In Nixon's Web

A Year in the Crosshairs of Watergate

By: L. Patrick Gray III, Ed Gray

Narrated by: Michael Prichard

L. Patrick Gray III was the man caught in the middle of the Watergate scandal. He was a lifelong Republican, but Richard Nixon considered him a threat. Closing in on the conspiracy, Gray became the target of one of Watergate's most shocking acts - Nixon's "smoking gun" attempt to have the CIA stop the FBI investigation. And when the U.S. Senate focused its attention on Gray in April 1973, the White House threw him to the wolves; John Ehrlichman famously advised that he be left to "twist slowly, slowly in the wind".

This book is Gray's firsthand account of what really happened during his crucial year as acting director of the FBI, based on a never-before-published, first-person account and previously secret documents. He reveals the witches' brew of intrigue and perfidy that permeated Washington, and he tells the unknown story of his complex relationship with his top deputy, Mark Felt, raising disturbing questions about the methods and motives of the man purported to be Deep Throat.

Gray's book was completed and expanded by his son, journalist Ed Gray, who has supplemented the text with revelatory excerpts from documents, tape transcripts, and third-party accounts. Every other major figure has told his story, and now Patrick Gray's unique inside account will change the way we think about the crisis that destroyed the Nixon presidency.

L. Patrick Gray III did not speak publicly about his role in Watergate for 32 years, breaking his silence only for one brief interview before his death in 2005. This book contains details and revelations about Watergate that have never been published before.

©2008 LPGIII Pages LLC (P)2008 Tantor

A Must for any student of Watergate

Former Acting Director of the FBI Pat Gray tells a compelling inside account of Watergate.

Why Watergate Still Fascinates Us

While listening to this book, I couldn't help but wonder how Gray could be so naive about what was happening to him. So, I talked with a former FBI agent who was with the bureau during this period. He said a lot of what happened wasn't apparent for months. In the end, Gray was just a Nixon political football, as was everyone else in the end. Living through history is not the same as reading about it years later. Hindsight would be easier, but I will not go there. I will read some of the other books Gray mentioned. I also see "All The Presidents' Men" in a different light. If Gray is to be believed, it's a shame Woodward and Bernstein didn't own up to their falsehoods. They and all the journalists involved should be called to account for their reckless reporting. Abuse of the 1st amendment is not an acceptable excuse.

A Powerful Recollection

L. Patrick Gray was FBI Director when Richard Nixon was President. In this volume he finally breaks his silence on his work during those dark days. Completed after his death by Gray's son, the book relies on Gray's first person knowledge about the era and reveals recently released secret information about the period. In sum, this is a well written and read book which lends a great deal of color to what we have "known" about Nixon and Watergate. I am glad that Gray's side of the story has not been lost. This is a painfully personal story of a government official caught up in circumstances beyond his control. If you lived through the era - read the book. If you are too young to know what it was about - read the book.

Not What I Expected

This seemed to be more of a justification for all of L. Patrick Gray's actions and a defense of his "honor" than the information on Watergate that I expected.