Bush at War
by Bob Woodward

List Price: $16.00
Our Price: $0.01
You Save: $15.99 (100%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions

Book Summary Information

• State of Denial: Bush At War, Part III
• The Choice: How Bill Clinton Won
• The Agenda: Inside the Clinton White House

Book Reviews of Bush at War

Book Review: Bob Woodward and the American President
Summary: 5 Stars

Woodward went on. "Looking at this god-awful tape recorder, and thinking about Nixon that if you go back to Nixon or Ford, who was there briefly, or Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton and now another Bush and look at all the presidents one of the things that has churned in my mind for a long time is what's the definition of the president's job?"

"I want to hear your answer and then I'll give my prepared answer," Woodward said.

"He's a representative of our country," one student said.
"Politically speaking, he's a fundraiser," another said. Woodward chuckled.

Woodward scanned the room, taking in the various ideas.

Then Woodward gave his definition.

"I would say the president's job is to define the next stage of good for a majority of people in the country. And by the next stage of good it can mean winning a war, fixing the economy, saving or helping the environment and that it has to be the next stage of good for a real majority. Not one political party. Not one special interest group. But a real majority, and if a president can define the next stage of good and get it out there it's more than setting the agenda, it's setting a direction and a definition of who we are." George W. Bush's next stage of good is clear, Woodward said. "It is get rid of the evil ones, stomp out terrorism, eliminate it."

When Woodward made these comments he was in the process of finishing up his book "Bush at War," a book about George W. Bush's war on terrorism. On August 20, Woodward interviewed Bush for over two hours at Bush's Crawford, Texas, ranch.
In what Woodward described to Larry King on CNN as a "miracle," Simon and Schuster was able to publish "Bush at War" with incredible haste. The book was released to the public on November 18.

I bought "Bush at War" the day it was released. Even though I bought it in a bookstore, I noted that it reached #1 in sales on Amazon.com that day. I marveled at Woodward's success in compiling a book filled with investigative reporting and producing it for the public in record time. It was the first time I witnessed a book being consumed by the public as breaking news.

I was curious to see how Woodward's vision of the president manifested itself in Woodward's reporting? Another question I was curious about: how far can journalists go in defining the president and the president's job?

In the dedication of "Bush at War," Woodward makes a reference to a favorite saying of Katherine Graham: "hands off, mind on." This is the technique that Woodward follows in "Bush at War." He never spells out his vision of Bush's job. In his reporting, he never says that it's clear Bush stands for stomping out the evil ones. He doesn't put his hands on the story. But he puts his mind to getting the story, understanding it, showing the story to the reader though factual reporting, and letting the reader decide how to define the president and his job.

The result: fantastic reporting and a blueprint to the Bush Administration. A+

Summary of Bush at War

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

21st Century Books

• Books > Subjects > History > Americas > United States
• World
• Current Events > September 11
• Terrorism
• Government     > Federal Government
• Politics
• Social Sciences