The Ultimate Slow Burn Reading List

All the President’s Men, by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward
If you’re going to sound smart about Watergate—still the number one “gate” of many in American politics—you have to start with the mother lode, the book famed Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein penned about their investigation into the scandal that shook the country and took down a president. In a modern day when the term “fake news” is common parlance, it’s refreshing to be reminded what real journalism looks like. It’s also easy to forget what a sensation the book was when it first published in 1974.

Abuse of Power: The New Nixon Tapes, by Stanley I. Kutler
You can’t beat original sources for getting your facts straight and gaining insight into historic events, and Richard Nixon was kind enough to literally record everything that happened in the Oval Office as he was conspiring to abuse his power, break the law, and cursing a blue streak. Twenty-five years after the existence of the tapes was revealed, Kutler successfully sued to get access to all of them, and it’s quite amazing to see the conspiracy unfold in black-and-white as the events at the Watergate Hotel are directly addressed by an increasingly paranoid, desperate president.

The Strong Man: John Mitchell and the Secrets of Watergate, by James Rosen
John Mitchell was, by all accounts, the most powerful member of Nixon’s cabinet, an attorney general confident in his sense of justice and how to enforce the laws of the land. He was also the highest-ranking member of the government to spend time in jail, convicted of obstruction of justice and perjury—distinctively not law-and-order activities. The question of what Mitchell knew and what he did about it—and whether he was set up as the fall guy for the president—brings a flavor of uncertainty to what is largely settled history. This book paints a sympathetic portrait of Mitchell, which complicates the traditional narrative of Watergate—and makes this deeply-researched work a must read for anyone diving into Slow Burn.

Richard M. Nixon: A Life in Full, by Conrad Black
To understand Watergate, you have to understand Nixon: a ball of rage, intelligence, insecurity, and resentment mashed within a brilliant politician. No stranger to legal difficulties and falls from grace himself, Conrad Black brings a warm sympathy to Nixon that somehow makes the president’s flaws shine even more brightly. Nixon was a complicated man, not a cartoon villain, and yet he often undermined his own success and seemed incapable of enjoying it. If you think of Slow Burn as a reality-based aural novel, this book will assist in your appreciation of Nixon the character.

Nightmare: The Underside of the Nixon Years, by J. Anthony Lukas
Beginning as a work of journalism chronicling the impeachment proceedings against Nixon, this 1973 book is a visceral work of time travel. Where many history books can be a bit bloodless, calmly consider ing events of the distant past, Lukas captures not just the facts but the sense of chaos and decline that afflicted the country as the Watergate scandal spiraled out of Nixon’s control. It’s an incredibly detailed, well-organized account of the scandal, walking the reader through every drip of new information and every move the White House made as it sought to avoid its inevitable fate.

The Great Coverup, by Barry Sussman
While most Watergate accounts focus on the public events and the personalities involved, Sussman’s digs into the skulduggery and secret orders intended to keep the scandal contained—even as it was blown ever wider in congressional hearings and newspaper reports. The laundry list of things Nixon attempted in his efforts to stave off disaster included everything from interfering with the courts, to directing the CIA and FBI to investigate his enemies, to announcing military movements seemingly designed to change the headlines. Sussman captures all of it in fascinating detail.