What are the best investigative journalism books with really juicy stories?
Hey everyone,
I’m looking for books by journalists who really did the digging, real investigative reporting. I’m after juicy, must-read stories that show how journalists uncover hidden truths.
I haven’t read a ton of his work but Michael Lewis is pretty good
danthecryptkeeper on
I’ll Be Gone in the Dark is an incredible nonfiction by the journalist who through her work helped catch the Golden State Killer. Really amazing writing, super compelling, and pretty scary at times!
coppersocks on
All the Presidents Men – Carl Bernstein
Empire of Pain – Patrick Radden Keith
thedancingj on
I mean… it’ll seem like a kids book compared to current events, but All the Presidents Men is a hell of a story about the journalists who took down Nixon.
Very sad to read now that the Washington Post is a shell of its former self, but still good context for current events.
zxcvbnm718 on
The Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War
Craig Whitlock
Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators
Ronan Farrow
Dopesick by Beth Macy
Not exactly what you are looking for but: I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer (not exactly what you may be looking for but worth the read – honestly anything by Jon Krakauer, especially Into Thin Air)
Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies of a Silicon Valley Start-Up by John Carreyrou
And this is a classic for a reason: All the President’s Men by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein
zxcvbnm718 on
Operation Greylord: The True Story of an Untrained Undercover Agent and America’s Biggest Corruption Bust by Terrence Hake – this isn’t by a journalist, but by a prosecutor who went undercover to exposure corruption in Cook County.
LTinTCKY on
The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist by Radley Balko and Tucker Carrington. Their investigation into junk forensic science led to a man convicted and sentenced to death in Louisiana ultimately being set free: [https://innocenceproject.org/news/jimmie-chris-duncan-is-released-after-27-years-on-louisianas-death-row/](https://innocenceproject.org/news/jimmie-chris-duncan-is-released-after-27-years-on-louisianas-death-row/)
7 Comments
I haven’t read a ton of his work but Michael Lewis is pretty good
I’ll Be Gone in the Dark is an incredible nonfiction by the journalist who through her work helped catch the Golden State Killer. Really amazing writing, super compelling, and pretty scary at times!
All the Presidents Men – Carl Bernstein
Empire of Pain – Patrick Radden Keith
I mean… it’ll seem like a kids book compared to current events, but All the Presidents Men is a hell of a story about the journalists who took down Nixon.
Very sad to read now that the Washington Post is a shell of its former self, but still good context for current events.
The Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War
Craig Whitlock
Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators
Ronan Farrow
Dopesick by Beth Macy
Not exactly what you are looking for but: I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer (not exactly what you may be looking for but worth the read – honestly anything by Jon Krakauer, especially Into Thin Air)
Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies of a Silicon Valley Start-Up by John Carreyrou
And this is a classic for a reason: All the President’s Men by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein
Operation Greylord: The True Story of an Untrained Undercover Agent and America’s Biggest Corruption Bust by Terrence Hake – this isn’t by a journalist, but by a prosecutor who went undercover to exposure corruption in Cook County.
The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist by Radley Balko and Tucker Carrington. Their investigation into junk forensic science led to a man convicted and sentenced to death in Louisiana ultimately being set free: [https://innocenceproject.org/news/jimmie-chris-duncan-is-released-after-27-years-on-louisianas-death-row/](https://innocenceproject.org/news/jimmie-chris-duncan-is-released-after-27-years-on-louisianas-death-row/)