- In full:
- Robert Upshur Woodward
- Born:
- March 26, 1943, Geneva, Illinois, U.S. (age 83)
- Role In:
- Watergate scandal
- On the Web:
- CBS News - Woodward Shares War Secrets (Oct. 17, 2026)
Bob Woodward
News •
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Who is Bob Woodward?
Bob Woodward, born on March 26, 1943, is an American journalist and author. He and Carl Bernstein won a Pulitzer Prize for their investigative reporting on the Watergate scandal for The Washington Post in 1973.
Woodward began his journalism career after a stint in the military and a brief enrollment in law school. His work with Bernstein connected the Watergate break-in to President Richard Nixon's administration. Woodward is known for his in-depth exposés on various public figures and his focus on Washington politics. He has also written books on Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump.
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What is Bob Woodward known for?
Bob Woodward is an American journalist and author renowned for his investigative reporting, particularly on the Watergate scandal, which he covered with Carl Bernstein for The Washington Post. This reporting earned the Post a Pulitzer Prize in 1973 and led to President Richard Nixon's resignation. Woodward and Bernstein's work is detailed in their book, All the Presidentâs Men.
Woodward continued his journalism career at the Post, later becoming assistant managing editor. He is also known for his books that offer insider perspectives on presidential administrations, including those of George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump. Woodward has received another Pulitzer Prize for his work at the Post related to the September 11 attacks.
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How was Bob Woodward involved in the Watergate scandal?
Bob Woodward, along with Carl Bernstein, played a significant role in uncovering the Watergate scandal, which led to President Richard Nixon's resignation. As reporters for The Washington Post, Woodward and Bernstein were initially assigned to cover what seemed like a minor crime: the June 17, 1972, burglary of the Democratic National Committee headquarters.
Their investigation connected the crime to the White House, despite early media reports downplaying the Nixon administration's involvement. Woodward and Bernstein, with the help of an anonymous source known as "Deep Throat," revealed the Nixon administration's direct involvement in Watergate activities, campaign finance violations, and a broader campaign of political spying and sabotage.
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What books has Bob Woodward written?
Bob Woodward is an American journalist and author renowned for his investigative reporting. With Carl Bernstein, he won a Pulitzer Prize in 1973 for their coverage of the Watergate scandal.
Some of Woodward's notable books include:
* All the Presidentâs Men (1974), with Carl Bernstein, recounting their Watergate investigation
* The Final Days (1976), with Carl Bernstein, covering Nixon's last months as president
* Bush at War (2002), profiling personalities shaping the U.S. military response in Afghanistan
* Plan of Attack (2004), covering the lead-up to the Iraq War
* State of Denial (2006), dissecting missteps in the Bush administration's war efforts
* The War Within (2008), assessing President Bush
* Obamaâs Wars (2010), discussing divisions within the White House concerning the Afghanistan War policy
* The Price of Politics (2012), casting attention on struggles between the Obama administration and Congress over fiscal matters
* Fear: Trump in the White House (2018), a critical account of Donald Trumpâs presidency
* Rage (2020), including interviews with Trump
* Peril (2021), with Robert Costa, focusing on Trumpâs efforts to remain in office after losing the 2020 election4 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How has Bob Woodwardâs work influenced journalism?
Bob Woodward's work, particularly his investigative reporting on the Watergate scandal with Carl Bernstein, significantly influenced journalism. Their reporting for The Washington Post earned them a Pulitzer Prize in 1973 and set new standards for investigative journalism.
Woodward and Bernstein developed techniques that became basic tools for investigative reporters. They worked from the bottom up, piecing together information from low-level sources before confronting higher officials, and found ways to obtain records. Their work led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon and demonstrated the importance of holding those in power accountable. Woodward's continued focus on hard news and the power and politics of Washington, D.C., has solidified his reputation as a prominent figure in American journalism.
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What awards or recognition has Bob Woodward received during his career?
Bob Woodward, along with Carl Bernstein, received a Pulitzer Prize in 1973 for their investigative reporting on the Watergate scandal for The Washington Post. In 2002, Woodward led a team at The Washington Post that earned another Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the repercussions of the September 11 attacks.
3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Bob Woodward (born March 26, 1943, Geneva, Illinois, U.S.) is an American journalist and author who, with Carl Bernstein, earned a Pulitzer Prize for The Washington Post in 1973 for his investigative reporting on the Watergate scandal.
Watergateâs legacy: How the scandal changed politics and journalism.
Woodward grew up in Wheaton, a suburb of Chicago, where his father was a prominent jurist. It was thought that he would follow his father into the legal profession when he enrolled at Yale University on a naval Reserve Officersâ Training Corps (ROTC) scholarship. After receiving a bachelorâs degree in history and English literature in 1965, Woodward began a five-year tour of duty as a communications officer. Upon his return, he was accepted (1970) at Harvard Law School. He chose not to pursue a law degree, however. Instead, he petitioned the editors of The Washington Post for an unpaid two-week internship. While none of the stories he submitted was printed, the editors saw potential in the aspiring reporter and referred him to the Montgomery County Sentinel, a weekly paper in suburban Maryland. Within a year Woodward had polished his skills enough that the Post was willing to give him another chance.
Woodward had been covering the police beat for nine months when a call came in about a burglary at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex. Working with Bernstein, a fellow Post reporter, Woodward eventually connected the break-in to the highest levels of the administration of U.S. Pres. Richard Nixon. For Woodward and Bernsteinâs reporting, the Post was awarded the 1973 Pulitzer Prize for public service. The names Woodward and Bernstein became virtually synonymous with investigative journalism, and their book, All the Presidentâs Men (1974), topped best-seller lists. The 1976 film version of the book, with Woodward portrayed by Robert Redford, was also a success.
Woodward continued his work at the Post and was named assistant managing editor in 1979. In the following years, however, he became better known for his books than for his newspaper reporting. Exposés on personalities as varied as comedian John Belushi and former U.S. vice president Dan Quayle drew both admiration and criticism, with reviewers praising his ability to unearth volumes of information while disparaging his tendency to dwell on sordidness. His later material, however, focused on hard news and the power and politics of Washington.
Woodward led a team that earned another Pulitzer for the Post in 2002 for the paperâs coverage of the repercussions of the September 11 attacks in the United States in 2001. That year he released the first in a series of books that offered an insiderâs look at the administration of Pres. George W. Bush. Bush at War (2002) profiled the personalities who shaped the American military response in Afghanistan, while Plan of Attack (2004) covered the period leading up to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. (See Iraq War.) State of Denial (2006), a departure from the generally complimentary tone found in the previous two works, provided a scathing dissection of the missteps and unheeded advice that continued to undermine the administrationâs war efforts. His fourth volume in the series, The War Within (2008), offered a harsh assessment of the president.
Woodward next focused on the administration of Pres. Barack Obama. In Obamaâs Wars (2010) he discussed divisions within the White House concerning the Afghanistan War policy, and in The Price of Politics (2012) he cast attention on the struggles between the administration and Congress over fiscal matters. In Fear: Trump in the White House (2018) and Rage (2020) Woodward presented a highly critical account of Donald Trumpâs presidency; the latter work included a series of interviews with Trump. Peril (2021; written with Robert Costa) focuses on Trumpâs efforts to remain in office despite losing the 2020 election.
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