Ford, Gerald R. A Time to Heal (New York: Harper & Row, 1979), pp.3

When Haig appeared at three-thirty that afternoon, he looked even more beaten and harassed than he had earlier. Since our morning meeting, he had either read the transcripts or heard them discussed in great detail. The tapes made clear that Nixon knew the whole story on June 23, 1972. And when that evidence became public, Nixon’s case would disintegrate. In moments of stress, Haig proceeds very deliberately, choosing his words with great care. Bow he came to the point: “Are you ready, Mr. Vice President, to assume the Presidency in a short period of time?�

“If it happens, Al, I am prepared,� I said. Our conversation that day had an unusual formality, both of us aware that we were speaking not only as friends but also for the record book.