SUMMARY of Watergate by Garrett M. Graff

DISCLAIMER: This is a summary of WATERGATE: A New History, not the actual book.

"Is it really necessary to write another Watergate book?" Yes, it turns out--this one." Len Downie, Jr., of the Washington Post "Dazzling." --Douglas Brinkley Garrett of the New York Times Book Review's viewpoint

Graff, the New York Times bestselling author of The Only Plane in the Sky, has written the first definitive narrative history of Watergate, which explores the full scope of the...
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DISCLAIMER: This is a summary of WATERGATE: A New History, not the actual book.

"Is it really necessary to write another Watergate book?" Yes, it turns out--this one." Len Downie, Jr., of the Washington Post "Dazzling." --Douglas Brinkley Garrett of the New York Times Book Review's viewpoint

Graff, the New York Times bestselling author of The Only Plane in the Sky, has written the first definitive narrative history of Watergate, which explores the full scope of the scandal through the politicians, investigators, journalists, and informants who made it the most influential political event of the modern era--"the best and fullest account of the crisis, one unlikely to be surpassed anytime soon" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).

A security officer named Frank Wills writes six words into the log book of the Watergate office complex in the early hours of June 17, 1972, that will change the course of history: 1:17 a.m. Call the cops after discovering tape on the doors.

The subsequent arrests of five men, three of whom are Cuban exiles and two of whom are former intelligence operatives, for attempting to bug and burgle the Democratic National Committee offices, quickly unravels a web of scandal that ends a presidency and forever alters views of moral authority and leadership. The affair, dubbed "Watergate," has come to symbolize corruption, deception, and unsolved questions.

In the first comprehensive, single-volume account in decades, award-winning journalist and bestselling author Garrett M. Graff covers the full span of this unparalleled moment from beginning to end.

The story begins in 1971, with the release of the Pentagon Papers, a collection of thousands of military and government papers that expose lies about the United States' decades-long engagement in Vietnam and ignite public fury. President Richard M. Nixon gathers his closest advisors, furious that the leak would expose his administration's own deceit during a key reelection season, and offers them implicit instructions: Win by whatever means necessary.

Within a few months, a sequence of political dominoes fall into place, ranging from the development of a secret operation code-named GEMSTONE to campaign-trail dirty tricks, probable hostage scenarios, and dubious fundraising efforts--much of it caught on the White House's own taping system. They fall one by one until the foiled June break-in draws the attention of brave journalists, congressional investigators, and struggling intelligence officers, one of whom will spend decades hiding his name behind the alias "Deep Throat." As each party gradually uncovers the truth, a scheme emerges that is deeper and more corrupt than anybody could have imagined, and the nation is thrown into chaos as its government--and its leader--unfolds.

Graff recounts every twist with remarkable detail and page-turning drama, bringing readers into the backrooms of Washington, chaotic daily newsrooms, crowded Senate hearings, and even the Oval Office itself during one of the darkest chapters in American history, using newly public documents, transcripts, and revelations.

Watergate is the definitive narrative of the moment that has plagued our nation's past--and still has the capacity to affect its present and future. It is grippingly narrated and thoroughly researched.

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