suzannedix's review against another edition
3.0
A just-in-time publication as Americans face another impeachment, Bringing Down a President: The Watergate Scandal, introduces a new generation to “All the President’s Men.” With a consistent layout throughout the text, there are “Fly on the Wall” explanations of the events surrounding the Watergate break along with direct quotes from the key players (both those supporting and opposing Nixon). The book has black and white illustrations throughout and has the appearance of a nonfiction text designed for middle schoolers in mind. However there is prolific profanity throughout the book, some within the quotations, and others used simply to add sensationalism. While thought-provoking and informative, this is a complicated and terrifying era of American history that many high school students will struggle to make sense of.
backonthealex's review against another edition
5.0
Watergate was always a confusing part of history to me. It never was covered in school and there were so many people and events surrounding Richard Nixon's fall from grace and subsequent resignation. This book makes sense of all that in a very accessible format. I knew it was an important time in the history of the US and now I can see why more clearly. This is a book written for middle grade kids, but it would probably help adults who were a little fuzzy about those events, too. The events are narrated by a fly on the wall (literally), along with supporting direct quotes by the people involved, and instead of using photographs, the authors have chosen to use black and white (pencil?) illustrations. There is a lot of food for thought here, but one thing is certain - this is a book that will resonate with today's astute readers.
emilyotr's review against another edition
informative
fast-paced
4.5
Excellent! A middle grade book is a great way to learn anything you want to know more about! I’ll pass this on to my 7th grader next!
thisfoxreads's review against another edition
5.0
Yes, a rare 5 stars from me.
I'm impressed. The authors present the often confusing Watergate/impeachment/resignation scandal in an interesting read. Rather than a standard narrative, they use a "fly on the wall" (their term) narration interspersed between actual quotations of the players--the infamous "plumbers," journalists Woodward & Bernstein, Richard Nixon, senators and Congresspeople, and those closest to Nixon.
I was young, but I remember growing up in a family of Nixon supporters during the 1972 election. I well remember listening to Nixon's resignation speech as we sat in our car driving to our family vacation. All of the names were familiar to me as I grew up, but the sequence of events was never quite clear to me--even a history major in college & even taking a course on 1970s US history in grad school. This book provides that information at last. I read this one on my lunch breaks and it was difficult to put aside at the end of my 30 minutes each day.
My only complaint is that the pencil/ink drawings, while mostly quite well done, are the only illustrations in this book for young adults. How much more interesting it would be to see photographs of the actual people and artifacts described. I was constantly doing online searches while reading.
Warning: impolite language used (even by the "fly on the wall" narrator--unneeded, really), though often letters are replaced with punctuation. The words won't be a surprise to teen readers, but may discomfit parents. (Insert "expletive deleted" joke here--read the book to understand.)
Bottom line: all teens and adults should read this one if they've ever wondered just what a hotel break-in really had to do with bringing down the most powerful person in the US.
I'm impressed. The authors present the often confusing Watergate/impeachment/resignation scandal in an interesting read. Rather than a standard narrative, they use a "fly on the wall" (their term) narration interspersed between actual quotations of the players--the infamous "plumbers," journalists Woodward & Bernstein, Richard Nixon, senators and Congresspeople, and those closest to Nixon.
I was young, but I remember growing up in a family of Nixon supporters during the 1972 election. I well remember listening to Nixon's resignation speech as we sat in our car driving to our family vacation. All of the names were familiar to me as I grew up, but the sequence of events was never quite clear to me--even a history major in college & even taking a course on 1970s US history in grad school. This book provides that information at last. I read this one on my lunch breaks and it was difficult to put aside at the end of my 30 minutes each day.
My only complaint is that the pencil/ink drawings, while mostly quite well done, are the only illustrations in this book for young adults. How much more interesting it would be to see photographs of the actual people and artifacts described. I was constantly doing online searches while reading.
Warning: impolite language used (even by the "fly on the wall" narrator--unneeded, really), though often letters are replaced with punctuation. The words won't be a surprise to teen readers, but may discomfit parents. (Insert "expletive deleted" joke here--read the book to understand.)
Bottom line: all teens and adults should read this one if they've ever wondered just what a hotel break-in really had to do with bringing down the most powerful person in the US.
barberchicago_1129's review against another edition
4.0
Great informational text with gaps filled in by a “Fly on the Wall.” Being aimed at a middle-grade audience, I wish it would have had fewer curse words. Some expletives were deleted, but others weren’t. A bit confusing for my 5ths. But an excellent resource on the powers of the presidency and what can happen when it’s run amok.
Thank you to the publisher for sharing this with our reading group!
Thank you to the publisher for sharing this with our reading group!
1brightrainbow's review against another edition
5.0
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...
bethmitcham's review
4.0
Wow, this seems rather topical. I thought it was an appealing format -- told in the words of the actors, with a "fly on the wall" providing transitions and explanations. It chronicles the Watergate break-in through the investigation and obfuscations, watching the reactions of various people both pro- and anti-Nixon, although the book itself is strongly on the side on the impeachment. The chapter lengths and illustrations are also appealing, and the back matter thorough (good page notes, for example).
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