Book review of "All the President's Men"

My research has led me to read the definitive Watergate book, "All the President's Men" by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward. What follows is the review of this book.

"All the President's Men" gives readers an inside look not only at the potential excitement in investigative reporting but an inside look at Washington D.C. politics, at least during the Nixon administration. The book is purely non-fiction but reads like the greatest crime story ever written. The narrative is presented in a news-like fashion.

"All the President's Men" presents not a few problems in the life of an investigative reporter. After most of the major stories outlining the connection of Nixon's men to the secret fund, the administration released statements calling the reporters sources "fountains of misinformation" and citing a gross lacking of evidence. This was problematic for the reporters as they wanted the public to know they were correct in their findings without having to reveal sources. Revealing sources burns bridges for the reporters but probably leads to proof that the administration is lying. Not revealing sources keeps their relationships intact and allows them to continue reporting but also allows the administration to continue bashing their reporting.

The book characterizes the Nixon administration and CRP as undeniable criminals. They were cunning, ruthless and most importantly, untouchable (almost). The commitment by these people in their constant denial of any wrong-doing in or around the White House is absolutely sickening. They cleverly chose words to deny the Post's and others' stories so as to appear innocent while not lying. The Post is almost completely finished in terms of credibility when they report that Haldeman was the fifth person in control of the fund. They were not incorrect in this allegation, but Woodward and Bernstein were mistaken in their attribution. The administration argued that the story was false, based simply on a mistake in the Post's attribution of the information. This is a great reminder that these creeps were elected to our White House, then lied right to the faces of the American public.

One of the more surprising thoughts to come from the book is the idea that Nixon and his administration were on course for a historic landslide victory before the Watergate break-in was attempted. This may be proof that Nixon used the campaign and his position for more than re-election. One could argue the evidence in this book is sufficient to accuse Nixon of trying to wreck the Democratic party as a whole. CRP organized almost 100 incidents of mayhem in order to disrupt the Democratic party. They sent prostitutes, pizza and other distractions to the Democrats' parties, indicating before hand that they would be paid cash on delivery. These childish tactics show how greedy Nixon and his administration overstepped many boundaries for years during his time in the White House.

The book presents insight into the daily operations of an investigative journalist. One particular scene stands out in this category. Woodward and Bernstein meet with Hugh Sloan and try to get him to finger Haldeman as being involved with the secret fund. They get him to confirm, but are so excited afterward they admit to not hearing what he said next and rushing out after some courtesy questions. This is the biggest piece of the puzzle so far and Sloan knew it. It took quite a bit of courage on Sloan's part to reveal this information so who knows what came out of his mouth next.

The book is revealing on many levels. It should be required reading not just for journalism students but also for American citizens in general. It might prevent future journalists from making the same mistakes made by the reporters. It could also prevent the American public from allowing control of this great nation to fall into the hands of people like Nixon, Haldeman, Ehrlichman or Mitchell ever again.