Last week, we wondered about the timing of next month's biopic, Woodward & Bernstein: Life in the Shadow of Watergate, given the recent hype surrounding Woodward's State Of Denial — does the world really need another Woodward book right now?

The book's author, Alicia Shepard, answered us:

My book contract was signed long before we knew when Woodward's latest book was coming out. I jumped on the story and wanted to write a book after Woodward & Bernstein sold their Watergate papers, i.e. the contents of their desks from 1972 to 1976, to the Univ. of Texas for $5 million. Tell me one other journalist in the country who could do that? Could Katie Couric? Mike Wallace? Woodward and Bernstein are journalistic icons and their story needed to be told. As for Woodward's new book, I believe the public wants to know more about Bob Woodward beyond their surface understanding, and would want to read Woodward & Bernstein: Life in the Shadow of Watergate. What drives Woodward? What were his early influences? How has he changed? How did he deal with the intense fame from Watergate? Does he have an agenda? These are some of the many questions about Woodward answered in the book.

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