Former CIA director and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates wished he’d recruited Bob Woodward into the CIA, “He has an extraordinary ability to get otherwise responsible adults to spill [their] guts to him… his ability to get people to talk about stuff they shouldn’t be talking about is just extraordinary and may be unique.” Therein lays the genius talent of Woodward.
Woodward gained international attention when he and Carl Bernstein uncovered the Watergate scandal in 1973. Since then, he’s worked to shine a light on the inner workings of secret government, writing about the last 10 US presidents and chronicling how the power of the presidency has evolved. Woodward is the author or co-author of 23 bestselling books, 17 of which went to #1 — more than any other contemporary non-fiction writer. His bestseller, Fear: Trump in the White House, is the deepest dive ever made into the first months of any American president. It was followed up with The Trump Tapes, a collection of the 20 interviews that led to Fear. Woodward’s most recent book, War, is the definitive behind-the-scenes story of three wars during one of the most tumultuous times in US history — Ukraine, the Middle East, and the struggle for the American Presidency.
Currently the associate editor for The Washington Post, where he’s worked since 1971, Woodward has won nearly every American journalism award, including two Pulitzers. In his speeches, Woodward looks at the expanding powers of the presidency and the important lessons that can be learned from the presidents he’s covered. He can also assess the role of the media and how well it is (or isn’t) doing its job.
As a speaker, Woodward pulls the curtain back on Washington and its leaders to captivate audiences with stories that are sometimes surprising, at times shocking, and always fascinating. He blends stories that are both up to the minute and from the past (to provide historical context). Woodward speaks as he writes — crisp and concise — and helps people get behind the spin to understand what’s really going on in the halls of power in an age of 24-hour news, social media, and snarky politics.
