Zoe Daniel

I’m a little bit surprised that there haven’t been more books about Donald Trump’s presidency given all that happened. Greetings from Trumpland is written by two Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) staff stationed in Washington during Donald Trump’s run for president and for his presidency. They were the ones who reported to Australians on the many, many things that happened during the campaign and afterwards during his presidency. Given the 2024 elections are coming, it seemed appropriate to revisit and reflect on the things that happened during his time in office.

The story starts in the lead up to the 2016 election as the ABC staff notice that Trump is becoming more popular with many Americans. They look to explore why that’s so and the theme continues throughout the book – the reasons why some resonate with Trump. It might be because of jobs, poverty or they see the country failing under its current pathway. Some just like his unconventional way of putting America first and supporting the ‘little guy’. After Trump is elected, the chapters look at different aspects of his presidency, from climate change to the management of the COVID-19 pandemic. It explores his way of changing the narrative to suit his needs and put him in control. It also brings back memories of his tweets as perhaps the deepest insights into what an American president is thinking, although ‘covfefe’ is not mentioned or explained!

The book does a good job of summarising Trump’s four years in office and takes a relatively non-judgemental stance in reviewing the major events. It looks at how Trump changed things to suit him and how the country fared as a result, giving many examples (e.g. defunding WHO, exiting the Paris Agreement and COVID-19 – the most cases because the US tests the most…). It finishes with the attack on the Capitol building and looks forward to see how Biden can rejoin the country’s citizens together. Has he done that in the four years since? Only time will tell how the American people feel – and how many will vote – in the next election.

This is a great read to remind you how Trump ruled America. Highly recommended.

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I know nothing about typhoons but this book gives you a clear indication of what can happen when one hits. Angel lives very close to the water's edge where the islands of Samar and Leyle meet in the Phillipines. Her family get a warning that a typhoon is coming and her mother decides to head across to Samar island with Angel's little brothers to her grandparent's farm which is further inland. Angel, being 14, stays home with her father to try and secure their house and fishing boat. When the typhoon strikes, the water rises swiftly and Angel is trapped on the roof of their house with their elderly neighbor and her father is swept away in the current. Then, the water rises further and both Angela and the neighbour are suddenly struggling for their lives.… (more)

This was an interesting read. Zoe Daniel was ABC's Asian correspondent until just recently She is also married with two young children. This is the story of her time as a foreign correspondent and it gives a good insight into the job and its challenges. How, after a time away from family witnessing events such as the devestation in the Phillipines, do you return and slot into being a wife and other again. How do you deal with the horrendous events you have witnessed, but then on the plus side to interview Aung San Suu Kyi must count as something really special. The book gave an insight too into the problems and the political landscape of countries such as Thailand and Burma. Worth a read.… (more)