All the President's Men [Paperback]

Bob Woodward (Author), Carl Bernstein (Author)

Book Description

Release date: June 16, 1994

In the most devastating political detective story of the century, two Washington Post reporters, whose brilliant, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation smashed the Watergate scandal wide open, tell the behind-the-scenes drama the way it really happened.

Beginning with the story of a simple burglary at Democratic headquarters and then continuing with headline after headline, Bernstein and Woodward kept the tale of conspiracy and the trail of dirty tricks coming -- delivering the stunning revelations and pieces in the Watergate puzzle that brought about Nixon's scandalous downfall. Their explosive reports won a Pulitzer Prize for The Washington Post and toppled the President. This is the book that changed America.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The New York Times A fast-moving mystery, a whodunit written with ease.... A remarkable book.

Dan Rather An authentic thriller.

Publishers Weekly Exhilarating and candid...trip-hammer reportage.

The Denver Post Fascinating, stimulating....One of the greatest detective stories ever told.

The New Republic Much more than a 'hot book.' It is splendid reading...of enormous value....A very human story.

About the Author

Bob Woodward is an associate editor at The Washington Post, where he has worked for forty-one years. He has shared in two Pulitzer Prizes, first for The Washington Post’s coverage of the Watergate scandal, and later for coverage of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He has authored or coauthored twelve #1 national nonfiction bestsellers. He has two daughters, Tali and Diana, and lives in Washington, DC, with his wife, writer Elsa Walsh.

Carl Bernstein is a contributing editor for Vanity Fair magazine and has written for a variety of publications. He is the author of Loyalties: A Son's Memoir, and has coauthored His Holiness: John Paul II and the History of Our Time with Marco Politi, as well as All the President's Men and The Final Days with Bob Woodward.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 349 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; 2 edition (June 16, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671894412
• ISBN-13: 978-0671894412
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1.1 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (125 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,757 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #26 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Social Sciences > Communication & Media Studies
  • #91 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > Political Science

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Deep Throat Divulged June 2, 2005

By Robert W. Kellemen

Format:Paperback

With the recent revelation that second-in-command FBI agent Mark Felt was indeed, as often conjectured, "Deep Throat," Woodward and Bernstein's "All the President's Men" is sure to experience a revival of interest. And why not? It is riveting writing with the cloak-and-danger stuff that would make Ian Fleming jealous.

The opening words of the opening chapter lure in readers. "June 17, 1972. Nine o'clock Saturday morning. Early for the telephone. Woodward fumbled for the receiver and snapped awake. The city editor of the Washington Post was on the line. Five men had been arrested earlier that morning in a burglary at Democratic headquarters, carrying photographic equipment and electronic gear. Could he come in?"

The break-neck pace never stops. Page after page-turning-page, Woodward and Bernstein offer the political detective story of the century with their Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation that smashed the Watergate scandal wide open. In the process, they expose the inner workings of the Washington power elite and the inner workings of a paranoid President who approves a bungling burglary to seal an election that was never in doubt in the first place.

Buy it today. Or, dust off your old copy. This is water-cooler talk and you don't want to be left out.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of "Martin Luther: Pastoral Care in Historical Perspective," "Soul Physicians," "Spiritual Friends," and the forthcoming "Sacred Companions: A History of Soul Care and Spiritual Direction."

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars An important book in contemporary American history July 18, 2002

By Hilde Bygdevoll

Format:Paperback

I am not an American, and I often find that I come short when discussing political history with my American friends. Therefore, I am always looking for books that can fill gaps in my knowledge. "All the President's men" is such a book.

The beginning of this book contains a "Cast of Characters", a detailed description of persons and their involvement in the case. If you are a like me, you make sure to dog-ear this page for your reference, as you work your way through the flurry of different names and places. Fear not, the struggle of keeping track of everyone involved is worth it!

This book provides us with two distinct "different" story-lines. First, a fascinating description of investigative journalism. We learn how newspapers work, the fights over cover-page stories, the importance of getting your name under the story line, and arguments and discussions in the editor's office. I particularly came to admire the owner of the Washington Post, Cathrine Graham, for her tremendous courage during this period. The newspaper received threats, directed to specific people, as well as with regards to possible lawsuits. The case could have brought the paper down and destroyed it completely. Second, the very detailed and interesting guide to the collapse of Richard Nixon, the 37th President of the United States.

The Watergate Scandal started innocently enough, with a simple break-in in the Democratic headquarters in the Watergate Hotel. The "Washington Post" had Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward covering the case. The two inexperienced reporters would soon see that the more they kept digging, the more obscure and unbelievable the story got. In the end, they had a list of people involved including the top level of government, the US intelligence community and ultimately, the White House itself.

What most people don't think of is that, back in the summer of 1972, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein were two young and enthusiastic, but complete "nobodies" in the world of journalism. What they had in common was that they both worked in the Washington Post's "Metro section", but not much more. They disliked each other, and were not keen on working together. So, after spending the first months using a lot of energy mistrusting each other, they learned how to trust each other and work together.

These two young men set in motion a powerful legacy, which extends well beyond their first set of writings for the Washington Post. They covered the case that stands as a milestone in US history. The Watergate Scandal won Woodward and Bernstein fame and fortune, including the Pulitzer Price. Their book "All the President's men" details all the events of one of the greatest political scandal in US history, which in the end, brought down a President.

"All the President's men" is fast-paced, and easy to read. It gives a very good summary of the Watergate Scandal (and American history) to the lay reader.

Comparing the Watergate Scandal with the election in Florida a couple of years back, or Clinton's Lewinsky affair and Travelgate, I think that "All the President's men" puts things in perspective for us, and highlights a REAL political scandal.

I couldn't recommend it more. A page-turner!

25 of 29 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars ...Couldn't put Nixon together again July 14, 2002

By Jason A. Miller VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Time has not dulled the impact of "All the President's Men". It's been thirty years, now, since the thwarted break-in at the Watergate. Most of the higher-ups in President Nixon's administration have passed away, and subsequent generations reared on Iran-Contra and Whitewater may not even remember what the fuss was about. But from the very first page of this book, history becomes life and events rush forward to the inevitable conclusion that still seems impossible today.

Woodward and Bernstein's reporting is the major thrust of the first half of "President's". We watch both reporters work late into the night, interviewing reluctant and/or anonymous witnesses in an attempt to find out just why the Watergate burglars had connections with the White House, and how far up the political chain of command those men were connected. Along the way, mistakes are made and a reputations are wrongfully derailed. But the story -- the crimes and the subsequent cover-ups may have indeed been directed by the President of the United States himself! -- takes on a life of its own, and Woodward and Bernstein become witness to the defining story of an era.

Much of "All the President's Men" has passed into legend, especially the unrevealed identity of Woodward's executive branch contact known only as "Deep Throat". The Watergate players to this day still debate just who Deep Throat was -- John Dean seems to publish a book on the subject every five years. Time has proven most of the accusations correct -- for an interesting exercise, try comparing Woodward's and Bernstein's discoveries with the corresponding daily entries in "The Haldeman Diaries"). The book gives so few clues as to make the exercise nearly impossible, even to those of us who've read all there is to read about Watergate and Nixon. Was it John Dean? Alexander Haig? Perpetual Nixon apologist Bill Safire? The answer will be made known in my lifetime, but I would like to think sooner rather than later.

Although 30 years is a short time in American history, in politics it can be a lifetime. The meticulous triple and quadruple-checking of the Washington Post staff has given way to the unfounded accusations that support a half-dozen instant political bestsellers. Certainly no-one uses the passive voice quite as monotonously as do Woodward and Bernstein. These defects, however, are minor: the antics of Colson and Liddy and Haldeman and even the amusing capers of Donald Segretti remain fascinating in print even today.

When you're done with "All the President's Men", I recommend "The Final Days" (by Woodward and Bernstein) and "The Haldeman Diaries", and then the rebuttal books put out by Nixon staffers such as Haig and Erlichman.