The Watergate scandal was an iconic event of the 1970's. Many older adults can remember watching Nixon’s haggard face as he announced his resignation as President of the United States. Bringing Down a President gives young teen readers a detailed breakdown of the political turmoil starting with Nixon authorizing and then covering up the illegal wiretapping of the Democratic National Committee’s headquarters in the Watergate Hotel complex. While the cast of characters is lengthy and may be confusing to younger readers unfamiliar with governmental bureaucracy, most readers will get the gist of how Nixon abused his power and was charged with obstruction of justice which eventually led to his impeachment. The authors’ use of the “fly on the wall” narrator to explain the series of events is creative, although it did make the flow of the storyline a bit choppy at times. The use of quotes from primary documents, thoroughly cited in the Source Notes at the end of the book, gives the book a sense of historical authenticity. The book would have been more effective with primary photos from the time period rather than the black and white drawings used in the book. Recommended for Grades 6-9.

This book helps readers understand the Watergate scandal by providing the many voices and perspectives of the people involved. It is an excellent way to show the complexity of the event. Clearly there are many parallels to today, and this book provides a sobering reminder of the need to enforce the law for everyone. As we so often hear today, “No one is above the law.” I also think the epilogue and end commentary and information tie the book together in a meaningful way.

Using direct quotes from wide variety of participants in the Watergate scandal and investigation, this book provides "Fly on the Wall" commentary on the events that happened from 1972 to 1974, with some additional back history about some of the people involved as well. I had never realized what a comedy of errors the whole thing was-- breaking into the Watergate, covering things up, bribing people right and left. Wow. There is a marvelous illustration of some of the men who tried to hide out in a closet and got locked in that made me snort with laughter, especially since it has a real Mad Magazine vibe to the line drawing.



This book does a great job at laying out events and explaining why things happened the way they did. The tone is very matter-of-fact, which could not have been an easy thing to do. My goodness. G. Gordon Liddy. He would have been fast friends with some current political figures today, I think! Oddly, most of the people come out looking fairly sympathetic as well; they had jobs to do for reasons that seemed like a good idea at the time, given the political environment. It seemed almost completely ludicrous, until I started trying to write a timeline of current political events in my mind.



Do I understand the Watergate Scandal better now? Yes, temporarily. Like the bank failures of 1929, I suspect that I won't hold onto this understanding for long, but this was a fantastic book. I'll definitely be purchasing it-- it has enough information for research, but its short length and plentiful illustrations will make it easier for students to pick up for pleasure as well. Language arts teachers will appreciate the innovative style and ample use of primary source quotes.

I thought this book was an interesting look at the Watergate Scandal and I actually learned a lot even though this topic was not new to me. I enjoyed the "fly on the wall" perspective which made it seem like you had an inside look to what was happening in the room. It included some curse words but they were within direct quotes and felt appropriate for getting the tone across. I think it would also appeal to reluctant readers who may find that sort of thing edgy and more interesting than a more academic take on the subject. I would say this is more geared for a middle school or high school age.

Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for the chance to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was great. It explained a lot of the missing parts of the Watergate scandal that I was not aware of before. I loved the format, especially the "fly on the wall" concept; that was excellent. I also liked the fact that the authors included direct quotes from the people involved, even though these people had been formally classified as liars. After reading this book, I see many parallels between the Watergate scandal and the current Trump administration. And it scares me...