The Watergate

Inside America's Most Infamous Address

By: Joseph Rodota

Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot

Opened in 1965 and located along the Potomac River in Washington, DC's Foggy Bottom neighborhood, the Watergate became one of the capital's chicest addresses, a hub for power brokers and the epicenter of a scandal that brought down a president. In The Watergate, writer and political consultant Joseph Rodota skillfully paints a vivid portrait of this historical landmark whose name has become an indelible part of the cultural zeitgeist.

Rodota introduces us to the Watergate's movers and shakers, both famous and unknown, who made the Beltway tick over five decades. Anna Chennault was known as the "Tiger Hostess" for the lavish dinners and cocktail parties in her penthouse, where her companion Tommy Corcoran, Washington's first "super lobbyist", played piano.

The irrepressible Martha Mitchell, wife of Nixon Attorney General and campaign manager John Mitchell, captivated the nation with a stream of outrageous interviews and phone calls from her Watergate duplex. The Watergate housed Nancy and Ronald Reagan's California posse in the 1980s. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg celebrated New Year's Eve at the Watergate with Antonin Scalia and their spouses. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice gave chamber music concerts in her Watergate living room. Longtime residents Elizabeth and Bob Dole lived next door to Monica Lewinsky and her mother.

The Washington Post once favorably compared the Watergate to the Titanic: a concrete-and-steel version the luxurious ocean liner, ahead of its time. The Watergate is an engaging and eye-opening inside look at the passengers and crew of this legendary building.

©2018 Blackstone Audio, Inc. (P)2018 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

More than a building

This was a fascinating account of a unique personality in our country’s recent history. I thought I’d be reading about the history of some buildings where a bad thing happened, but the buildings themselves came to life in the context of the journeys of the people who passed through them. The research done by the author to bring this complex to life is remarkable. Cheers to Joe Rodota on this accomplishment!

Entertaining and Engaging History of Landmark

If you could sum up The Watergate in three words, what would they be?

Engaging, entertaining and thorough!

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Watergate?

The interviews with residents from across the decades really brought the complex to life and engaged readers from many angles and perspectives.

What about Bronson Pinchot’s performance did you like?

In the narration performance you really feel Pinchot understands the author's sense of humor and embraces and relays it perfectly.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

There were several moments of shock - The Watergate complex has been witness to an unbelievable amount of history.

Any additional comments?

This book balances being thorough and engaging, and really presents a biography of a building. I learned so much about history as it was lived within the walls of the Watergate, and it made me ponder which buildings are witnessing history today.