Bob Woodward Profile Photo

Bob Woodward

Keynote Speaker

Legendary Pulitzer Prize-Winning Investigative Journalist; Associate Editor, The Washington Post; and Author, 23 Bestsellers

The most famous political investigative reporter in America and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, Bob Woodward provides a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of government, politics, and the role of leadership.

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Bob Woodward'S SPEAKING FEE $25K - $40K

Bob Woodward Profile Photo

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 23 bestselling books – 17 went to #1 – more than any contemporary nonfiction writer. 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 said he 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.  

In October 2022, Woodward did something he’d never done before; he released the complete recordings of his 20 interviews with Donald Trump in audiobook form titled, The Trump Tapes. The audiobook is unique in that the listener gets the opportunity to hear his lengthy and raw interviews as well as exclusive commentary during some of the interviews – to provide vital context or clarification. The Trump Tapes is considered by Simon and Schuster “…as historically important as the Frost/Nixon interviews.” 

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 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 17 #1 national best-selling non-fiction books. 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.

Featured Videos

Bob Woodward Profile Photo
Bob Woodward

Bob Woodward on Disagreements

Bob Woodward Profile Photo
Bob Woodward

Bob Woodward on the Truth in Journalism

Bob Woodward Profile Photo
Bob Woodward

Bob Woodward on Ford’s Pardon of Nixon

Bob Woodward Profile Photo
Bob Woodward

Bob Woodward on Why Watergate Happened

Bob Woodward’s Speech Topics

  • 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.

  • Election 2024: A Year of Presidential Transformation?

    Drawing on over 52 years of experience covering every president since Nixon, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Bob Woodward delivers a masterful and non-partisan examination of American democracy as it stands today. Renowned for uncovering the hidden workings of the presidency, the CIA, the Pentagon, and the Supreme Court, Woodward analyzes the impact of the 2024 election and its effects on shaping the nation’s political future.


    With 21 national bestsellers—15 of which reached #1 on The New York Times Bestsellers List—Woodward brings unparalleled insights through stories from his vast collection of interviews. This includes highlights from The Trump Tapes, his bestselling audiobook featuring eight hours of candid conversations with Donald Trump during the final year of his presidency.

What other organizations say about Bob Woodward

Bob Woodward’s presentation made the evening a success!

Non-Profit

What other organizations say about Bob Woodward

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.

Open-ticketed

What other organizations say about Bob Woodward

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.

Food

What other organizations say about Bob Woodward

Bob Woodward’s format was perfect for engaging the audience. We filled the venue to its capacity!

Universities & Colleges

What other organizations say about Bob Woodward

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.

Universities & Colleges

What other organizations say about Bob Woodward

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.

Education Programs

What other organizations say about Bob Woodward

Bob Woodward was gracious, powerful, pithy, kind, fascinating, funny and just so wonderful.

Financial Services

What other organizations say about Bob Woodward

Bob Woodward was great! He was fascinating and he provided an interactive discussion. We were all thrilled!

Financial Services

Works by Bob Woodward

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