Bob Woodward

Robert Upshur "Bob" Woodward (born March 26, 1943) is one of the best-known journalists in the United States, thanks largely to his work in helping uncover the Watergate scandal of President Richard Nixon, in a historical journalistic partnership with Carl Bernstein, while working as a reporter for The Washington Post. He has written twelve best-selling nonfiction books and shared in two Pulitzer Prizes.

Career

Woodward was born in Geneva, Illinois, the son of Alfred E. Woodward, a judge. He attended Yale University on a Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarship, joining Book and Snake and graduating in 1965. Woodward served for five years as a communications officer in the United States Navy, his last year in Washington, D.C. including volunteer work for John Erlenborn, the Republican Congressman from the district in Wheaton, Illinois where he had been raised.

Related Topics:
Geneva, Illinois - Alfred E. Woodward - Yale University - Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps - Book and Snake - 1965 - United States Navy - Washington, D.C. - John Erlenborn - Wheaton, Illinois

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Woodward was discharged from the Navy in August 1970. He had applied to several law schools, but had also applied for a job as a reporter for the Washington Post. Harry Rosenfeld, the paper's metropolitan editor hired him on a two-week trial basis, a tryout which failed due to his complete lack of experience as a journalist. Still interested in becoming a reporter, he got a job with the Montgomery Sentinel. A year after his on-the-job training at the Sentinel, he left that paper and joined The Washington Post in August 1971.

Related Topics:
Harry Rosenfeld - Montgomery - 1971

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He and colleague Carl Bernstein were assigned to investigate the June 17, 1972 burglary of the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee in a Washington, D.C. office building called Watergate. Their work, under editor Ben Bradlee, led to uncovering a large number of political "dirty tricks" used by the Nixon re-election committee during his campaign for reelection. Their book about the scandal, All the President's Men became a #1 best-seller and was later turned into a movie. The 1976 film, starring Robert Redford as Woodward and Dustin Hoffman as Bernstein, transformed the reporters into celebrities and inspired a wave of interest in investigative journalism.

Related Topics:
Carl Bernstein - June 17 - 1972 - Democratic National Committee - Washington, D.C. - Ben Bradlee - All the President's Men - 1976 - Robert Redford - Dustin Hoffman

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The book and movie also led to one of Washington D.C.'s most famous mysteries: the identity of Woodward's secret Watergate informant known as Deep Throat -- a reference to the title of a popular pornographic movie at the time. Woodward said he would protect Deep Throat's identity until the man died or allowed his name to be revealed. For over 30 years, only Woodward, Bernstein, Bradlee, and Deep Throat himself knew the identity of Deep Throat until he revealed himself to Vanity Fair magazine as former FBI Associate Director W. Mark Felt in May 2005. Woodward has confirmed his identity.

Related Topics:
Washington D.C. - Deep Throat - Popular pornographic movie - Vanity Fair - W. Mark Felt

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Woodward has continued to write books and report stories for The Washington Post, and serves as an assistant managing editorhttp://nobsblog.blogspot.com/2001/03/washington-post-fabrication.html#maraniss-woodward at the paper. He focuses on the presidency, intelligence, and Washington institutions such as the U.S. Supreme Court, The Pentagon, and the Federal Reserve. He has also written about the Hollywood drug culture and the death of comic John Belushi.

Related Topics:
U.S. Supreme Court - The Pentagon - Federal Reserve - John Belushi

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In a series of articles published in January 2002, he and Dan Balz described the events at Camp David in the aftermath of September 11 attacks. In these they mention the Worldwide Attack Matrix.

Related Topics:
January 2002 - Camp David - September 11 attacks - Worldwide Attack Matrix

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Woodward has spent the most time of any journalist with President George W. Bush while in office, interviewing him four times for more than seven hours total. Woodward's most recent two books, Bush at War (2002) and Plan of Attack (2004), are detailed accounts of the Bush presidency, including the response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Woodward has just released a book, The Secret Man written to be released when Deep Throat revealed his identity, which is about his relationship with Mark Felt. Woodward is at work on another book about the second administration of George W. Bush.

Related Topics:
George W. Bush - Plan of Attack - Afghanistan - Iraq - The Secret Man

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