Book Description

An updated edition of the landmark work of political journalism:“Unquestionably the best book yet on Watergate, and conceivably the best we will ever get.” —Greil Marcus, Rolling Stone Washington Journal opens in 1973 and follows the deterioration of Richard Nixon’s presidency in real time. With her unprecedented access to the top figures, Elizabeth Drew’s on-the-scene reporting is even more remarkable in hindsight, as Washington Journal captures the feeling of the period and reports conversations with the key decision-makers as they made up their minds about the most fateful vote they would cast. It also shows us the sense of fear among both close observers and the citizenry, as well as their nervous laughter at the era’s absurdities. Drew understands Richard Nixon as well as this most complex figure can be understood, and she shows how he brought himself down. This edition includes a new afterword revealing the fascinating—and frequently hilarious—story of Nixon’s efforts to regain respectability after he’d been forced from office, and also offers original insights into the meaning of Watergate and Nixon. Rich with new information unavailable at the time, the afterword is a major addition to a unique and enduring work of reportage. “Tells the story not as a tidy tale with a clear beginning and inevitable end, but as an experience thick with confusion, rumors, alarm, and half-truths . . . Helpful for trying to understand what it is like to live through a period of great confusion and potentially great import.” —Ezra Klein “An amazing book that more than stands the test of time.” —Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize winner and #1 New York Times-bestselling author of And There Was Light “To understand how the melodrama played out in real time in the capital, there may be no better guide than Washington Journal.” —Frank Rich, New York Magazine