All the President's Men (Paperback)

by Bob Woodward (Author), Carl Bernstein (Author) "JUNE 17, 1972. Nine o'clock Saturday morning..." (more)
Key Phrases: bugging operation, political espionage, secret fund, White House, Deep Throat, Washington Post (more...)

Editorial Reviews

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

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

Dan RatherAn authentic thriller.

Publishers WeeklyExhilarating and candid...trip-hammer reportage.

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

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

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; 2 edition (June 16, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671894412
• ISBN-13: 978-0671894412
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (100 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #227,389 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

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

By	Robert W. Kellemen "Doc. K." (Crown Point, IN United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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."

21 of 24 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 (New York, New York USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A great book, but only if read in the 70's!, November 18, 1998

By A Customer

As a college student taking Political Science, I was required to read this book for a paper over the Watergate scandel. While this book was extremely informative, it was written for people who already knew the players in the watergate affair and their relationships in Washington. Some 80 names are thrown at you in the first 50 pages alone. In short, this was not a book with which to begin your knowledge of watergate.