Peril

Bob Woodward · Robert Costa

Sep 2021 · Simon and Schuster · Narrated by Robert Petkoff

About this audiobook

The transition from President Donald J. Trump to President Joseph R. Biden Jr. stands as one of the most dangerous periods in American history.

But as #1 internationally bestselling author Bob Woodward and acclaimed reporter Robert Costa reveal for the first time, it was far more than just a domestic political crisis. Woodward and Costa interviewed more than 200 people at the center of the turmoil, resulting in more than 6,000 pages of transcripts—and a spellbinding and definitive portrait of a nation on the brink.

This classic study of Washington takes readers deep inside the Trump White House, the Biden White House, the 2020 campaign, and the Pentagon and Congress, with eyewitness accounts of what really happened. Intimate scenes are supplemented with never-before-seen material from secret orders, transcripts of confidential calls, diaries, emails, meeting notes and other personal and government records, making Peril an unparalleled history. It is also the first inside look at Biden’s presidency as he began his presidency facing the challenges of a lifetime: the continuing deadly pandemic and millions of Americans facing soul-crushing economic pain, all the while navigating a bitter and disabling partisan divide, a world rife with threats, and the hovering, dark shadow of the former president.

Ratings and reviews

I just bought the book. I wasn't going to, but the price dropped quite a bit, so I decided to buy the book and read it. I'm in the beginning chapters but I must say this is really pretty insane if what Bob Woodward has written has very much truth to it. What I have read so far, has Pelosi and Milley both gunning for the Commander in chief. Both have an extreme dislike for President Trump that is very clear. Reading the opening pages, I also think I am attending a meeting of the mean girls club, not some of the highest ranking government officials during the Trump Administration. This constant push for the 25th amendment is a prime example of the insanity going on to oust President Trump, The Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax is another, there are so many obvious made up stories and other tactics to try to make the Trump administration very disliked and unable to do anything. Bob Woodward was once consider a very good author that told the truth, his last few books hasn't really been up to speed there. The very fast price drop is fairly odd and telling as well. I bought it for less than $15. $15 for a book of any value today is unheard of.

Mr. Woodward is amazing both, for his ability to write with simplicity and elegance and his lasting and enduring legacy is unperilled. I appreciate his style of putting me, a nobody farmer, in the room of the most powerful white men, and a few women, in America. I always enjoy Mr. Woodard and feel Mr. Costa is a great addition to the team. I really hope the media would stop falling over themselves about Gen. Milley. Especially for the fact that a previous book already disclosed this fact earlier. If it's just a ploy for greater sales, well sell on, and please keep on writing. BRAVO

This book reads like a novel, but informs as a sad saga in history that continues to this day! The revelations come one after another to inform the reader of just how close the United States came to the brink of losing it's democracy. From concerned staff to Democratic leadership and military, the former president would stop at nothing to increase his power, control the behavior of a large minority of supporters, and steal a presidential term that he lost.

About the author

Bob Woodward is an associate editor at The Washington Post, where he has worked for more than 50 years. He has shared in two Pulitzer Prizes, one for his Watergate coverage and the other for coverage of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He has authored 21 bestselling books, 15 of which have been #1 New York Times bestsellers.

Robert Costa is the Chief Election and Campaign Correspondent for CBS News, where he has worked since 2022. He previously served as a national political reporter at The Washington Post and as moderator and managing editor of Washington Week on PBS. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and a master’s degree from the University of Cambridge. He is from Bucks County, Pennsylvania.