Travels from Washington, District of Columbia, USA
Bob Woodward's speaking fee falls within range: $30,000 to $50,000
Bob 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. Woodward’s factual, non-partisan revelations to readers and speech audiences provide a view of Washington they’ll never get elsewhere. Woodward has written about the last ten U.S. presidents and chronicled how the power of the presidency has evolved. He is author of 21 bestselling books – 15 went to #1 – more than any contemporary nonfiction writer. His bestseller, Fear: Trump in the White House, is the deepest dive ever made into the first months of any American president. His 20th book, Rage, went behind the scenes of the Trump presidency like never before. His 21st book, Peril (co-authored with acclaimed reporter Robert Costa), looks at a perilous time in American history – the transition between the Presidencies of Donald Trump and Joe Biden. 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. Audiences will be awe-struck by insights from this living journalistic legend. Currently associate editor for The Washington Post where he’s worked since 1971, Bob Woodward has won nearly every American journalism award including two Pulitzers.
Former CIA director and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates wished he’d recruited 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 Bob Woodward.
No one else in political investigative journalism has the clout, respect, and reputation of Woodward. He has a way of getting insiders to open up in ways that reveal an intimate yet sweeping portrayal of Washington and the political infighting, how we fight wars, the price of politics, how presidents lead, the homeland security efforts, and so much more. His work is meticulous and draws on internal memos, classified documents, meeting notes and hundreds of hours of recorded interviews with most of the key players, including the president. This is why Fear: Trump in the White House sold more than 1.1 million copies in its first week in September 2018 – breaking the 94-year first-week sales record of its publisher Simon & Schuster – and nearly 2 million copies in hardback, ebook and audio in the first four months.
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.
Professionally, Bob Woodward is currently associate editor for The Washington Post where he’s worked since 1971. He has won nearly every American journalism award, and the Post won the 1973 Pulitzer Prize for his work with Carl Bernstein on the Watergate scandal. In addition, Woodward was the main reporter for the Post’s articles on the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks that won the National Affairs Pulitzer Prize in 2002.
Bob Schieffer of CBS News said “Woodward has established himself as the best reporter of our time. He may be the best reporter of all time.” Lloyd Green wrote in a review for The Guardian that Fear “depicts a White House awash in dysfunction, where the Lord of the Flies is the closest thing to an owner’s manual.” The Weekly Standard called Woodward “the best pure reporter of his generation, perhaps ever.” In 2003, Al Hunt of The Wall Street Journal called Woodward “the most celebrated journalist of our age.” In listing the all-time 100 best non-fiction books, Time magazine has called All the President’s Men, by Bernstein and Woodward, “Perhaps the most influential piece of journalism in history.”
Woodward has co-authored or authored 15 #1 national best-selling non-fiction books. They are: All the President’s Men (1974) and The Final Days (1976), both Watergate books, co-authored with Bernstein; The Brethren: Inside the Supreme Court (1979) co-authored with Scott Armstrong; Wired: The Short Life and Fast Times of John Belushi (1984); Veil: The Secret Wars of the CIA 1981-87 (1987); The Commanders (1991); The Agenda: Inside the Clinton White House (1994); Shadow: Five Presidents and the Legacy of Watergate (1999); Bush at War (2002); Plan of Attack (2004); State of Denial: Bush at War Part III (2006); Obama’s Wars (2010); Fear: Trump in the White House (2018); Rage (2020); and Peril (2021) co-authored with Robert Costa. Woodward’s other national bestselling books are: The Secret Man: The Story of Watergate’s Deep Throat (2005), The Choice (1996), Maestro: Greenspan’s Fed and the American Boom (2000), The War Within: A Secret White House History 2006-2008 (2008), The Price of Politics (2012), and The Last of the President’s Men (2015). Newsweek magazine has excerpted six of Woodward’s books in headline-making cover stories; “60 Minutes” has done pieces on eight of his books; and three of his books have been made into feature films.
In November 2017, the online learning portal MasterClass released “Bob Woodward Teaches Investigative Journalism.” In it, Woodward reveals the lessons he’s learned during his career, teaching students what truth means, how to uncover it, and how to build a story with it.
Woodward was born March 26, 1943 in Illinois. He graduated from Yale University in 1965 and served five years as a communications officer in the U.S. Navy before beginning his journalism career at the Montgomery County Sentinel (Maryland), where he was a reporter for one year before joining the Post.
Setting the tone for a look at his work The Last of the President's Men, reporting legend Bob Woodward asks the audience to consider just how complete and accurate history really is, and what actions we can take to fill in the gaps when we are presented with just part of the story.
He explains that even after years of “exhaustive investigation” into Nixon's presidency he uncovered new layers of deceit and questionable actions upon meeting with Alexander Butterfield, the Nixon aide who had had his office next door to the Oval Office throughout the latter half of the administration. “The general theme,” Woodward summarizes, “is what don't we know? What's hidden? What's buried in somebody's basement in terms of documents or experiences? That makes me doubtful and worried about what we don't know.”
Perhaps the most well-positioned journalist in Washington D.C., Bob Woodward provides the depth and breadth of information needed to gain perspective into today’s current state of affairs, both at home and abroad. With a talent for tracking down and tapping into inside sources, Woodward’s vast knowledge extends beyond the other end of the rabbit hole. The reporting legend’s timely insights on vital issues from war to fiscal policy yield valuable lessons for leaders across numerous sectors as well as those who are responsible for choosing them and holding them accountable.
A CONVERSATION WITH BOB WOODWARD
Now reporting on his tenth American president, Bob Woodward’s remarkable perspective is unmatched in journalism. The two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter takes audiences on a journey as only he can and shines in this moderated conversation format. From Nixon to the present, Woodward provides firsthand insights from having penetrated the White House, the Supreme Court, the CIA, the Pentagon, and the Congress. He analyzes the successes and messes of the presidents he’s covered and offers important lessons – about governing, about presidential leadership during economic, military, and national crises, about the expanding powers of the presidency, and about the role of the media. Woodward’s content is tailored to the interests of the audience and is an in-depth, non-partisan, fact-driven analysis of America’s current state through the lens of history. In the time since he uncovered the Watergate scandal with Carl Bernstein in 1973, Woodward has worked to shine a light on the inner-workings of secret government. In all, he has written 23 nonfiction bestsellers – 17 of which went on to become #1; more than any modern-day author.
“Woodward was amazing! We had board and 35 special guests on the call. He is so personable and insightful. Home run!” – Consumer Healthcare Products Association (VIRTUAL EVENT)
“The event went incredibly well! Our student media reporters loved interacting with Mr. Woodward and he was really curious about their publications so they really enjoyed the back and forth. Students also had a great time hearing from him and we’ve gotten some messages on our social media already about how much people loved the conversation and hearing all the stories Mr. Woodward has.” – American University (VIRTUAL EVENT)
“I was going to email you this morning – you beat me to it! Last night’s interview was incredible. Our members were over the moon with the whole experience. They were smiling the entire time. Bob couldn’t have been more gracious and welcoming to the group. Please extend our deep appreciation to Bob and everyone involved.” – The Health Management Academy (VIRTUAL EVENT)
“We had a wonderful evening with Mr. Woodward. One of our best events yet. It all went very smoothly and he was wonderful and pleasant to work with and posed and chatted with each person in the VIP reception Photo line. We had about 750 total including our sponsors. He signed over 600 books and was well organized with disinfectant wipes and gloves. Everyone was very appreciative of the precautions.” – Palm Springs Cultural Center
“…clients enjoyed [Mr. Woodward’s] talk very much last night. His remarks were extremely insightful. It will help our clients with their analysis of the 2020 election. They will use these insights in managing multi-million-dollar investments which they make on behalf of their global client bases.” – Citigroup Global Markets
“Bob’s demeanor and spirit was engaging, winsome, and informative. He held the 1,100 person convention center room; he provided our sponsor reception guests some terrific nuggets of interviews past; and with our students as well, they felt a connection with Mr. Woodward, which was due, at least in part, to the warmth and humor he displayed.” – Whitworth University
“Bob Woodward was absolutely amazing. The event was well attended. He and the students enjoyed the master class as well.” – University of Texas/Arlington
“Bob Woodward KILLED IT yesterday. Most popular speaker we’ve ever had at this event. Thanks for a great suggestion! Now … how are we going to top it next year?!?” – National Automobile Dealers Association
“Over the moon! One of our founding members at the banquet the last night said, ‘I’ve been attending these meetings for 30 years. This was by far the best ever. None of the others even come close.’ Survey results are already coming in and the results are off the charts. Woodward and Bernstein – together – absolutely stole the show. We couldn’t be more pleased.” – SCG Legal
“I wanted to let you know that the events yesterday with Bob and Carl were phenomenal. If arts administrators had a highlight reel these two would be on mine. They were gracious and enjoyable to work with and have heard nothing but compliments from attendees and the college administration for having them.” – Director of Cultural Affairs and Community Engagement, Macomb Community College
“Standing ovations are a rarity at our meetings. You were terrific. Keep up the great work!” – Human Resource Policy Association
“Mr. Woodward was wonderful. The group loved him. I knew he was an icon but I didn’t realize how enchanted everyone would become with him. It was like Mick Jagger was at our event or a President.” – Stable Value Investment Association
“It was a huge success — we filled the auditorium and all three overflow spaces — over 1400 people accommodated and we had to turn folks away. Bob was really great and handled some smart questions very well. He’s a lovely man.” – Humanities Research Center, Virginia Commonwealth University
“What (Theodore) White did for presidential campaigns, Post Associate Editor Bob Woodward has done for multiple West Wing administrations—in addition to the Supreme Court, the Pentagon, the CIA and the Federal Reserve.” – David Von Drehle
“Your presentation was outstanding. Your content was thoughtful, riveting and provocative. You deftly touched on the critical topics most on our investor’s minds.” – Robert W. Baird & Co.
“Bob Woodward was terrific. He was extremely well received and had the audience hanging on his every word. We really appreciated his insights.” – Vice President, Public Affairs, Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU)
“The student session and lecture were phenomenal. If Mr. Woodward had been a professor when I was in college, I think I would have changed my area of interest to journalism. He’s awesome.” – Kent State University
“As for Mr. Woodward’s performance, it was simply stellar. He held the sold-out crowd of 1,200 in his hand, hit all his press marks with grace, and handled the post-show meet and greet like a master.” – Marketing Director, Zeiterion Performing Arts Center
“Bob did an excellent job, he was absolutely outstanding! Many have commented that his keynote was the best they have experienced.” – Assistant Manager, Integrated Academic Content, American Marketing Association
“Thank you for joining us at the CoBank Board Dinner. Your perspective on the changing nature of the Presidency was very well received. To a person, every comment about the dinner, and your remarks in particular, was glowing. I am grateful for your contribution making it a wonderful evening. Your remarks were educational, timely and entertaining. In short, it was a perfect message for our dinner.” – President and CEO, CoBank
“Bob Woodward was awwwwwsome. He spoke for 30 minutes and then sat down and we did a Q&A with our VP of Federal Affairs. He signed about 30 books for us and we had purchased some to sell as well. After his speech people lined up to say hello, get their photo taken and have books signed. I bet he was there for another 30 minutes. I really enjoyed him as I know others did, too.” – Meetings & Events Planner CMP, Canadian Real Estate Association
“The evening was a resounding success, and Bob was just outstanding. What a nice and humble guy, too!” – President, Public Policy Forum
“Bob Woodward was gracious, powerful, pithy, kind, fascinating, funny and just so wonderful.” – Finance Compliance
“Yesterday was great! I think most people here appreciated the opportunity to spend a day with arguably the greatest investigative journalist of all time. Bob Woodward was very good with the kids, and his sense of humor kept the adults relaxed as well. We were all amazed at just how much Bob knows about the last few Presidents. My students had seen All the President’s Men the night before so they had fun comparing Bob with a young Robert Redford.” – Choate Rosemary Hall
“Bob Woodward’s format was perfect for engaging the audience. We filled the venue to its capacity!” – Duke University
“Bob Woodward was so gracious with his time with our donors and guests and was a delight to be around. His remarks were smart, insightful, thought-provoking, witty, hilarious and portrayed the essences of our past presidents in his unique way. We’ve been fortunate to bring some influential, bright minds to Santa Barbara and Mr. Woodward definitely put us on the map for hosting quality conversations about things that matter.” – Westmont College
“Bob Woodward was great! He was fascinating and he provided an interactive discussion. We were all thrilled!” – New York Bankers Association
“Bob Woodward’s presentation made the evening a success!” – Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies
“Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein were marvelous, individually and as a team. Their joint presentation was smooth, well-prepared, and not only riveted our audience, but also demonstrated the complementary differences between them that made them a successful working duo.” – Society of the Four Arts
“Bob Woodward was a big hit both on the stage and at dinner. He is a warm and engaging guy and and a perfect fit for our audience.” – National Grocers Association
“The best pure reporter of his generation, perhaps ever.” – The Weekly Standard
“The most celebrated journalist of our age.” – Albert Hunt, The Wall Street Journal
“Woodward has established himself as the best reporter of our time. He may be the best reporter of all time.” – Bob Schieffer, CBS News
“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.” – Robert Gates, former director of the CIA and Secretary of Defense
“Maybe the single greatest reporting effort of all time.” – Gene Roberts, former managing editor of The New York Times
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War
Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Bob Woodward tells the revelatory, behind-the-scenes story of three wars—Ukraine, the Middle East and the struggle for the American Presidency.
War is an intimate and sweeping account of one of the most tumultuous periods in presidential politics and American history.
We see President Joe Biden and his top advisers in tense conversations with Russian president Vladimir Putin, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. We also see Donald Trump, conducting a shadow presidency and seeking to regain political power.
With unrivaled, inside-the-room reporting, Woodward shows President Biden’s approach to managing the war in Ukraine, the most significant land war in Europe since World War II, and his tortured path to contain the bloody Middle East conflict between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas.
Woodward reveals the extraordinary complexity and consequence of wartime back-channel diplomacy and decision-making to deter the use of nuclear weapons and a rapid slide into World War III.
The raw cage-fight of politics accelerates as Americans prepare to vote in 2024, starting between President Biden and Trump, and ending with the unexpected elevation of Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for president.
War provides an unvarnished examination of the vice president as she tries to embrace the Biden legacy and policies while beginning to chart a path of her own as a presidential candidate.
Woodward’s reporting once again sets the standard for journalism at its most authoritative and illuminating.
The Last of the President’s Men
Bob Woodward exposes one of the final pieces of the Richard Nixon puzzle in his new book The Last of the President’s Men.
Woodward reveals the untold story of Alexander Butterfield, the Nixon aide who disclosed the secret White House taping system that changed history and led to Nixon’s resignation. In forty-six hours of interviews with Butterfield, supported by thousands of documents, many of them original and not in the presidential archives and libraries, Woodward has uncovered new dimensions of Nixon’s secrets, obsessions and deceptions.
The Last of the President’s Men could not be more timely and relevant as voters question how much do we know about those who are now seeking the presidency in 2016—what really drives them, how do they really make decisions, who do they surround themselves with, and what are their true political and personal values?
The Price of Politics
The Price of Politics chronicles the inside story of how President Obama and the U.S. Congress tried, and failed, to restore the American economy and set it on a course to fiscal stability. It spans the three and a half tumultuous years beginning just before Obama’s inauguration in early 2009 and lasting through the summer of 2012.
Woodward pierces the secretive world of Washington policymaking once again, with a close-up story crafted from meeting notes, documents, working papers and interviews with key players, including President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner.
At the center of The Price of Politics is a high-stakes personal and political struggle between the president and the speaker. The Price of Politics takes the reader through the electric 44 days during the summer of 2011 with day-by-day, often hour-by-hour, accounts as the two attempt a “grand bargain” to cut entitlement spending and increase tax revenue.
As they struggled through the most intense moments of the crisis, each contended with powerful conflicts in his own party. At the prospect of serious budget cuts, Obama told Woodward, “Our friends on the left would howl and act as if we had dismantled the New Deal.” In the House, Boehner was looking over his shoulder, worrying that his second-in-command, Majority Leader Eric Cantor, was undermining him in concert with extreme conservative House members and others with ties to the anti-tax Tea Party. At the same time, Boehner described the president as “moaning and groaning and whining and demanding. Threatening. He was pretty desperate.”
The Price of Politics shows why the grand bargain was never reached, and how the president, the speaker and the Congress settled for stopgap measures that delayed any serious deficit reduction until 2013.
With extensive documentation and firsthand accounts, Woodward reveals how the broken relationship between the White House and Capitol Hill drove the U.S. economy to the edge of the fiscal cliff, where it remains.
Obama’s Wars In Obama’s Wars, Bob Woodward provides the most intimate and sweeping portrait yet of the young president as commander in chief. Drawing on internal memos, classified documents, meeting notes and hundreds of hours of interviews with most of the key players, including the president, Woodward tells the inside story of Obama making the critical decisions on the Afghanistan War, the secret campaign in Pakistan and the worldwide fight against terrorism.
At the core of Obama’s Wars is the unsettled division between the civilian leadership in the White House and the United States military as the president is thwarted in his efforts to craft an exit plan for the Afghanistan War.
“So what’s my option?” the president asked his war cabinet, seeking alternatives to the Afghanistan commander’s request for 40,000 more troops in late 2009. “You have essentially given me one option…It’s unacceptable.”
“Well,” Secretary of Defense Robert Gates finally said, “Mr. President, I think we owe you that option.”
It never came. An untamed Vice President Joe Biden pushes relentlessly to limit the military mission and avoid another Vietnam. The vice president frantically sent half a dozen handwritten memos by secure fax to Obama on the eve of the final troop decision.
President Obama’s ordering a surge of 30,000 troops and pledging to start withdrawing U.S. forces by July 2011 did not end the skirmishing.
General David Petraeus, the new Afghanistan commander, thinks time can be added to the clock if he shows progress. “I don’t think you win this war,” Petraeus said privately. “This is the kind of fight we’re in for the rest of our lives and probably our kids’ lives.”
Hovering over this debate is the possibility of another terrorist attack in the United States. The White House led a secret exercise showing how unprepared the government is if terrorists set off a nuclear bomb in an American city—which Obama told Woodward is at the top of the list of what he worries about all the time.
Verbatim quotes from secret debates and White House strategy sessions—and firsthand accounts of the thoughts and concerns of the president, his war council and his generals—reveal a government in conflict, often consumed with nasty infighting and fundamental disputes.
Woodward has discovered how the Obama White House really works, showing that even more tough decisions lie ahead for the cerebral and engaged president.
Obama’s Wars offers the reader a stunning, you-are-there account of the president, his White House aides, military leaders, diplomats and intelligence chiefs in this time of turmoil and danger.
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