The Washington Post Popular Books

The Washington Post Biography & Facts

The Washington Post, locally known as the Post and, informally, WaPo or WP, is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington metropolitan area and has a national audience. The Post was founded in 1877. In its early years, it went through several owners and struggled both financially and editorially. Financier Eugene Meyer purchased it out of bankruptcy in 1933 and revived its health and reputation; this work was continued by his successors Katharine and Phil Graham (Meyer's daughter and son-in-law), who bought out several rival publications. The Post's 1971 printing of the Pentagon Papers helped spur opposition to the Vietnam War. Reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein led the investigation into the break-in at the Democratic National Headquarters that developed into the Watergate scandal, which resulted in the 1974 resignation of President Richard Nixon. In October 2013, the Graham family sold the newspaper to Nash Holdings, a holding company owned by Jeff Bezos, for $250 million.As of 2023, the newspaper had won the Pulitzer Prize 73 times for its work, the second-most of any publication (after The New York Times). It is considered a newspaper of record in the U.S. Post journalists have received 18 Nieman Fellowships and 368 White House News Photographers Association awards. The paper is well known for its political reporting and is one of the few remaining American newspapers to operate foreign bureaus, with international breaking news hubs in London and Seoul. Overview The Washington Post is regarded as one of the leading daily American newspapers along with The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and The Wall Street Journal. The Post has distinguished itself through its political reporting on the workings of the White House, Congress, and other aspects of the U.S. government. It is considered a newspaper of record in the U.S.The Washington Post does not print an edition for distribution away from the East Coast. In 2009, the newspaper ceased publication of its National Weekly Edition due to shrinking circulation. The majority of its newsprint readership is in Washington, D.C., and its suburbs in Maryland and Northern Virginia.The newspaper's 21 current foreign bureaus are in Baghdad, Beijing, Beirut, Berlin, Brussels, Cairo, Dakar, Hong Kong, Islamabad, Istanbul, Jerusalem, London, Mexico City, Moscow, Nairobi, New Delhi, Rio de Janeiro, Rome, Seoul, Tokyo, and Toronto. In November 2009, the newspaper announced the closure of three U.S. regional bureaus in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City, as part of an increased focus on Washington, D.C.-based political stories and local news. The newspaper has local bureaus in Maryland (Annapolis, Montgomery County, Prince George's County, and Southern Maryland) and Virginia (Alexandria, Fairfax, Loudoun County, Richmond, and Prince William County).As of March 2023, the Post's average printed weekday circulation is 139,232, making it the third largest newspaper in the country by circulation.For many decades, the Post had its main office at 1150 15th Street NW. This real estate remained with Graham Holdings when the newspaper was sold to Jeff Bezos' Nash Holdings in 2013. Graham Holdings sold 1150 15th Street, along with 1515 L Street, 1523 L Street, and land beneath 1100 15th Street, for $159 million in November 2013. The Post continued to lease space at 1150 L Street NW. In May 2014, The Post leased the west tower of One Franklin Square, a high-rise building at 1301 K Street NW in Washington, D.C.Mary Jordan was the founding editor, head of content, and moderator for Washington Post Live, The Post's editorial events business, which organizes political debates, conferences and news events for the media company, including "The 40th Anniversary of Watergate" in June 2012 that featured key Watergate figures including former White House counsel John Dean, Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee, and reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, which was held at the Watergate hotel. Regular hosts include Frances Stead Sellers. Lois Romano was formerly the editor of Washington Post Live.The Post has its own exclusive Zip Code, 20071. Publishing service Arc XP is a department of The Washington Post, which provides a publishing system and software for news organizations such as the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times. History Founding and early period The newspaper was founded in 1877 by Stilson Hutchins (1838–1912), and in 1880 it added a Sunday edition, becoming the city's first newspaper to publish seven days a week. 19th century In April 1878, about four months into publication, The Washington Post purchased The Washington Union, a competing newspaper which was founded by John Lynch in late 1877. The Union had only been in operation about six months at the time of the acquisition. The combined newspaper was published from the Globe Building as The Washington Post and Union beginning on April 15, 1878, with a circulation of 13,000. The Post and Union name was used about two weeks until April 29, 1878, returning to the original masthead the following day.In 1889, Hutchins sold the newspaper to Frank Hatton, a former Postmaster General, and Beriah Wilkins, a former Democratic congressman from Ohio. To promote the newspaper, the new owners requested the leader of the United States Marine Band, John Philip Sousa, to compose a march for the newspaper's essay contest awards ceremony. Sousa composed "The Washington Post". It became the standard music to accompany the two-step, a late 19th-century dance craze, and remains one of Sousa's best-known works. In 1893, the newspaper moved to a building at 14th and E streets NW, where it would remain until 1950. This building combined all functions of the newspaper into one headquarters – newsroom, advertising, typesetting, and printing – that ran 24 hours per day.In 1898, during the Spanish–American War, the Post printed Clifford K. Berryman's classic illustration Remember the Maine, which became the battle-cry for American sailors during the War. In 1902, Berryman published another famous cartoon in the Post – Drawing the Line in Mississippi. This cartoon depicts President Theodore Roosevelt showing compassion for a small bear cub and inspired New York store owner Morris Michtom to create the teddy bear. Wilkins acquired Hatton's share of the newspaper in 1894 at Hatton's death. 20th century After Wilkins' death in 1903, his sons John and Robert ran the Post for two years before selling it in 1905 to John Roll McLean, owner of the Cincinnati Enquirer. During the Wilson presidency, the Post was credited with the "most famous newspaper typo" in D.C. history according to Reason magazine; the Post intended to report that President Wilson had been "entertaining" his future-wife Mrs. Galt, but instead wrote that he had been "entering" Mrs. Galt.When McLean died in 1916, he put the newspape.... Discover the The Washington Post popular books. Find the top 100 most popular The Washington Post books.

Best Seller The Washington Post Books of 2024

  • Ghost Country synopsis, comments

    Ghost Country

    Patrick Lee

    “In a word: Brilliant….It left me breathless and awed….Pure exhilaration from the first page to the last.”James Rollins, New York Times bestselling author of Altar of Eden“WOW! Dou...

  • The Bright Hour synopsis, comments

    The Bright Hour

    Nina Riggs

    INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “Stunning…heartrending…this year’s When Breath Becomes Air.” Nora Krug, The Washington Post “Beautiful and haunting.” Matt McCarthy, MD, USA TOD...

  • Golden Hill synopsis, comments

    Golden Hill

    Francis Spufford

    A Wall Street Journal Top Ten Fiction Book of 2017 A Washington Post Notable Fiction Book of the Year A Seattle Times Favorite Book of 2017 An NPR Best Book of 2017 A Kirkus Re...

  • Fear synopsis, comments

    Fear

    Bob Woodward

    OVER 2 MILLION COPIES SOLD RUNAWAY #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER SENSATIONAL #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER “Explosive.”The Washington Post “Devastating.”The New Yorker “Unprecedented....

  • Dead Zero synopsis, comments

    Dead Zero

    Stephen Hunter

    From New York Times bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize winner Stephen Hunter comes a thriller that pits former Marine sniper Bob Lee Swagger against the only man who might be ab...

  • The 57 Bus synopsis, comments

    The 57 Bus

    Dashka Slater

    Dashka Slater's The 57 Bus, a riveting nonfiction book for teens about race, class, gender, crime, and punishment, tells the true story of an agender teen who was set on fire by an...

  • Peril synopsis, comments

    Peril

    Bob Woodward & Robert Costa

    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...

  • Seinfeldia synopsis, comments

    Seinfeldia

    Jennifer Keishin Armstrong

    The New York Times bestseller about two guys who went out for coffee and dreamed up Seinfeld“A wildly entertaining mustread not only for Seinfeld fans but for anyone who wants a be...

  • The Afghanistan Papers synopsis, comments

    The Afghanistan Papers

    Craig Whitlock & The Washington Post

    A Washington Post Best Book of 2021The #1 New York Times bestselling investigative story of how three successive presidents and their military commanders deceived the public year a...

  • The Paris Library synopsis, comments

    The Paris Library

    Janet Skeslien Charles

    An instant New York Times, Washington Post, and USA TODAY bestsellerbased on the true story of the heroic librarians at the American Library in Paris during World War IIThe Paris L...

  • Mrs. Everything synopsis, comments

    Mrs. Everything

    Jennifer Weiner

    From Jennifer Weiner, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Who Do You Love and In Her Shoes comes a smart, thoughtful, and timely exploration of two sisters’ lives from the ...

  • The Eyes of the Dragon synopsis, comments

    The Eyes of the Dragon

    Stephen King

    “It is just not possible to stop turning the pages” (The Washington Post) of this bestselling classic talean epic fantasy as only #1 New York Times bestselling author Stephen King ...

  • A Higher Loyalty synopsis, comments

    A Higher Loyalty

    James Comey

    #1 New York Times Bestseller now in paperback with new material The inspiration for The Comey Rule, the Showtime limited series starring Jeff Daniels premiering September 2020In hi...

  • Marlena synopsis, comments

    Marlena

    Julie Buntin

    A National Book Critics Circle Leonard Prize FinalistLonglisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel PrizeNamed a Best Book of the Year by Vogue, BuzzFeed, The Washington Post, E...

  • Dear America synopsis, comments

    Dear America

    Jose Antonio Vargas

    THE NATIONAL BESTSELLER“This riveting, courageous memoir ought to be mandatory reading for every American.”  Michelle Alexander, New York Times bestselling author of The ...

  • Wishtree synopsis, comments

    Wishtree

    Katherine Applegate

    An oak tree and a crow help their neighbors embrace their differences in this beautiful, nuanced, New York Timesbestselling middlegrade novel from Newbery Medalist author Katherine...

  • The Everything Store synopsis, comments

    The Everything Store

    Brad Stone

    "An immersive playbyplay of the company's ascent.... It's hard to imagine a better retelling of the Amazon origin story." Laura Bennett, New Republic Amazon.com's visionary founde...

  • The Topeka School synopsis, comments

    The Topeka School

    Ben Lerner

    FINALIST FOR THE PULITZER PRIZE WINNER OF THE LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZEONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES TOP TEN BOOKS OF THE YEARA TIME, GQ, Vulture, and WASHINGTON POST TOP 10 BOOK of...

  • Leave the World Behind synopsis, comments

    Leave the World Behind

    Rumaan Alam

    Soon to be a Netflix film starring Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Myha'la, Farrah Mackenzie, Charlie Evans and Kevin Bacon. Written for the Screen and Directed by Sam ...

  • Reckless Daughter synopsis, comments

    Reckless Daughter

    David Yaffe

    "She was like a storm." Leonard CohenReckless Daughter is the story of an artist and an era that have left an indelible mark on American music. Joni Mitchell may be the most inf...

  • Glass Houses synopsis, comments

    Glass Houses

    Louise Penny

    An instant New York Times Bestseller and August 2017 LibraryReads pick!“Penny’s absorbing, intricately plotted 13th Gamache novel proves she only gets better at pursuing dark truth...

  • I, Ripper synopsis, comments

    I, Ripper

    Stephen Hunter

    The electrifying new thriller from New York Times bestselling author Stephen Hunter takes you deep inside the mind of the most notorious serial killer of all time: Jack the Ripper....

  • Taste synopsis, comments

    Taste

    Stanley Tucci

    INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERNamed a Notable Book of 2021 by NPR and The Washington PostFrom awardwinning actor and food obsessive Stanley Tucci comes an intimate and charming ...

  • Girls Burn Brighter synopsis, comments

    Girls Burn Brighter

    Shobha Rao

    Best Book of the Year: The Washington Post, NPR, Shelf Awareness, Paste, LitHub, Real Simple2018 Goodreads Choice Awards Finalist: Best FictionLonglisted for the 2018 Center for Fi...

  • Life Undercover synopsis, comments

    Life Undercover

    Amaryllis Fox

    INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “Fast and thrilling . . . Life Undercover reads as if a John le Carré character landed in Eat Pray Love." The New York TimesAmaryllis Fo...

  • Personal History synopsis, comments

    Personal History

    Katharine Graham

    #1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER PULTIZER PRIZE WINNER The captivating inside story of the woman who helmed the Washington Post during one of the most turbulent periods in the history of A...

  • Breaking the News synopsis, comments

    Breaking the News

    ALEX MARLOW

    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERFrom the editor in chief of Breitbart News, a firsthand account of how the establishment media became weaponized against Donald Trump and his supporters on...

  • Things That Matter synopsis, comments

    Things That Matter

    Charles Krauthammer

    From America’s preeminent columnist, named by the Financial Times the most influential commentator in the nation, a musthave collection of Charles Krauthammer’s essential...

  • The Great Alone synopsis, comments

    The Great Alone

    Kristin Hannah

    In Kristin Hannah’s The Great Alone, a desperate family seeks a new beginning in the nearisolated wilderness of Alaska only to find that their unpredictable environment is less thr...

  • Hot Springs synopsis, comments

    Hot Springs

    Stephen Hunter

    The undisputed master of the tough thriller, New York Times bestselling author Stephen Hunter delivers an “exciting and intelligent” (The Wall Street Journal) masterpiece set in 19...

  • Night of Thunder synopsis, comments

    Night of Thunder

    Stephen Hunter

    New York Times bestselling author Stephen Hunter sends former Marine sniper Bob Lee Swagger deep into the heart of NASCAR country in this actionpacked thriller.Talk about a ride!Wo...

  • The 47th Samurai synopsis, comments

    The 47th Samurai

    Stephen Hunter

    In The 47th Samurai, Bob Lee Swagger, the gritty hero of Stephen Hunter's bestselling novels Point of Impact and Time to Hunt, returns in this intense and exotic thriller.Bob Lee S...

  • 4 3 2 1 synopsis, comments

    4 3 2 1

    Paul Auster

    Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize Named a Best Book of the Year by The Washington Post, The New York Times Book Review, NPR, The Globe and Mail, Kirkus Reviews, Huffington ...

  • Amazon Unbound synopsis, comments

    Amazon Unbound

    Brad Stone

    This New York Times bestseller is a “masterful” (The Washington Post), “juicy tour of the company [Jeff] Bezos built” (The New York Times Book Review), revealing the most important...

  • Lily and the Octopus synopsis, comments

    Lily and the Octopus

    Steven Rowley

    A national bestseller combining the emotional depth of The Art of Racing in the Rain with the magical spirit of The Life of Pi, “Lily and the Octopus is the dog book you must read ...

  • Truths I Never Told You synopsis, comments

    Truths I Never Told You

    Kelly Rimmer

    “For fans who appreciate emotionally wrenching reads such as those by Sarah Jio or Kristin Hannah.” –Library Journal“Fans of Jodi Picoult and Kristin Hannah now have a new goto aut...

  • I, Sniper synopsis, comments

    I, Sniper

    Stephen Hunter

    The explosive New York Times bestseller by Stephen Hunter that sends exMarine sniper Bob Lee Swagger into the thick of an FBI investigation and features some of the greatest gunfig...

  • The Price of Politics synopsis, comments

    The Price of Politics

    Bob Woodward

    See how and why Washington is not functioning in Bob Woodward’s freshly reported, thirtyfivepage Afterword to his national bestseller, The Price of Politics, which provides a detai...

  • Soft Target synopsis, comments

    Soft Target

    Stephen Hunter

    Another actionpacked thriller from Stephen Hunter, this time starring Ray Cruz, the son of exMarine sniper Bob Lee Swagger, who was introduced in Hunter’s previous bestseller, Dead...

  • Rage synopsis, comments

    Rage

    Bob Woodward

    Rage is an unprecedented and intimate tour de force of new reporting on the Trump presidency facing a global pandemic, economic disaster and racial unrest.Woodward, the #1 internat...

  • The Third Bullet synopsis, comments

    The Third Bullet

    Stephen Hunter

    Former marine sniper Bob Lee Swagger investigates one of the most enduring controversies of our timethe JFK assassinationin this New York Times bestselling “terrific thriller” (Boo...

  • When Paris Went Dark synopsis, comments

    When Paris Went Dark

    Ronald C. Rosbottom

    The spellbinding and revealing chronicle of Nazioccupied Paris. On June 14, 1940, German tanks entered a silent and nearly deserted Paris. Eight days later, France accepted a humil...

  • Havana synopsis, comments

    Havana

    Stephen Hunter

    New York Times bestselling author Stephen Hunter takes beloved hero, Earl Swagger, into the lush world of 1950's Cuba to fight the American mobsters who control the Havana casinos....

  • If It Bleeds synopsis, comments

    If It Bleeds

    Stephen King

    #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Includes “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone”now a Netflix original film starring Donald Sutherland and Jaeden Martell! From the legendary storyteller and master of...

  • Targeted synopsis, comments

    Targeted

    Stephen Hunter

    Master sniper Bob Lee Swagger protects a group of political hostages during a perilous standoff in this razorsharp, whiteknuckled thriller from Pulitzer Prize winner, New York Time...

  • The Point of It All synopsis, comments

    The Point of It All

    Charles Krauthammer & Daniel Krauthammer

    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A powerful collection of the influential columnist’s most important worksfeaturing rare speeches, a major essay about today’s populist movements ...