Bob Woodward
Born 1943 · Age 82
American investigative journalist best known for reporting on Watergate and for decades of bestselling books about U.S. presidents, the CIA, the Supreme Court, the Pentagon and other Washington institutions.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Geneva, Illinois
Robert Upshur Woodward born to Jane and Alfred Woodward in Geneva, Illinois.
Graduated Wheaton Community High School and enrolled at Yale
Finished high school in Wheaton, Illinois and entered Yale University on an NROTC scholarship to study history and English literature.
Joined NROTC at Yale
Enrolled at Yale University in Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC).
Graduated Yale University (B.A.)
Received B.A. in history and English literature from Yale University.
Entered U.S. Navy as communications officer
Began five-year tour of duty in the U.S. Navy as a communications officer (served aboard USS Wright and USS Fox).
Handled NECPA launch-code responsibilities aboard USS Wright
Assigned as one of two officers handling nuclear launch code materials when the USS Wright served as NECPA (National Emergency Command Post Afloat).
Married Kathleen Middlekauff (first marriage)
First marriage (1966–1969) to high-school sweetheart Kathleen Middlekauff, an English professor.
Divorced Kathleen Middlekauff
End of first marriage (1966–1969).
Reporter at Montgomery County Sentinel
Worked one year at the Montgomery County (Maryland) Sentinel, a suburban weekly, to gain reporting experience.
Two-week unpaid trial at The Washington Post (failed)
Harry M. Rosenfeld gave Woodward a two-week trial at The Washington Post; editors concluded he needed experience and he was not hired at that time.
Discharged from Navy; accepted to Harvard Law (declined)
Honorably discharged as a lieutenant in August 1970; accepted to Harvard Law School but chose not to attend.
Assigned to police beat
Covered the night police beat for The Washington Post; worked nights and cultivated sources across city government.
Hired by The Washington Post as reporter
Hired as a reporter for The Washington Post after one year at the Montgomery Sentinel.
Received Heywood Broun Award
Award received early in his career for journalistic achievement (listed among Woodward's honors from the Watergate era).
Received George Polk Award
One of the major journalism awards Woodward has received in 1972 related to his reporting.
Received Worth Bingham Prize (first time)
Recognized for investigative reporting (first awarded in 1972).
Covered Watergate break-in (June 17, 1972)
Along with Carl Bernstein, Woodward was assigned to and helped break open the Watergate story after the arrest at Democratic National Committee headquarters.
White House denounced Woodward-Bernstein reporting
White House Press Secretary Ron Ziegler publicly denounced the Post's Watergate reporting as 'hearsay, innuendo, guilt by association.'
Pulitzer Prize for Public Service (The Washington Post; Watergate)
The Washington Post won the 1973 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for coverage of Watergate; Woodward was one of the lead reporters.
Received Sigma Delta Chi Award
Awarded Sigma Delta Chi recognition (part of his recognition in the early 1970s).
White House reversed and apologized
Six months after denouncing the reporting, Ziegler said the Post and Woodward-Bernstein 'deserve the credit' for rigorously pursuing the Watergate story.
Nixon resigned (related to Woodward reporting)
President Richard Nixon resigned (Aug 9, 1974) after the investigations and revelations that Woodward and others helped uncover.
Married Frances Kuper (second marriage)
Second marriage (1974–1979) to Frances Kuper.
Published All the President's Men (with Carl Bernstein)
First Woodward-Bernstein book on Watergate; became a #1 national bestseller in the spring/summer of 1974, prior to Nixon's resignation.
All the President's Men film released (1976)
Film adaptation of All the President's Men starring Robert Redford (as Woodward) and Dustin Hoffman (as Bernstein) became a classic and increased Woodward's public profile.
Published The Final Days (with Carl Bernstein)
Second Woodward-Bernstein book on Nixon covering the last 16 months before the resignation; released April 1976 as the film adaptation of All the President's Men opened.
Named assistant managing editor at The Washington Post
Woodward rose to an editorial leadership post at The Washington Post (assistant managing editor) while continuing reporting and books.
Published The Brethren (with Scott Armstrong)
Inside account of the U.S. Supreme Court (1969–1976) that rose to #1 on national non-fiction bestseller lists after excerpts and media coverage.
Divorced Frances Kuper
End of second marriage (1974–1979).
‘Jimmy’s World’ scandal involvement (Sept 1980)
A fabricated Washington Post feature by Janet Cooke was submitted for Pulitzer consideration by Woodward (then assistant managing editor). The story won and the Pulitzer was later returned after the fabrication was revealed (April 1981).
Pulitzer for 'Jimmy's World' returned after fabrication exposed
The Pulitzer awarded for the fabricated piece was rescinded/returned and the scandal reflected on Post editors including Woodward's prior nomination of the piece.
Published Wired: The Short Life and Fast Times of John Belushi
Shifted temporarily to Hollywood/celeb culture; Wired was controversial among Belushi's friends but did not have its factual claims successfully disputed.
Received Worth Bingham Prize (second time)
Woodward won the Worth Bingham Prize for Investigative Reporting in 1986 (also previously in 1972).
Published Veil: The Secret Wars of the CIA (1981–1987)
Revelatory book about William J. Casey and the CIA's covert activities in the 1980s; created a national sensation and bestseller status.
Married Elsa Walsh
Married Elsa Walsh, writer for The New Yorker; Woodward's third marriage (previous marriages: Kathleen Middlekauff 1966–1969; Frances Kuper 1974–1979).
Published The Commanders
Detailed inside account of decision making leading to the first Gulf War; Newsweek ran excerpts and designated a cover story on the book.
Published The Agenda: Inside the Clinton White House
A #1 bestseller chronicling Clinton's early administration battles and policy debates; widely cited as authoritative reporting on the early Clinton White House.
Ben Bradlee tribute: 'best of his generation'
Ben Bradlee singled out Woodward's contributions and influence in the foreword to his memoir A Good Life (1995). Recognized as a major career milestone of esteem from a leading editor.
Received Golden Plate Award (American Academy of Achievement)
Honored by the American Academy of Achievement (Golden Plate Award).
Published The Choice: Clinton vs. Dole
Campaign book covering the 1996 presidential race and inside Washington reporting; became a national bestseller (but not #1).
Published Shadow: Five Presidents and the Legacy of Watergate
Examined Watergate's long-term effects on presidents Ford, Carter, Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Clinton.
Received William Allen White Medal
Awarded the William Allen White Medal in 2000, recognizing journalistic achievement.
Published Maestro: Greenspan's Fed and the American Boom
Bestseller about Alan Greenspan and the Federal Reserve; Woodward later criticized Greenspan's public warnings in the paperback afterword.
Lead reporter for The Washington Post’s 9/11 coverage
Woodward was the main reporter on the Post's coverage of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks; the Post won the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting (10 stories, six by Woodward).
Talks at Google (2008 note — appearance context)
Woodward later participated in Talks at Google and other high-profile speaking and lecture events; he has commanded significant speaking fees donated to his foundation.
Received Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism
Received the Walter Cronkite Award for journalistic excellence in 2001.
Published Bush at War
First of four contemporaneous books on President George W. Bush covering response to 9/11 and initial Afghanistan invasion; drew from an eight-part Post series (with Dan Balz) and numerous NSC notes.
Received Gerald R. Ford Prize for Reporting on the Presidency
Awarded for reporting on the presidency (2002).
June 13, 2003 interview with Richard Armitage (Plame information)
Woodward recorded a 'background' conversation in which Deputy Secretary Richard Armitage referred to Joe Wilson's wife as a 'CIA analyst'—the exchange later became relevant to the Valerie Plame leak investigation.
Published Plan of Attack (2004)
Detailed account of how and why the Bush administration decided to invade Iraq; prompted front-page NYT stories April 17 and April 19, 2004.
Published The Secret Man (about Deep Throat)
Woodward published The Secret Man (2005) describing his relationship with Mark Felt and Felt's motives.
Vanity Fair revealed 'Deep Throat' as W. Mark Felt
May 2005 Vanity Fair revealed W. Mark Felt (FBI Associate Director in 1972–73) as Woodward's Watergate source 'Deep Throat'; Woodward confirmed the claim.
Two-hour deposition to Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald
On Nov. 14, 2005 Woodward voluntarily gave a two-hour sworn deposition during the Valerie Plame leak investigation (Fitzgerald special counsel).
Published State of Denial (Bush at War, Part III)
Third book in Woodward's Bush series (2006) documenting classified assessments and the administration's war posture in Iraq.
Testified at Scooter Libby perjury trial
On Feb. 12, 2007 Woodward testified under oath at the perjury trial of Lewis 'Scooter' Libby; his taped June 13, 2003 interview with Armitage was played for the jury.
Published The War Within (2006–2008)
Fourth Bush-era book describing internal disagreements and the 2007 Iraq 'surge' decision; published two months before the 2008 presidential election.
W. Mark Felt (Deep Throat) died
Mark Felt, confirmed as 'Deep Throat,' died in December 2008 at age 95; Woodward later memorialized Felt publicly January 16, 2009.
Memorial service for Mark Felt (Woodward’s remarks)
At a memorial service for Felt, Woodward praised Felt as a 'truth teller' and reflected on Felt's role and courage.
Published Obama's Wars
First Woodward book on the Obama administration covering decisions on Afghanistan, Pakistan and broader counterterrorism policy through July 2010.
Received Elijah Parish Lovejoy Award and honorary doctorate (Colby College)
In 2012 Colby College presented Woodward with the Elijah Parish Lovejoy Award for courageous journalism and awarded him an honorary doctorate.
Published The Price of Politics (Sept 11, 2012)
Book covering Obama-era fiscal fights including the 2011 debt ceiling crisis and how political conflict led to the 'fiscal cliff' risk.
Published Washington Post column on sequester origins
On Feb 22, 2013 Woodward argued the sequester idea originated with the White House; his reporting led to an email dispute with White House adviser Gene Sperling (emails published Feb 27–28).
Began interviews for The Last of the President's Men (2014–2015)
Conducted 11 months of interviews with Alexander Butterfield in 2014–2015, recording over 46 hours and examining 20 boxes of documents for a previously unknown Nixon archive.
Revealed previously unreleased Nixon audiotape (speech at Kent State, 2019 disclosure)
Woodward later revealed at a May 4, 2019 speech at Kent State University an audiotape on which Nixon lauded the 1970 shooting of four students; significant public revelation based on archives and research.
Published The Last of the President's Men (2015)
Book based on the extensive Butterfield interviews and documents presenting new material on Nixon and the taping system.
Interviewed Donald Trump (Mar 31, 2016)
Woodward (with Robert Costa) interviewed Republican candidate Donald Trump at a hotel construction site on Pennsylvania Avenue; notable quotes published from the interview.
Published Fear: Trump in the White House (2018) — blockbuster sales
Exposed inner workings of Trump's White House; became NYT & international #1 bestseller and broke Simon & Schuster's 94-year first-week sales record. Reported sales: ~900,000 first day; ~1.1M first week; >2M first three months in U.S.
Published Rage (Sept 15, 2020)
Second Woodward book on the Trump White House; includes new details on national security decisions and 25 previously unpublished letters exchanged between Trump and Kim Jong Un.
Published Peril (Sept 2021) with Robert Costa
Examines the transition from Trump to Biden; the authors interviewed more than 200 people and produced more than 6,000 pages of transcripts and materials.
Published The Trump Tapes (Jan 2023) — audio release and lawsuit
Released edited audio of twenty interviews with President Trump; Trump filed a lawsuit Jan 30, 2023 claiming no permission given (suit described by Woodward/Simon & Schuster as without merit).
Career summary: decades of reporting and authorship
By 2024 Woodward had authored/co‑authored over 20 nonfiction books (dozens of #1 bestsellers), contributed to multiple Pulitzers and remained an iconic investigative reporter and associate editor (honorific) of The Washington Post.
Published War (Oct 15, 2024)
Latest listed book in bibliography; continuation of Woodward's long series of presidential and national-security reporting (book published Oct 15, 2024).
Reported allegation re: conversation with Rep. Comer (Jan 2025 claim)
In Jan 2025 The Guardian reported that Rep. James Comer alleges Woodward told him in Feb 2023 that 'everyone in DC knew' Joe Biden's family sold access; Woodward denied the allegation.
Key Achievement Ages
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