om ous ▁ir ony , ▁Clay ton ▁describes ▁the ▁sexual ▁license ▁of ▁the ▁Ford ▁years ▁in ▁s ala cious ▁detail , ▁altern ating ▁between ▁his ▁mem ories ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁and ▁scenes ▁from ▁his ▁un comple ted ▁bi ography ▁of ▁James ▁Buch an an . ▁ ▁Although ▁Buch an an ' s ▁life ▁and ▁times ▁are ▁discussed ▁in ▁great ▁detail , ▁to ▁the ▁point ▁that ▁Clay ton ▁( and ▁Up di ke ) ▁cross es ▁over ▁into ▁the ▁real m ▁of ▁imag ined ▁thoughts ▁and ▁dialog ue , ▁there ▁is ▁next ▁to ▁nothing ▁said ▁about ▁Ford ▁or ▁his ▁administration ▁in ▁the ▁novel . ▁R ather , ▁the ▁Ford - era ▁part ▁of ▁Clay ton ' s ▁mem ories ▁cent ers ▁almost ▁entirely ▁on ▁the ▁professor ' s ▁personal ▁life , ▁above ▁all ▁his ▁rom antic ▁invol vement ▁with ▁the ▁wife ▁of ▁an ▁English ▁teacher ▁on ▁campus . ▁Sex ual ▁enc oun ters ▁are ▁described ▁in ▁lov ing ▁detail , ▁leaving ▁the ▁reader ▁to ▁think ▁that ▁Clay ton ▁must ▁be ▁off ▁his ▁rails ▁to ▁be ▁enumer ating ▁such ▁dal li ances ▁before ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁N NE AA H . ▁He ▁is ▁off ▁his ▁rails ▁in ▁another ▁way , ▁too , ▁as ▁he ▁is ▁unable ▁to ▁const rain ▁himself ▁in ▁writing ▁about ▁Buch an an , ▁someone ▁generally ▁thought ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁rather ▁a ▁d ud ▁as ▁a ▁person ▁and ▁a ▁president . ▁However , ▁Clay ton ▁bel ieves ▁that ▁Buch an an ▁was ▁largely ▁wrong ly ▁bl amed