A G-man's Life

This is the first full portrait of one of the most enduringly mysterious public figures of our era - the man who Bob Woodward called "Deep Throat". Mark Felt, one of the most celebrated sources in American history, comes vividly to life in this combination of biography and autobiography. Felt learned spy craft in World War II and rose to the number two position at the FBI. But his place in history was secured when he decided to share his views on the probe of the Watergate break-in with Bob Woodward. Felt assiduously stayed away from "leaking" facts, but as Woodward and Carl Bernstein ploughed their way through the cover-up conspiracy, Felt guided them towards truth and away from errors. Felt's life story would make a good book, but seen through the filter of his role in Watergate, it becomes an amazing tale. Felt is now old, frail and forgetful. But he wrote an account of Watergate in 1982 and in it says that the FBI needed a "Lone Ranger" to protect the agency from the corruption the White House was imposing upon it.
He had been tried, convicted and pardoned for his role in authorizing break-ins of the apartments of the Weather Underground and he was bitter at how the country he had served so long had treated him. But he did not, as he might have done, seize credit for being Deep Throat. It was only as he neared the end of his life that he confided his secret to his family who then shared it with their lawyer, John O'Connor. The answer to the question of who is Mark Felt? And why did he risk so much for his country is brilliantly answered in "A G-Man's Life." Underpinned by Felt's 1979 memoir and secret manuscript written in the 1980s, "A G-Man's Life" combines significant new revelations from his personal letters and memos, together with his family's and intimate associate's account of his life. Fascinating additional material from Felt includes his thoughts on how he provided guidance to Woodward and why. John O'Connor wrote the "Vanity Fair" story which disclosed Mr Felt's identity as "Deep Throat". Together, they re-ignite this key event from the past, defining Mark Felt's role, and answering crucial questions on the scandal that rocked not just America, but the world.