Bunyon. It is mounts belief that developments which changed the world took place when Ford was President of the US. In some of these, he was an instigator, in others he reacted to events precipitated by others. Making extensive use of the Gerald Ford Presidential Library, both the archives and the museum, Mount examines the very documents produced by President Ford, members of his cabinet and the White House staff and through this offers readers a window into the world between 9 August 1974 and 20 January 1976.