Rating: 
Summary: richard clarke, angry patriot
Review: I, for one, am glad to see this book at the top of Amazon's bestseller list. Sure, Clarke is getting payback for feeling patronized by an Administration that he believes had its priorities backwards. He is that kind of guy. But that is not a sufficient reason to discount his testimony, and those who actually read it will be getting a fascinating historical look at our government's first modern encounter with organized terror. The details are weak in some areas, mainly because this is very much a first-person account and Clarke did not have access to the motivations of his superiors. What details he does give are penetrating, informed as they are by his analyst's perspective of discarding preconceptions about the truth in favor of actual observation. This is, in fact, the core of his repeated criticism of not just the current Administration, but with the FBI and CIA as well - that they were all so caught up in their own blindered vision of reality that they were (and are still) unable to effectively respond to the real terrorist threats our country faces. Clarke is a ferocious patriot, this much is obvious from the first few pages. He is also really pissed off, and it is well worth reading to find out why.
Rating: 
Summary: Observations from a neutral source
Review: As an outside observer (from Canada), it's clear that support/disgust with this book is splitting clearly down Dem/GOP lines. Replublicans clearly believe no one can lay a finger on George the Second, while Democrats view him as a demagogue.So where's the truth? Probably somewhere in between. I don't think George W is a liar. He genuinely believes what he says. But he'll do so without any questioning of the information he's given, and in spite of any evidence contrary to his world view. Keep in mind that Saddam Hussein (or at the least people in his employ) plotted to assassinate Dubya's mother & father when Bush 41 was on a post-presidential visit to Kuwait. It was to Bush 43, then, no great leap of logic to connect Saddam to all things Arabic & evil. Republicans should keep in mind that Clarke was a REAGAN appointee, who continued to serve under Bush 41 and then Clinton. So demeaning Clarke is by extension demeaning St. Ronnie. Similarly, I've never heard any demands that David Frum turn his royalty cheques over to charity. (BTW, Clarke has indicated that a substantial portion of his royalties WILL go to a 9/11 family support group and that he will not serve a Kerry presidency, should JFK2 be elected.) From an outsider's viewpoint, the White House attempts to discredit the person of Richard Clarke, rather than his conclusions seem to reek of desparation. If this were a civil case of Clarke vs. Bush, I'd say the preponderance of the evidence would be on Clarke's side.
Rating: 
Summary: Read this book!
Review: Against All Enemies lives up to the hype, and then some. It is a very well-crafted account of Clarke's personal experience in Counterterrorism spanning several presidential administrations from Reagan to Bush II. It reads like a fast-paced novel and is chock full of fascinating information and analysis. Partisan right-wing reviewers who have clearly NOT read this book have been trashing it here...giving it one star and ranting polemically about it, as if it were some kind of screaming liberal tome which it most certainly is not. AAE is candid and honest in a way that rarely occurs in political memoirs. It is the best book I have read in a very long time, and I am recommending it to all of my friends, regardless of their political stance. This book goes beyond politics...contrary to the impression you would get from the wingers screaming about it. Are they that afraid that people will finally start asking questions about 9/11? AAE is very fair in its analysis and a very valuable read.
Rating:
Summary: Clark Kicks Ass!
Review: Having been a lifelong democrat, I and my friends have always been aware that republicans would like nothing more than to send ugly women, children, and old people to concentration camps. We need the UN to treat us like its children so that they can protect us from republicans. For example, when Kerry gets elected, what he will probably do will be to place the United States armed forces under direct UN command. The United States Joint Chiefs of Staff should be put under the direct command of a generalisimo from Uganda, or Togo, or maybe even Cuba. It is only then that the U.S. can begin to repay the world for the horrendous war crimes we have inflicted on all of civilization, every hour of every day, for the past 200+ years. As Americans, we and our children deserve much pain and suffering! Long live Kofi Anan and John Kerry!
Rating:
Summary: Alleged Incompetence at the Highest Levels.....
Review: Much of the information detailed by Mr. Clarke was stated in the August, 2002 TIME Magazine Front Page Story "The Secret History". The idea that the Bush administration was focused on "Star Wars" and adversaries like China, while not giving AL Quada top priority was very clear in this article, by a top magazine not known for its "lefty" tendancies. In fact, TIME stated that Mr. Clarke was like a wolf crying for help before the 9/11/01 attacks, and his ideas were never given full attention. In fact , not until 9/4/01, were his recommendations given formal review and approval, 8 months after they were submitted. Mr. Clarke also states clearly how the Iraq war has been a distraction, and has been a great recruiting tool for the terrorist groups. Whereas before the war, there were almost no terrorist groups in Iraq, today, a year later, Iraq is a vast incubus for these groups. This book will be a great classic, and the sad thing is the response from those in power.
Rating:
Summary: look at all the bushies posting one star reviews!!!!
Review: this book has had quite an affect on the political landscape here in the good old US of A. for proof of that, look all the spirited reviews here... you know whenever you see this many 1 & 5 star reviews that it is a heated issue. so i'm here to pile on my 5 star vote. clarke is a hero. the fact that he apologized to the victioms of 911 and was the first US Gov official to do such a thing is amazing. it is truly a testament to the arrogance and unaccountability of the bush regime. typical behavior for a president that lies every year in his state of the union address and blames others when called on it. clarke, a life long republican and appointee of reagan the union buster, is certainly not out for political or personal gain. he, & the numerous others who have stepped forward to expose bush & co over the last year or so, are simply americans who have had enough. as for the book... its an easy read. clarke has enough stories to keep the going lively. do yourself a favor, pick up copy or check it out of your library...
Rating:
Summary: Getitng to the Truth . . .
Review: Richard Clarke is a Patriot This is a great book. It opens on September 11, then goes back to the beginning of Clarke's career, where he describes his involvement with fighting terrorism. The chapters are chronological, so you get to see how one action or inaction contributed to another. For all of the flap, only about 15% of the book deals with the current administration. Oddly, when I finished the book, I felt hopeful. The details of how Clinton-Gore (yes, both of them . . . I was surprised by how much Al Gore did to lead this fight) foiled Al Qaeda's plots again and again will remind you that "Prevention is Possible." For thinking people, it will also put a lot of skepticism to bed. Al Qaeda, as an entity, was virtually undetected until 1996 . . . As soon as Clinton-Gore knew what Al Qaeda was and how it worked, they went pro-active and had many, many successes! Clarke's main criticism of the Bush administration is that they refused to be proactive. They ignored the advice and briefings that they were given by Clinton-Gore, because they were Bible-Belt certain that Clinton was playing "wag-the-dog." On September 10, 2001, after receiving continuous and urgent messages about the impending attacks, Condoleeza Rice phoned her friends to warn them to "stay-out-of-the-air." The administration ordered "private aircraft" for Cabinet members' travel, beginning on September 10, 2001 and issued written directives for cabinet members to stay off "commercial flights." Odd they never warned us? If you are a Bush supporter, you will most definitely hope that Clarke is wrong . . . that Clarke has lied. I, for one, am willing to say that there may be more to the story. Clarke can only tell the parts that he knows. Condoleeza Rice should tell what she knows, in public and under oath. If you are Bush supporter, urge Condoleeza Rice to tell her story. As far as I know, Al Qaeda did not just kill democrats in the WTC. So, take some time out from publishing silly snipes about this book and write to your republican leaders to come clean and tell their side of the story. We all deserve to know the truth. Thank you Mr. Clarke for your brave and insightful book. I sincerely hope that you do make a million dollars from Against All Enemies. You deserve it for all of the good work you have done to keep our country safe.
Rating:
Summary: Finally! Someone honesty about 9/11...
Review: I had to read this book for myself before deciding whether or not it was true. After doing so, I believe Richard Clarke and highly recommend this book. None of the explanations of how 9/11 happened made sense until I read this book. There were definitely quite a few "now THAT makes sense" moments. The book had a undeniable "ring of truth" to it that I simply can't explain. Clarke's commentary was frank, honest and extremely relevent to finding out "what went wrong" on 9/11. This was a superbly written book that finally pieces some of the 9/11 puzzle together to those of us who lost loved ones on 9/11 (as I did). Despite countless warnings and urgent calls for meetings regarding a threat from al-Qaeda, Clarke, a Republican who was appointed by George Bush himself, proves that President Bush was tragically asleep at the wheel before 9/11. Richard Clarke apologizes (the only one to do so) in the book for "failing" the American people, despite his repeated attempts to warn Bush of a seeming impending attack. This book obviously exposes, as evidenced by Bush's unleasing of personal attacks on Clarke's character, that Bush isn't the fearless leader he would like us all to think, but in fact he ignored the very apparent threat from al-Qaeda before 9/11. I am buying this book for all of my friends who lost loved ones on 9/11 and for my family. Simply put: a MUST-read.
Rating:
Summary: Message to Republicans
Review: Stop rating the book a 1 just to bring the average down--You know you haven't read the book-it wouldn't do any good anyway b/c you are so blinded by your partisanship--this is like when you call c-span claiming to be a "democrat from texas". If you are that devoted to George W Bush over the welfare of your own family then vote for him and stop being a typical dirty tricks republican.
Rating: 
Summary: RE: Lindsey, O'Neill, Clarke - Spot a Trend?,
Review: Great review. Here's a few more for your list: John DiIulio, who coined the phrase "Mayberry Machiavellis" in his letter to Esquire Magazine; and, Joseph Wilson whose wife, Valeria Plame, was outed as a CIA operative when he called a Bush lie a lie regarding the infamous SOU misinformation regarding uranium from Niger. Wilson's book, The Politics of Truth, due out April 30, has the potential to be as devistating as Clarke's book.
|
