Bob Woodward's forthcoming memoir, "Secrets," reveals his close friendship with Richard Darman, who served as a key source during the Reagan and Bush administrations. Darman, understanding the journalistic process, shared sensitive intelligence matters, including NSA intercepts and CIA operations, carefully avoiding harm to national security. Woodward details the damaging collapse of their friendship following a Post series critical of George H.W. Bush. This personal conflict led to Woodward reflecting on his own career and a perceived moral failing as an editor. The New Yorker excerpt, titled "A Dangerous Friendship," highlights the risks of becoming too close to sources. Woodward and Darman never reconciled, though their deathbed encounter is described in the memoir. Their frequent lunches provided Woodward with insights into government operations and valuable scoops. Darman also visited Woodward's country home, bonding with both Woodward and his wife, journalist Elsa Walsh. Woodward amassed extensive notes from at least fifty-eight meetings and conversations with Darman, a source he considered a gold mine. Darman, in private, held strong opinions, even calling Nancy Reagan a "mean bitch" while acknowledging his inability to publicly challenge her.