Bob Woodward
Legendary Pulitzer Prize-Winning Investigative Journalist; Associate Editor, The Washington Post; and Author, 22 Bestsellers
Former CIA director and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates wished he’d recruited Woodward into the CIA, “He has an extraordinary ability to get otherwise responsible adults to spill [their] guts to him...his ability to get people to talk about stuff they shouldn’t be talking about is just extraordinary and may be unique.” Therein lays the genius talent of Bob Woodward. No one else in political investigative journalism has the clout, respect, and reputation of Woodward. He has a way of getting insiders to open up in ways that reveal an intimate yet sweeping portrayal of Washington and the political infighting, how we fight wars, the price of politics, how presidents lead, the homeland security efforts, and so much more. His work is meticulous and draws on internal memos, classified documents, meeting notes and hundreds of hours of recorded interviews with most of the key players, including the president. This is why Fear: Trump in the White House sold more than 1.1 million copies in its first week in September 2018 – breaking the 94-year first-week sales record of its publisher Simon & Schuster – and nearly 2 million copies in hardback, ebook and audio in the first four months. In October 2022, Woodward did something he’d never done before; he released the complete recordings of his 20 interviews with Donald Trump in audiobook form titled, The Trump Tapes. The audiobook is unique in that the listener gets the opportunity to hear his lengthy and
raw interviews as well as exclusive commentary during some of the interviews – to provide vital context or clarification. The Trump Tapes is considered by Simon and Schuster “...as historically important as the Frost/Nixon interviews.”
As a speaker, Woodward pulls the curtain back on Washington and its leaders to captivate audiences with stories that are sometimes surprising, at times shocking, and always fascinating. He blends stories that are both up to the minute and from the past (to provide historical context). Woodward speaks as he writes – crisp and concise – and helps people get behind the spin to understand what’s really going on in the halls of power in an age of 24-hour news, social media, and snarky politics.
Professionally, Bob Woodward is currently associate editor for The Washington Post where he’s worked since 1971. He has won nearly every American journalism award, and the Post won the 1973 Pulitzer Prize for his work with Carl Bernstein on the Watergate scandal. In addition, Woodward was the main reporter for the Post’s articles on the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks that won the National Affairs Pulitzer Prize in 2002. Bob Schieffer of CBS News said "Woodward has established himself as the best reporter of our time. He may be the best reporter of all time." Lloyd Green wrote in a review for The Guardian that Fear “depicts a White House awash in dysfunction, where the Lord of the Flies is the closest thing to an owner’s manual.” The Weekly Standard called Woodward “the best pure reporter of his generation, perhaps ever.” In 2003, Al Hunt of The Wall Street Journal called Woodward “the most celebrated journalist of our age.” In listing the all-time 100 best non- fiction books, Time magazine has called All the President’s Men, by Bernstein and Woodward, “Perhaps the most influential piece of journalism in history.”
Woodward has co-authored or authored 15 #1 national best-selling non-fiction books. They are: All the President’s Men (1974) and The Final Days (1976), both Watergate books, co-authored with Bernstein; The Brethren: Inside the Supreme Court (1979) co-authored with Scott Armstrong; Wired: The Short Life and Fast Times of John Belushi (1984); Veil: The Secret Wars of the CIA 1981-87 (1987); The Commanders (1991); The Agenda: Inside the Clinton White House (1994); Shadow: Five Presidents and the Legacy of Watergate (1999); Bush at War (2002); Plan of Attack (2004); State of Denial: Bush at War Part III (2006); Obama’s Wars (2010); Fear: Trump in the White House (2018); Rage (2020); and Peril (2021) co-authored with Robert Costa. Woodward’s other national bestselling books are: The Secret Man: The Story of Watergate’s Deep Throat (2005), The Choice (1996), Maestro: Greenspan’s Fed and the American Boom (2000), The War Within: A Secret White House History 2006-2008 (2008), The Price of Politics (2012), and The Last of the President’s Men (2015). Newsweek magazine has excerpted six of Woodward’s books in headline-making cover stories; “60 Minutes” has done pieces on eight of his books; and three of his books have been made into feature films.
In November 2017, the online learning portal MasterClass released “Bob Woodward Teaches Investigative Journalism.” In it, Woodward reveals the lessons he’s learned during his career, teaching students what truth means, how to uncover it, and how to build a story with it.
A CONVERSATION WITH BOB WOODWARD
Now reporting on his tenth American president, Bob Woodward’s remarkable perspective is unmatched in journalism. The two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter takes audiences on a journey as only he can and shines in this moderated conversation format. From Nixon to the present, Woodward provides first hand insights from having penetrated the White House, the Supreme Court, the CIA, the Pentagon, and the Congress. He analyzes the successes and messes of the presidents he’s covered and offers important lessons – about governing, about presidential leadership during economic, military, and national crises, about the expanding powers of the presidency, and about the role of the media. Woodward’s content is tailored to the interests of the audience and is an in-depth, non-partisan, fact-driven analysis of America’s current state through the lens of history. In the time since he uncovered the Watergate scandal with Carl Bernstein in 1973, Woodward has worked to shine a light on the inner-workings of secret government. In all, he has written 22 nonfiction bestsellers – 16 of which went on to become #1; more than any modern-day author.
HOW WE GOT HERE – LESSONS FROM TEN PRESIDENTS
Now reporting on his tenth American president, Bob Woodward’s remarkable perspective is unmatched in journalism. The two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter takes audiences on a journey as only he can. From Nixon to the present, Woodward provides firsthand insights from having penetrated the White House, the Supreme Court, the CIA, the Pentagon, the Congress. He analyzes the successes and messes of the presidents he’s covered and offers important lessons – about governing, about presidential leadership during economic, military, and national crises, about the expanding powers of the presidency, and about the role of the media. Woodward’s content is tailored to the interests of the audience and is an in-depth, non-partisan, fact-driven analysis of America’s current state through the lens of history. In the time since he uncovered the Watergate scandal with Carl Bernstein in 1973, Woodward has worked to shine a light on the inner-workings of secret government. In all, he has written 21 nonfiction bestsellers – 15 of which went on to become #1; more than any modern-day author.
Woodward was amazing! We had board and 35 special guests on the call. He is so personable and insightful. Home run!
The event went incredibly well! Our student media reporters loved interacting with Mr. Woodward and he was really curious about their publications so they really enjoyed the back and forth. Students also had a great time hearing from him and we’ve gotten some messages on our social media already about how much people loved the conversation and hearing all the stories Mr. Woodward has.
I was going to email you this morning – you beat me to it! Last night’s interview was incredible. Our members were over the moon with the whole experience. They were smiling the entire time. Bob couldn’t have been more gracious and welcoming to the group. Please extend our deep appreciation to Bob and everyone involved.
Bob Woodward KILLED IT yesterday. Most popular speaker we’ve ever had at this event. Thanks for a great suggestion! Now … how are we going to top it next year?!?
Over the moon! One of our founding members at the banquet the last night said, ‘I’ve been attending these meetings for 30 years. This was by far the best ever. None of the others even come close.’ Survey results are already coming in and the results are off the charts.
Standing ovations are a rarity at our meetings. You were terrific. Keep up the great work!
Mr. Woodward was wonderful. The group loved him. I knew he was an icon but I didn’t realize how enchanted everyone would become with him. It was like Mick Jagger was at our event or a President.
It was a huge success — we filled the auditorium and all three overflow spaces — over 1400 people accommodated and we had to turn folks away. Bob was really great and handled some smart questions very well. He’s a lovely man.
Your presentation was outstanding. Your content was thoughtful, riveting and provocative. You deftly touched on the critical topics most on our investor’s minds.
Bob did an excellent job, he was absolutely outstanding! Many have commented that his keynote was the best they have experienced.
Bob Woodward was awwwwwsome. He spoke for 30 minutes and then sat down and we did a Q&A with our VP of Federal Affairs. He signed about 30 books for us and we had purchased some to sell as well. After his speech people lined up to say hello, get their photo taken and have books signed.
The evening was a resounding success, and Bob was just outstanding. What a nice and humble guy, too!
Bob Woodward’s format was perfect for engaging the audience. We filled the venue to its capacity!
Bob Woodward was great! He was fascinating and he provided an interactive discussion. We were all thrilled!
Peril
Rage
Fear
The Last of the President's Men
All the President's Men
The Price of Politics
Wired - The Short Life & Fast Times of John Belushi
Obama's Wars
The War Within - A Secret White House History 2006-2008
State of Denial - Bush at War, Part III
The Secret Man - The Story of Watergate's Deep Throat
The Agenda - Inside the Clinton White House
The Choice - How Bill Clinton Won
The Final Days
The Brethren - Inside the Supreme Court
Veil - The Secret Wars of the CIA, 1981-1987
Plan of Attack - The Definitive Account of the Decision to Invade Iraq
Bush at War
The Commanders - The Pentagon and the First Gulf War, 1989-1991
Maestro - Greenspan's Fed and the American Boom
Shadow - Five Presidents and the Legacy of Watergate
