Watergate

By: Garrett M. Graff

Narrated by: Jacques Roy, Garrett M. Graff

Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History

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.

I can’t get over how good this is

The deep dive into the full range of sources, compiled into a beautifully sequenced work and masterfully narrated with appropriate dispassion - it’s a brilliant treatment on this most challenging of subjects in modern American history.

Wonderful!!!!

So good that within the year I hope to listen to this again. Watergate and the cover up is complicated, and this book, laying out the players and facts in a logical and compelling way, was so helpful to me. Great narration. So many details, and still the book is compelling and interesting.

The long version

Seems like a complete story of the goings on in this event. Told from the perspectives of the inner most characters. A long listen…..it answered for me some of the questions about this event.

The Depth

I appreciated the depth the author achieved with the complex situation. He was able to clearly present a multi layered story that has profoundly affected US politics for decades since.

Everyone should read or hear this book

Impressively researched. Well read. A respectful author’s voice - respectful of the importance of this narrative as well as its complexity, required detail, and still unknown elements. The readers voice respects listeners-remaining calm and clear as, at least this reader, felt again shock, fear, rage, and sadness in response to the story. I defended the criminal president throughout my highschool years (1973-77). Then, to pass the summer before college I read every book written by the other criminals and those tasked with prosecuting them, and Pres. Ford’s insufficient explanation. It took little time to learn the terrible truths and realize the still unpunished depth and breadth of N’s mendacity and contempt for the people, nation, law, democracy, presidency, and really anyone but himself and everything except money & a certain kind of power. I refused to help him recover financially and read for free as much of his lie filled memoir. In graduate school, I wrote an excellent critical analysis of his ridiculous and so revealing of the man resignation speech-not cathartic but such fun! This excellent work allowed me to learn new things, refresh what I had learned across the years, and to begin to wonder how we allowed IMPOTUS to rise with this history so many voters lived. Nostalgia? Amnesia? Both characterized the redemptive comments at RMN death. So many things done by RMN were done gleefully by IMPOTUS. And nearly no GOP stood for the nation-nearly none honored their oath. Lessons of history. Anyway-listen.