Having written several nicely done biographies of such historical figures as Dwight Eisenhower, Robert Kennedy, and John Paul Jones, veteran journalist Evan Thomas turns his attention to Richard Nixon. In Being Nixon: A Man Divided (Random House, $35), Thomas provides a well-researched, updated view of our controversial 37th president. Thomas has a knack for balanced reporting and for clearly articulating complex topics. He sets out to try to get past what he calls “the cartoon version of Nixon,” taking pains at times to couple indictments and negative appraisals with offsetting sympathetic views and kinder counterexamples. Without glossing over Nixon’s well-known darker tendencies toward hate, paranoia, and vindictiveness, Thomas also highlights his shyness, sentimentality, and devotion to family. By striving to pack the long story of Nixon’s embattled life into a single book, Thomas produces a useful work that is both comprehensive and authoritative. But the range of Nixon’s experiences and the broad impact of his actions complicate a one-book-fits-all approach, and as a deeply flawed, ever-conflicted character, Nixon proves a difficult challenge for a biographer as even-handed as Thomas.