Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine
Save Your Time And Money
| AnyBook4Less.com | Order from a Major Online Bookstore |
|
| Home | Store List | FAQ | Contact Us | | ||
| Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money |
||
 |
Title: All the President's Men by Carl Bernstein, Bob Woodward ISBN: 0-671-89441-2 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Pub. Date: 16 June, 1994 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.23 (57 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: How journalism ought to be...
Comment: Even after repeat viewings of the film "All the President's Men" on DVD, and really appreciating what a classic it is, it cannot beat the original book. In fact, along with "The Final Days," the film is even *better* when read in tandem with the book. Students should be reading it in either high school or college - it is not only compulsively readable, but manages to help those of us born after Watergate understand what really happened. And it's also a great introduction to life inside the (Washington D.C.) Beltway.
The reputation of journalism as a profession, and the ideal of truth and accuracy in reporting, has taken a beating. In the last few years, between the Jayson Blair scandal at the New York Times and the New Republic embarassment with Stephen Glass, it's refreshing to read this book and see what journalism is meant to be. For one thing, Woodward and Bernstein endeavored to be objective even when describing themselves, and their own actions - being honest about their own weaknesses and habits as reporters. There is no bombast or ego here, or in "Final Days", about what brilliant reporting they did, or how they broke this white-hot story when they were both quite young. It makes Blair and Glass's arrogance much harder to stomach.
Rating: 5
Summary: A Political Detective Story
Comment: On June 17, 1972 Bob Woodward received a telephone call and was asked to cover a burglary of Democratic headquarters; he had just finished some stories on the attempt to assassinate George Wallace. All five burglars stood out against the usual suspects in police court; all had CIA connections.
Page 21 tells of the investigation into McCord's activities; he worked full-time for the Committee to Re-elect the President. McCord followed orders unquestioningly, did not act on his own initiative. Two of the burglars had the name and phone numbers of Howard Hunt. This number led to Charles Colson, then to the R. Mullen Company. Pages 24-25 tell how address books and telephone numbers were used in this investigation, with off-the-record reports. While this burglary was bungled, how many others succeeded (p.26)? The purpose of the break-in was for "scandal, gossip" (p.27). [To find someone vulnerable to bribery or blackmail who could be used as a spy or saboteur.] There were too many coincidences in this story (some of these burglars were around when offices of prominent Democratic lawyers were burglarized). While a burglary usually means taking something away, it could also be used to plant incriminating papers. Days later John Mitchell resigned as manager of the Nixon campaign (p.30). Bernstein went to Miami, and found out that a $25,000 check donated to President Nixon's campaign was deposited to the bank account of one of the Watergate burglars (p.44). Page 45 gives an example of how confidential medical records are used in politics. The GAO audit determined that over $500,000 in campaign funds was mishandled (p.40). They learned about money-laundering (p.54). Page 55 explains how this is raised for protection money.
Bob Woodward had a secret source ("Deep Throat") who confirmed information that had been obtained elsewhere (p.71). These reporters had different styles (pp.49-51). The big news was that Attorney General John Mitchell authorized campaign funds for apparently illegal activities (p.98)! Page 104 explains a clever denial. Both reporters had sources in the Justice Department who could confirm details (p.111). An unfair accusation in the 'Washington Post' could ruin careers. The Watergate bugging made little sense by itself, but could indicate part of a broader campaign (pp.113-4); page 116 gives an example. Page 127 tells how a faked letter could derail a successful campaign! The Nixon take-over of the Federal agencies was presented (p.130), as if it were subjecting the government and nation his personal whims. There was subversion of the electoral process (p.135). This was unprecedented in scope and intensity (p.143). Page 147 tells of an imposter who imitated the voice of a McGovern campaign official. There were other horror stories from the Muskie staffers (p.148). Control of the operations was traced to Nixon's appointments secretary, who had daily access to the President. The rest of this book covers events from 1973 until early 1974. Page 273 summarizes the connections (Chapter 13).
A "third rate burglary" led to White House personnel. Further investigations lead to wide-scale illegal fundraising, and political sabotage that involves misdemeanors and other crimes. Most of those involved had little experience in politics. The idol with feet of clay came crashing down. Most people under 40 missed these events; learn about it from this book.
Rating: 5
Summary: Important book for young Americans
Comment: Reading this book made me realize just how little most American people my age really know about such an important and devastating event in our history as Nixon's Watergate. Of course everyone has to take the same American history course, and they learn the important events like the Revolution, the Civil War, the World Wars, and the Cold War (though I'm sure most teenagers couldn't tell you what years each took place in).
"All the President's Men" is basically an omniscent look at the reporting and journalism of the book's authors Woodward and Bernstein from June 1972 when the Watergate criminals were arrested to July 1973 when Butterfield revealed Nixon's private taping system to the Senate Committee. I think one of the most important aspects of the authors' research and reporting was that, contrary to the accusations of the White House, neither Woodward nor Bernsten had political desires to see Nixon implicated. Woodward was a Republican and Berstein was apathetic to the politics of the time and didn't vote in the '72 presidential elections.
Though this book doesn't focus on the Congressional impeachment proceedings and eventual resignation of President Nixon (which is left to the sequel, "The Final Days"), the importance of Watergate is especially relevent to most young people who came coming into political fruition during the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal. While most teenagers (as I also did) formed opinions based on what we'd been taught by our parents (i.e. on lying, adultary, etc.), Watergate provided a historical base to the impeachment conditions that eventually surrounded the Clinton administration.
The point is that this book is both an interesting, and the importance of the events that it describes is priceless to the American youth that strives to learn more about the political process and the standards that are applied to a sitting president.
 |
Title: FINAL DAYS by Carl Bernstein ISBN: 0671894404 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Pub. Date: 16 June, 1994 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
 |
Title: In Search of Deep Throat: The Greatest Political Mystery of Our Time by Leonard Garment ISBN: 0465026141 Publisher: Basic Books Pub. Date: April, 2001 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
 |
Title:All the President's Men ASIN: 6304696493 Publisher: Warner Studios Pub. Date: 28 October, 1997 List Price(USD): $19.98 Comparison N/A, buy it from Amazon for $16.99 |
 |
Title: The Commanders by Bob Woodward ISBN: 0743234758 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Pub. Date: 01 January, 2002 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
 |
Title: The Elements of Journalism : What Newspeople Should Know and The Public Should Expect by Tom Rosenstiel, Bill Kovach ISBN: 0609806912 Publisher: Three Rivers Press Pub. Date: 26 December, 2001 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
