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Watergate: A New History Paperback – Feb. 14 2023
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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * “Do we need still another Watergate book? The answer turns out to be yes—this one.” —The Washington Post * “Dazzling.” —The New York Times Book Review
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Only Plane in the Sky, comes the first definitive narrative history of Watergate—“the best and fullest account of the crisis, one unlikely to be surpassed anytime soon” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)—exploring the full scope of the scandal through the politicians, investigators, journalists, and informants who made it the most influential political event of the modern era.
In the early hours of June 17, 1972, a security guard named Frank Wills enters six words into the log book of the Watergate office complex that will change the course of history: 1:47 AM Found tape on doors; call police.
The subsequent arrests of five men seeking to bug and burgle the Democratic National Committee offices—three of them Cuban exiles, two of them former intelligence operatives—quickly unravels a web of scandal that ultimately ends a presidency and forever alters views of moral authority and leadership. Watergate, as the event is called, becomes a shorthand for corruption, deceit, and unanswered questions.
Now, award-winning journalist and bestselling author Garrett M. Graff explores the full scope of this unprecedented moment from start to finish, in the first comprehensive, single-volume account in decades.
The story begins in 1971, with the publication of thousands of military and government documents known as the Pentagon Papers, which reveal dishonesty about the decades-long American presence in Vietnam and spark public outrage. Furious that the leak might expose his administration’s own duplicity during a crucial reelection season, President Richard M. Nixon gathers his closest advisors and gives them implicit instructions: Win by any means necessary.
Within a few months, an unsteady line of political dominoes are positioned, from the creation of a series of covert operations code-named GEMSTONE to campaign-trail dirty tricks, possible hostage situations, and questionable fundraising efforts—much of it caught on the White House’s own taping system. One by one they fall, until the thwarted June burglary attracts the attention of intrepid journalists, congressional investigators, and embattled intelligence officers, one of whom will spend decades concealing his identity behind the alias “Deep Throat.” As each faction slowly begins to uncover the truth, a conspiracy deeper and more corrupt than anyone thought possible emerges, and the nation is thrown into a state of crisis as its government—and its leader—unravels.
Using newly public documents, transcripts, and revelations, Graff recounts every twist with remarkable detail and page-turning drama, bringing readers into the backrooms of Washington, chaotic daily newsrooms, crowded Senate hearings, and even the Oval Office itself during one of the darkest chapters in American history.
Grippingly told and meticulously researched, Watergate is the defining account of the moment that has haunted our nation’s past—and still holds the power to shape its present and future.
- Print length832 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherAvid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster
- Publication dateFeb. 14 2023
- Dimensions15.24 x 4.32 x 22.86 cm
- ISBN-10198213917X
- ISBN-13978-1982139179
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Product description
Review
“Do we need still another Watergate book? The answer turns out to be yes — this one: Garrett M. Graff’s Watergate: A New History. It is a remarkably rich narrative with compelling characters, who range from criminal and flawed to tragic and heroic. As someone who played a small role in the drama while I was editing many of The Washington Post’s Watergate stories, I found that Graff convincingly populates and re-creates an extraordinary time in the history of the country and this city. ... fast-paced ... filled with apt sketches of its many characters, major and minor, from all the president’s men, and some of their spouses, to journalists, investigators, lawyers and members of Congress. It vividly re-creates all the key events, from Nixon’s overreaction to the revelation of the Pentagon Papers about the Vietnam War in June 1971 to his resignation in August 1974.... engaging, informative and thought-provoking, more than earning its place on bookshelves alongside the old histories.” —Len Downie, Jr., The Washington Post
“Dazzling. . . A lively writer, Graff explores the dramatic scope of the Watergate saga through its participants — politicians, investigators, journalists, whistle-blowers and, at center stage, Nixon himself.” —Douglas Brinkley, The New York Times Book Review
“Award-winning author Graff aims to give readers the full scope of Watergate — a much bigger, more bizarre story than even remembered — telling the full story from start to finish in this ambitious book.” —New York Post
“A definitive, exhaustive account of the scandal. . . a fascinating, horrifying examination of the Nixon presidency up close—enough to scare the record straight.” —AirMail
“A meticulously researched, expansive history of the Watergate scandal from start to finish, from the release of the Pentagon Papers in 1971 to the reverberations that echo through present day.” —Barbara VanDenburgh, USA TODAY
“A brisk, riveting, compulsively readable, comprehensive, up-to-date narrative of the entire tangled affair, and it's hard to imagine it better told. . . . Now the best and fullest account of the Watergate crisis, one unlikely to be surpassed anytime soon.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Monumental. . . effortlessly clarifies the strands of one of the most complex episodes in modern history. . . A masterful, epic look at a story that is still barely believable.” —The Daily Mail
“This meticulously researched and documented book should now become the definitive source for those who wish to dive into the cesspool of deceit, intrigue and criminal behavior that were associated with the seemingly innocuous break-in and the cover-up. ... [Graff] makes a valiant attempt to connect all the disparate threads from the confusing tapestry of multiple investigations, muffled tapes and self-serving memoirs available. His organization of the book makes the 700-plus pages flow seamlessly as the investigators reach their inevitable conclusions. In summary, this book should be required reading for any citizen with the faintest interest in how the sausage-factory of Washington politics functions and how our country has managed to arrive at today’s dysfunctional impasse.” —J. Kemper Campbell, Lincoln Journal-Star
“Lively, wide-ranging, detailed.” —Erica J. Smith, The Virginian Pilot
“Garrett Graff aptly calls Watergate a 'Gordian knot of scandal.' This comprehensive, searching, yet elegant book untangles it more completely than any attempt so far. I learned a lot!” —Rick Perlstein, bestselling author of Nixonland and Reaganland
“Watergate is one of the great tragic double-edged swords of modern American history: its crimes were swiftly exposed, the criminals punished, the rule of law restored––and it profoundly, permanently undermined American citizens' trust in their government. Garrett Graff's fresh chronicle of that inflection point is lucid, enlightening and indispensable.” —Kurt Andersen, author of Evil Geniuses and writer-host of Nixon at War
“I thought I knew all the Watergate stories. I was wrong. Graff did a herculean job going through so much existing Watergate material to pull together a compelling new story and make it all fresh again. Think you know the entire story from beginning to end? Not until you’ve read this.” —Howard Mortman, C-SPAN communications director and author of When Rabbis Bless Congress
“Expertly researched and assembled, this is a valuable introduction to one of history’s greatest political scandals. . . . Graff skillfully interweaves the perspectives of journalists and law enforcement officials investigating the Watergate break-in with the Nixon team’s attempts to “use the organs of government to cover up their own rogue operation,” and incisively analyzes how the congressional inquiry into the scandal resulted in Democrats and Republicans coming together to uphold the Constitution and limit the powers of the president.” —Publishers Weekly
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster (Feb. 14 2023)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 832 pages
- ISBN-10 : 198213917X
- ISBN-13 : 978-1982139179
- Item weight : 866 g
- Dimensions : 15.24 x 4.32 x 22.86 cm
- Best Sellers Rank: #17,241 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #16 in U.S. Politics
- #90 in Government (Books)
- #91 in Political Biographies (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Garrett M. Graff, a distinguished magazine journalist, bestselling historian, and regular TV commentator, has spent more than a dozen years covering politics, technology, and national security—helping to explain where we’ve been and where we’re headed.
Today, he serves as the director of the Aspen Institute’s cybersecurity and technology program, and is a contributor to WIRED, Longreads, and CNN. He’s written for publications from Esquire to the New York Times, and served as the editor of two of Washington’s most prestigious magazines, Washingtonian and POLITICO Magazine, which he helped lead to its first National Magazine Award, the industry’s highest honor.
Graff is the author of multiple books, including "The First Campaign: Globalization, the Web, and the Race for the White House," which examined the role of technology in the 2008 presidential race, and "The Threat Matrix: Inside Robert Mueller’s FBI," which traces the history of the FBI’s counterterrorism efforts. His book, "Raven Rock," a national bestseller, about the government’s Cold War Doomsday plans, was published in May 2017, and his most recent book, co-authored with John Carlin, examined the rise of cyber threats, "Dawn of the Code War: America's Battle Against Russia, China, and the Rising Global Cyber Threat."
Previously, he was the founding editor of mediaBistro.com’s FishbowlDC (www.FishbowlDC.com), a popular blog that covers the media and journalism in Washington, and co-founder of EchoDitto, Inc., a multi-million-dollar Washington, D.C.-based internet strategy consulting firm. During his time at FishbowlDC, he was the first blogger admitted to cover a White House press briefing in 2005, a moment considered significant enough that his reporter’s notebook from that first briefing is on display at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. A Vermont native, he served as deputy national press secretary on Howard Dean’s presidential campaign and, beginning in 1997, was then-Governor Dean’s first webmaster.
He taught at Georgetown University for seven years, including courses on journalism and technology, and his writing and commentary has appeared in publications like the Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, New York, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Rolling Stone, 5280, Politico, AARP Magazine, Eater, Smithsonian Air & Space Magazine, USA Today, GQ UK, NextCity, and he has appeared on CBS This Morning, The Today Show, Good Morning America, CBC, the BBC, Al Jazeera English, the History Channel, National Geographic, and various NPR programs, including “This American Life,” “Fresh Air,” and “All Things Considered.”
Customer reviews

Reviewed in Canada on March 27, 2022
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But the substance of the book is great. Graff introduces you to the era where this takes place. He does a phenomenal job explaining the circumstances that lead to the original break-in and the culture surrounding Nixon in the White House that allowed the dishonesty and trickery to be enabled and encouraged. His footnotes, of which there are usually at least a few per chapter, also add some helpful context that I found quite interesting. He also notes instances where accounts differ because many people involved in Watergate tell things differently. I found myself very satisfied with what I learned and I come away with a much better understanding of why things happened the way they did and the reasons why some people behaved in the ways they did. It is interesting to know all the things that happened in that time period, because if one or two of those things didn't happen, I think things would be a lot different. I also found that this entire incident is funny at times. You'd be surprised at the incompetence of some people or the weird ideas they came up with. He also brings to life people who may have been disregarded in the following decades since.
If I could nitpick things, I would say that I wish he spent a bit more time discussing what some parties thought of Watergate by the time the scandal came to an end. From the original break-in to Nixon's resignation (no need for a spoiler warning, right?), many parties become involved with investigating it. There are some people who investigated Nixon, but for one reason or another were not the ones who caused his downfall. I think it would have been good to know what they thought of the matter by the end of it.
Overall, I think this book is a fantastic (albeit long) read if you want to learn about the entire scandal. I feel it was a very comprehensive telling with the most up-to-date information.
I'm a professional historian myself and I know factual errors can happen, so I'll give this a further shot when the replacement arrives, but I'm not optimistic after reading other customer reviews here that the new copy will be any better, or that there won't be more careless failures to check facts.

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on March 27, 2022
I'm a professional historian myself and I know factual errors can happen, so I'll give this a further shot when the replacement arrives, but I'm not optimistic after reading other customer reviews here that the new copy will be any better, or that there won't be more careless failures to check facts.



While many are aware of the Watergate break-in, at least in passing, Graff explores the lead-up to thinks and how Richard M. Nixon was in the middle of it all. A man who was as insecure with his hold on the American people as any other politician, Nixon sought to secure his hold on the presidency and the White House through enduring the downfall of those around him, particularly Democrats and anyone seeking to expose his dealings with others. While many of those around Nixon were smart and able-bodied men, the degree of sycophancy is baffling, both as the plot to enter the Democratic National Headquarters was hatched and the plan came to fruition. Nixon was in the middle of it, though he appeared to layer himself with a number of others willing to take at least some of the blame.
Graff looks at the break-in and other criminal acts that took place, then follows the thread of the discussion around how Nixon tried to downplay things in the public eye, choosing the wash his hands of those who were caught, as was the plan all along. As a number of journalists got their hands on information, the pressure rose, but Nixon kept deferring to the acts of others and how he had no idea what was going on. The smoking gun, or tape recorder, emerged with a number of recorded conversations Nixon had, incriminating him throughout the process and making it clear that he tried to use executive power to be above the law. Nixon skirted justice as best he could, but there was no way to ignore the disaster that was coming.
Graff’s excellent analysis of the political aspect of things is second to none. Congress, though wanting to slowly ensure things were actually as they seemed, acted and began investigations, something that soon garnered bipartisan and bicameral support, showing that Nixon’s actions could not be ignored by those within his own party. The wheels were in motion to bring the president to his knees, not in an act of political power grabbing, but to show the country that no man or woman is above the law. Exploring the congressional actions, Graff allows the reader to have a wonderfully detailed look inside the proceedings and how many players sought to shape American’s future in their own way. The outcome, everyone knows, but how things ramped up and what led to the Nixon’s resignation are all within the pages of this book. A stunning account of a man who surely showed POTUS 45 how lying and cheating could be done. Too bad no one caught the most recent former POTUS with his hand in the cookie jar enough to share the sycophantic blinders from their eyes.
Gathering all the background material and synthesising it into a single book is surely one of the great things about this tome. Garrett M. Graff does a formidable job of this, keeping the reader on the the edge of their seats, while also educated on the nuances of this major political happening. Thorough discussion throughout keeps the narrative fresh and highly alluring, with something new to learn with every page turn. Chapters pace the story of Watergate well, inserting great place holders for the reader who is only able to digest a small portion of the goings-on in one sitting. An easy to comprehend examination of events allows the reader to feel a part of the action, while also permitting a front row seat to everything catastrophic as it transpired. I will be sure to find and read more of Graff’s work, as I could not put this one down!
Kudos, Mr. Graff, for a great walk down the annals of American history. I cannot wait to see and read whatever else you have published.
Top reviews from other countries

So, now to my review of the book. I have read (and own) over 150 books on Nixon and Watergate - including the memoirs of all the major (and minor) players in the Watergate saga and numerous biographies and secondary sources. I was also a personal friend of G. Gordon Liddy and Ray Price (Nixon speechwriter) and had many conversations with them about both Nixon and Watergate. Having said all that, I can state in all sincerity that there was enough new material in this book that it kept me interested from first to last page.
This is a very good read and a welcome addition to all the Nixon and Watergate literature already out there. I certainly don't agree with all of Graff's take and views on Nixon and Watergate - but still, this is a fine and welcome addition to my library. I will certainly re-read this book in the future. Highly recommended!


A few silly mistakes such as wrong name for the Gov. of California in start of book. A good editor should have spotted this and others.
Nevertheless, a great book
