There have been many books written on the Watergate scandal in the 50-plus years since the scandal first broke.
Perhaps the most famous of these accounts was All the President’s Men, published in 1974. That book, of course, was later adapted into the film of the same name, starring Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman as the greatest reporting duo of all time: Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein.
Over the years since Watergate, many of the players involved have written their own accounts of what happened. Even Nixon himself wrote about the scandal in his memoir RN in 1978. Still, until just three years ago, there hadn’t been a definitive account of the scandal.
Enter Garrett Graff’s 2022 book, titled Watergate A New History. Graff’s book is the definitive account of the scandal that brought down Nixon, and led to many in Nixon’s inner circle to serve time for crimes involving dirty tricks.
Graff’s novel is an in-depth look at the scandal, which went on for more than two years. Graff did not conduct any new interviews to write this book. Rather, he largely compiles all of the work that has come in the five decades since Watergate. The end result is a nearly 700-page book that delves deep into one of the most fascinating points of U.S. history in the 20th Century.
Watergate takes the reader through the entire scandal. However, it also starts earlier than the break-in. The early chapters focus on the Nixon Administration’s involvement in the Pentagon Papers. While the book largely focuses on the Watergate break-in and the aftermath, it is important that the book detailed the controversy of the Pentagon Papers, too. The dirty tricks committed by members of Nixon’s inner circle would later come to fruition in the aftermath of the Watergate break-in.
Graff is a powerful writer. His account of the scandal is a largely blow-by-blow of everything that happened during the aftermath of the break-in. It reads like all great political thrillers. The footnotes provided throughout the story add helpful context to the events depicted in the book.
Where the book truly shines is that it doesn’t just focus on Nixon and his inner circle. Rather, the book features anecdotes from players on every side of the scandal, including Woodward and Bernstein, the famous Deep Throat (a.k.a. Deputy FBI Director W. Mark. Felt), both Special Prosecutors appointed to investigate the scandal, and members of Congress who served on the congressional Watergate committee.
Although there are a few typos that result in some timeline errors, the book remains an enjoyable read for its entire length. There is not a single moment of boredom while reading the book. Die-hard Watergate historians (both professional and amateur) are sure to learn something new about the scandal while reading the book.
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