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will love Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. An interesting look at the personalities and interactions in the highest government levels dealing with the 9/11 attack and the buildup and invasion of Afghanistan. It is interesting after living through the events to be able to take a step back from the images in ones head and look at what was going on in the government and other countries around the world. (  ) Loptsson | Aug 3, 2009 |  Although this is not Woodward's intention, I feel that he has gathered more evidence that something approaching a due process and the best of intentions existed in the decision to conduct warfare. In these post-Constitutional days, this may be the best we can hope for. As the behemoth lurches towards war on the other side of the world, Bush focused the intentions of the principals to direct their ire against American enemies. While we would have hoped for the strikeout blow that would have taken Al Qaeda out, the various American agencies, Pentagon, CIA, White House et. al. pounded back as quickly as can be expected. A less decisive President would have allowed America open to additional attacks and would have lowered the view of the U.S. in the remainder of the world by not striking back at its enemies. 1  gmicksmith | Jan 4, 2009 | Bob Woodward was given incredible access to the key players - including four hours with President Bush - and the book moves through the first 100 days after 9/11 as one would expect a news reporter to travel . . . facts, no analysis or speculation. Seven years has not been enough time to allow history to shadow the reality - Bob Woodward revealed Richard Nixon to be a genius by comparison . . . (  ) Grandeplease | Dec 28, 2008 | Even with my reservations about Woodward the journalist, I found his Bush at War offered a valuable insight into how the NSC and the Bush Administration operated between September 11th and late 2002. Surprisingly, I found myself agreeing with some of the comments from principles whose policies toward Iraq I find deplorable, yet they got the immediate response correct. The means employed in Afghanistan seemed correct and proper given the reality of the country at the time (regardless of how things are continuing to deteriorate as attention continues to concentrate elsewhere). Nonetheless, much of the time I found myself wondering why Gary's advice--CIA operative on the ground--did not travel up the chain of command? It seemed like, as many NSC committees apparently do, this NSC group spent a lot of time arguing the same points continuously rather than seeking new information from the ground proactively in an effort to move the process forward. The more I read about the working of the NSC, the more I understand where the bureaucratic political theorists come from. This is just a group of people working with varied tools and beliefs to solve complex problems--something duplicated in numerous organizations everywhere. Understanding this process and how to game it correctly seems to contain a piece of the puzzle to understanding foreign policy formation in the U.S. (  ) chellinsky | Oct 2, 2007 | Interesting insight into the first 100 days of the US response to the terrorist attacks of Sept 11, 2001. Amazing difference in the responses between the US Armed Forces and the CIA. (  ) ubutl | Jun 14, 2007 |  no reviews | add a review
Amazon.com (ISBN 0743204735, Hardcover)Bush at War focuses on the three months following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, during which the U.S. prepared for war in Afghanistan, took steps toward a preemptive strike against Iraq, intensified homeland defense, and began a well-funded CIA covert war against terrorism around the world. The narrative is classic Woodward: using his inside access to the major players, he offers a nearly day-by-day account of the decision-making processes and power battles behind the headlines. Woodward's information is based on tape-recorded interviews of over a hundred sources (some unnamed), including four hours of exclusive interviews with the president, along with notes from cabinet meetings and access to some classified reports.Woodward's analysis of President Bush's leadership style is especially fascinating. A self-described "gut player" who relies heavily on instinct, Bush comes across as a man of action continually pressing his cabinet for concrete results. The revelation that the president developed and publicly stated the so-called Bush Doctrine--the policy that the U.S. would not only go after terrorists everywhere but also those governments or groups which harbor them--without first consulting Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Colin Powell, or Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is particularly telling. Other principals are examined with equal scrutiny. Though National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice emerges as soft-spoken and even tentative during group meetings, it becomes clear that Bush is dependent on her for candid advice as well as for conveying his thoughts to his cabinet. The relationship between Powell and Rumsfeld (and to a lesser degree Powell and Cheney) is often strained, exposing their differences regarding how to deal with Iraq and whether coalition building or unilateralism is most appropriate. Woodward also describes how CIA director George Tenet prepared a paramilitary team to infiltrate Afghanistan to set the groundwork for invasion, and how this ushered in a new era of cooperation between the defense department and the CIA. A worthwhile and often enlightening read, this is a revealing and informative first draft of the Bush legacy. --Shawn Carkonen (retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:57:54 -0400) The first test round has been closed. Visit the Open Shelves Classification group for details. |
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