Bob Woodward: 7 Notable Books by Journalist Bob Woodward

Bob Woodward is an investigative journalist and nonfiction book author, beginning his career as a Washington Post reporter in 1971. His books often deal with presidential scandals, war, the supreme court, or otherwise politically-motivated events.

Bob has won two Pulitzer Prizes, the first in 1973 for the coverage of the Watergate scandal which he shared with his partner Carl Bernstein, and the second in 2002 as the lead reporter for the Washington Post coverage of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Gene Roberts, the former managing editor of the New York Times, has called the Woodward-Bernstein Watergate coverage, “maybe the single greatest reporting effort of all time.”

Bob has authored or co-authored 18 books, all of which have been national nonfiction bestsellers, with 12 of those becoming number one national bestsellers. In 2014, Robert Gates, the former director of the CIA and secretary of defense, said that he wished he’d recruited Woodward into the CIA, praising him for his ability to get people to reveal significant and pertinent information to him. Although no longer a reporter for the Washington Post, Bob currently works at the publication as an associate editor.

Bob Woodward’s many impressive authorships (and co-authorships) have topped bestseller lists and received national recognition. Some of Bob Woodward’s top books include:

1. 1. All the President’s Men (1974): Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein co-wrote this nonfiction account exposing the Nixon Administration’s cover-up efforts for their involvement in the 1972 break-ins at the Watergate Hotel, which was headquarters for that year’s Democratic National Convention. Prior to the publication of the book, Woodward and Bernstein’s work on the topic earned them a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 1973. The book covers the scandal from the initial Watergate hotel break-in, to the revelation of the incriminating Nixon White House tapes, to Woodward’s correspondence with the informant known as “Deep Throat.” The book was adapted into an Academy Award-winning feature film by the same name a few years later, starring Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford.
2. 2. The Final Days (1976): Bob also co-authored this book with Carl Bernstein, which details the last days of Richard Nixon’s presidency, including the impeachment process against him and the examination of a series of incriminating audio tapes, known as the Nixon White House Tapes. This follow-up to All The President’s Men further solidified Woodward and Bernstein as a team that was able to discover and report information that few others had access to.
3. 3. The Brethren: Inside the Supreme Court (1979): Co-authored with fellow journalist Scott Armstrong, this book takes a deep look at the political inner workings, egos, and dynamics of the highest court in the United States—the Supreme Court— and how those dynamics and decisions significantly impact the lives of Americans.
4. 4. The Choice: How Bill Clinton Won (1996): Woodward’s book The Choice is an account of the Bill Clinton presidency and his campaign against Republican nominee Bob Dole, including campaign tactics, money, decision-making, and the struggles brought upon their families in their attempt to win the White House. It was assembled from hours of original reporting and interviews with first-hand sources, and the Washington Post said of the book, “Woodward’s top-notch journalism as instant history is an impressively well-done product.”
5. 5. Bush at War (2002): This work is one of many accounts of the George W. Bush presidency, centering around his response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and the war in Afghanistan. Prior to the publication of this book, Bob’s work on the September 11 attacks for the Washington Post won the publication a Pulitzer Prize for National reporting. Three of Woodward’s other books, Plan of Attack (2004), State of Denial: Bush at War, Part III (2006), and The War Within: A Secret White House History (2006–2008) further detail the military efforts of the Bush presidency, including the war in Iraq and the aftermath.
6. 6. The Secret Man: The Story of Watergate’s Deep Throat (2005): In 2005, Simon & Schuster published this account detailing Woodward’s storied relationship with the informant known as “Deep Throat,” and how their information ultimately helped expose the Nixon scandal.
7. 7. Rage (2020): Rage delves into Donald Trump’s presidency and explores many touchstones of his term, such as his mishandling of national crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, to his troubled relationships with world leaders.

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