Synopses & Reviews
Bob Woodward exposes one of the final pieces of the Richard Nixon puzzle in his new book The Last of the President’s Men.
Woodward
reveals the untold story of Alexander Butterfield, the Nixon aide who
disclosed the secret White House taping system that changed history and
led to Nixon’s resignation. In forty-six hours of interviews with
Butterfield, supported by thousands of documents, many of them original
and not in the presidential archives and libraries, Woodward has
uncovered new dimensions of Nixon’s secrets, obsessions and deceptions.
The Last of the President’s Men
could not be more timely and relevant as voters question how much do we
know about those who are now seeking the presidency in 2016—what really
drives them, how do they really make decisions, who do they surround
themselves with, and what are their true political and personal values?
Review
"Four decades after Watergate shook America, journalist Woodward returns to the scandal to profile Alexander Butterfield, the Richard Nixon aide who revealed the existence of the Oval Office tapes and effectively toppled the presidency. . . . [the book is] pure Woodward: a visual, dialogue-heavy, blow-by-blow account of Butterfield's tenure. The author uses his long interviews with Butterfield to re-create detailed scenes, which reveal the petty power plays of America's most powerful men. . . . a close-up view of the Oval Office in its darkest hour." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"This
volume . . . amplifies (rather than revises) the familiar, almost
Miltonian portrait of the 37th president . . . as a brooding,
duplicitous despot, obsessed with enemies and score-settling and not the
least bit hesitant about lying to the public and breaking the law."
Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times
Review
“An
intimate but disturbing portrayal of Nixon in the Oval Office.” The
Washington Post
About the Author
Bob Woodward is an associate editor at The Washington Post, where he has worked for forty-one years. He has shared in two Pulitzer Prizes, first for The Washington Posts coverage of the Watergate scandal, and later for coverage of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He has authored or coauthored twelve #1 national nonfiction bestsellers. He has two daughters, Tali and Diana, and lives in Washington, DC, with his wife, writer Elsa Walsh.