The Secret Man

The Story of Watergate's Deep Throat

By: Bob Woodward

Narrated by: Boyd Gaines

Length: 5 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

In Washington, D.C., where little stays secret for long, the identity of Deep Throat, the mysterious source who helped Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein break open the Watergate scandal in 1972, remained hidden for 33 years. Now, Woodward tells the story of his long, complex relationship with W. Mark Felt, the enigmatic No. 2 man in the Federal Bureau of Investigation who helped end the presidency of Richard Nixon.

The Secret Man chronicles the story in intimate detail, from Woodward's first, chance encounter with Felt in the Nixon White House, to their covert, middle-of-the-night meetings in an underground parking garage, to the aftermath of Watergate and decades beyond, until Felt finally stepped forward at age 91 to unmask himself as Deep Throat.

The Secret Man is an intense 33-year journey, providing a one-of-a-kind study of trust, deception, pressures, alliances, doubts, and a lifetime of secrets. Woodward has spent more than three decades asking himself why Mark Felt became Deep Throat. Now the world can see what happened and why, bringing to a close one of the last chapters of Watergate.

This audiobook also includes a reporter's assessment by Carl Bernstein.

Don't miss Bob Woodward on Fresh Air and at the Tribeca Talks with Carl Bernstein.

©2005 Bob Woodward (P)2005 Simon & Schuster Inc. All rights reserved. AUDIOWORKS is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster, Inc.

good that this finally came out!

for anyone with the least interested Watergate, this is an important book. it was sad because felt had dementia and there's a lot of questions that are still not answered but I believe this is as close as we'll get.

Just excellent

I lived through these events during my lifetime. I have great respect for Mark Felt and what must have been a very difficult path for him to navigate, and equal respect for Bob Woodward for being a stand up guy in his treatment of Mark Felt.

A chance meeting and then... history.

I never knew Navy Lieutenant Bob Woodward first met Mark Felt by chance in the waiting room outside the Oval Office! I also never knew Felt & Reagan's paths intersected but I won't say how because I don't want to ruin the story.

The narrator's voice & style are just marvelous. Very, very listenable.

The story itself is FASCINATING! I was just a young girl when Watergate happened so I don't remember anything but Nixon resigning. I can still smell the rug and remember it was really humid that day. But what I know about the episode came from the movie & subsequent reading.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Highly Reccomended

I do not consider myself to be a big fan of non-fiction. But anyone who lived through the events of Watergate and the Nixon Administration should read this story. It is truly a real-life mixture of good fortune and good skill to see the conclusion of it all.

Bob Woodward gives an excellent summary of the events leading up to the disclosure of Deep Throat. The details were not exhaustive but filled in what was needed. In fact, I have gone and purchased All The President's Men in an attempt to recapture more details. (That book was of no interest to me at the time it was first published, as the movie certainly was sufficient to inform me.) But at this stage of my life, I want to go back to the original source.

The narrator did a wonderful job. I cannot say enough about how important it is to "risten" to this title. It will be well worth your investment of a book credit and time.

Perfect End Cap to the Watergate Reporting Saga

You've probably read/listened to "All The President's Men" and have already learned the identity of the informant, Deep Throat, but this book gives you insight into the ethics and mechanics of keeping it a secret for decades as well as the big reveal in 2005. Woodward discusses some of the philosophy behind protecting sources, which seems apt during these current times. He also reviews informant/source motives. You get a clear picture of the work of protecting DT's identity was in itself. If you liked ANY of the Bernstein/Woodward books on the Watergate reporting, this one is 100% recommended. It's also not very long and the narration is great.

Great storytelling

An interesting epilogue to the Watergate story. While a few loose ends still remain, it's a good read and I would recommend it.

Perhaps the most honest Woodward book

Politics aside, Bob Woodward is good at his job. In this rather slim volume he reveals a side of himself that is honest and not always likable. He revisits his relationship with Mark Felt and how that relationship shaped his reporting of Watergate. The worst, most cringe-worthy moments are when he virtually interrogats Felt, at the time an old man with dementia, almost desperate to have him remember his place in history. But, it is that brutal honesty that gives this book its meaning and purpose.
It is a fitting coda to one of the greatest "mysteries" of modern politics.

Mystery solved

As a child, I watched the Watergate hearings on TV and heard about this mystery man called Deep Throat. The adults around me could go on for hours trying to guess the identity of Deep Throat. Now I know.

Great story

I remember watching every day of the Watergate hearings. I had just graduated from high school and was not working. I have read all the books and theories about deep throat and was happy that Mr. Felt had the chance to reveal it himself. This book recounts the events that led to the reveal. Very enjoyable. Highly recommended

Gretchen parallels to today.

History repeats itself. The parallels between then and now are interesting. A big theme throughout is “the true will come out”. Hopefully this true.