Rating: 
Summary: An Honest, Tough and Important Perspective
Review: I know Richard Clarke and as a journalist have interviewed him many times. And in the interest of full disclosure, Clarke endorsed my most recent book, Black Ice: The Invisible Threat of Cyber-Terrorism.However, I found Against All Enemies to be one of the most important books to date dealing with the anti-terrorism policies and programs of the last four presidential administrations. It also raises serious questions about the legitimacy of the war in Iraq and the lack of sophisticated analysis and understanding of the terrorist threat by some of the most senior members of the Bush cabinet. From the very first page of the Preface, you will be hooked as you read how one of the most respected and experienced national security experts was growing "increasingly concerned that too many of my fellow citizens were being misled" by the administration's contention that Saddam Hussein somehow had something to do with Sept. 11. More telling are the number of people mentioned in the book (who undoubtedly gave Clarke permission to use their names and quotes in the text) who also were shocked and awed by Bush's insistence on finding a link to Iraq. You will also be surprised at how many of Clarke's fellow professional staff members (many of whom had decades of service in government) became so frustrated by the administration's preoccupation with Iraq and the dysfunctional Department of Homeland Security that they simply quit. I did get the impression that Clarke could have been tougher on the Clinton administration, thereby avoiding the current uproar that his writing is tainted by partisan politics. However, knowing Clarke and his deputy, Roger Cressey (a major figure in the book), I find no reason to believe that this book is anything other than an honest attempt by a patriotic public servant to inform the public of what he believes are dangerous, misguided policies and decisions that are being made at the highest levels of our government. Dan Verton
Author
Black Ice: The Invisible Threat of Cyber-Terrorism (2003)
Rating:
Summary: A Must-Read Account of What Really Happened on 9/11
Review: I just bought this book and I haven't been able to put it down--it's a breath of fresh air to read a cohesive account of 9/11, and find out what's really been going on in the White House. It's not a fun book--no Al Franken-esque joshing here--but a moving and chilling account of where our country is at this moment. After serving as the "terrorism czar" under three presidents, Clarke knows of what he speaks; if you live in America, care about the American response to terrorism, or have any stake in the war in Iraq you ought to read this book, no matter which primaries you vote in.
Rating: 
Summary: Boring!
Review: I actually read this book because I like to get both sides of the story (fair and balanced). However, if I got anything out of this book, (...) he goes on and on about the current administration, he does nothing to suggest that the Clinton administration should accept any responsibility for 8 years of doing nothing in the war on terror. If Mr. clarke wants to place blame anywhere, I have a mirror that he can borrow. This book should fall under the catagory of pure fiction.
Rating:
Summary: I'd give it 0 stars if possible
Review: I find it incredibly offensive that the author blames the Bush administration for failing to act when Bush had only been president for several months. He also does not explain the 8 YEARS of failure by the Clinton administration to deal with bin Lauden. This book is a thinly veiled attempt to influence the 2004 presidential election, and to gain financially from the 9/11 tragedy.
Rating:
Summary: Devastating critique of Bush Administration.
Review: Richard Clarke's book is a devastating critique of an administration, which is soft on real terrorism. The points I took away from reading it. Bush looks for "simple solutions," a kind of bumper sticker president. Vice President Cheney (a draft dodger who was "too busy" to serve his country) is pictured as veritable war hawk who believed the U.S. should go it alone since "everyone else is just more trouble than they are worth." Condoleezza Rice "looked skeptical" when Clarke briefed her in early 2001 about al-Qaida threats. Defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld wanted to bomb Iraq the day after 9-11 despite any evidence linking the nation to the attacks. And Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, during an April 2001 meeting with Clarke said "I just don't understand why we are beginning by talking about this one man bin Laden...You give bin Laden too much credit." Clearly, Clarke's book hit a nerve among the Conservative elite of the Bush Admin. and its many elite supporters in the media and think tanks. On the day the book was published, Dick Cheney appeared on fellow draft-dodger Rush Limbaugh's radio show to denounce Clarke. What was telling about his appearance was that its purpose was merely to issue a personal attack on Clarke as he did not bother to refute one point in the book. As is his wont, Karl Rove immediately sent out a talking points memo about Clarke's book to the elite members of the conservative media who promptly cut and paste Rove's talking points memo into their radio, TV, and print dispatches. In all, this is an important book, which shows that the Bush Administration is not looking out for the best interests of the American people. This and Paul O'Neill's recent book make clear that the Bush Administration is out of touch with reality and is only good at raising money for its re-election.
Rating:
Summary: A stunning self-indictment
Review: You will have no better introduction to a self-deluded, self-aggrandizing Washington has-been, then to read this book. One only has to know that Richard Clarke spent 30 years of his life in government to understand the mindset of those government lifers who crave advancement, attention, recognition, and admiration. The problem is, Clarke deserved none so he had to grab at it anyway he could.
(...)Don't waste your time or any more money.
Rating: 
Summary: No surprises, but discouraging nonetheless
Review: Anyone who has closely followed the news the past few years already knows most of this, but it is still alarming to realize just how much abuse of power is occuring in the Bush White House. Our current state of affairs goes far beyond the sniping liberal-conservative rhetoric. Americans who feel betrayed and lied to are castigated as "Un-American," when all they want is the truth. It feels horrible to live in a time when truth-telling is politically incorrect and loving your country enough to ask tough questions opens you to severe criticism. Clarke offers yet another insider's perspective on the unsound foundation of our current leadership. It is deeply discouraging to witness once more the deception and manipulation by our countrie's leaders.
Rating:
Summary: Thought provoking
Review: Three years after 9-11 one can look at those events in a less emotional way and better evaluate decisions taken before and afterwards. From the perspective of an insider this book does just that. US Security is seen as a smoke screen for Iraqi (oil) ambitions. Other themes include the promotion of a what now seems a rather ironic 'Pax' Americana vs. democratic decision making through the UN. This is seen as setting a dangerous precedent for sovereign states acting outside internation law. The question is will 'dubya' still be in power by Christmas?!
Rating: 
Summary: President¿s Bush Or Clinton Not To Be Blame For Al Qaida!
Review: This is the second book written by a former employee of the White House. I do believe President Bush did want to change the Regime in Iraq. I also believe this is part of the overall strategy to win the war on terrorism. Therefore, I found no profound revelations like 'CBS Sixty Minutes' tried to promote for its own profit. Additionally, I am tired of books looking to profit on 911 and Iraq by pointing the blame for acts of violence planned by terrorists and misguided men of the cloth who think killing people are Acts of God. No American is to be blame by such premeditated and intentional acts of murder on the innocent. In the book, the author is quite up-front in his own admissions of his failures to create a proper response to terrorism. He outlines how ineffective Bush 41 was in letting Sadamn Hussein remain in power. The author is also critical of his own role in the Clinton's Administration ineffective responses to the World Trade Center 1993 bombing, East Africa Embassies attacks in 1998, and the USS Cole attacks in 2000. There is no question Richard Clarke's pitiable counter terrorism efforts embolden Al Aqaida more than ending the terrorism. Holding meeting certainly did not stop that terrorism.
The previous fruitless attacks of cruise missiles hitting an aspirin factory in the Sudan were paltry and nothing but cover for a president in political trouble. Plus sending even more cruise missiles into Khost, Afghanistan that didn't hit anything of substance, made the U.S. look weak and hopeless under Clarke's counter terrorism leadership. I clearly recall President Clinton's August 1998 cruise missile attack on bin Laden's encampment. At that time, many critics said it was done for impeachment media diversion. I think the author proves this was true too. Consequently, I think Richard Clarke is actually upset that President Bush did not want to repeat the mistakes of the 1990s. The author honestly believes he had a better way, but after 30 years in public service, no book can bring back any victims.
I think the author's conclusions on Bush being wrong to attack Iraq are badly misguided as his own judgments of previous presidents. He did not have real solutions from 1980's to 2000's so I came away not trusting his version of policies he himself could show were effective. Yet, I feel he is honest, loyal and frankly believes in his disagreements are factual but this is subject to reasonable scrutiny too. Political Books that come out in an election year are welcomed but carefully suspect for intent and purpose. True historians trying to set all records straight write books for accuracy not bureaucratic excuses or for prior grudges or guilt on letting colleagues down who died by the hands that plan death. Richard Clarke is a sincere man fill with regrets and the book is a depiction of it. This book points fingers at everybody including Clarke himself. Yet, all of these things happen on the author's watch too. I do not blame him for his inability to convince anyone of the threat from Al Qaida. When they were quietly planning something, few could stop in any event, in my opinion. "No One Can Predict The Minds Of Madmen Bent On Destruction." Al Qaida has publicly stated they prefer killing and destruction to anything, so I came away blaming only Al Qaida not President Bush, President Clinton or the author. Thus, even the most alarming revelations all about the Clinton and Bush administration's lack of interest in al Qaida before September 11 was not shocking to me. The only one to be ashamed of this book is CBS. They are the ones with a secret agenda to promote a book they own and never told anyone. This is the kind of deception that under cuts all media creditability far more than any controversy of who is lying and who is not telling all of the truth. There is nothing wrong with CBS publishing anything and earning a profit, but the way they kept silent hurt the book and author. For these reasons and for the unique timing and hype of this book, I will read more books from less bias sources. The government is holding Hearing as well to determine the whole truth, one book, by one author, created by the media in silence, is not to place to find the entire truth.
Rating:
Summary: A Lucid View of The War on Terror
Review: This administration has officially started to smear the author of this volume. However, the more they show over-zealous behavior, the more I'm convinced they are hiding some thing from us, the American people.
This book is almost as taking a blindfold we were wearing for years. The tone is serious and apolitical. The author shows how the last three administrations ignored the threat of al-Qaeda posed to this country. This book also talks about implicit coercion this administration applied on him so that "evidence" of Saddam's links to al-Qaeda was found.
The right wing is now saying the author is lying, but then again...that makes TWO White House desrters with similar stories. Coincidence? Read this daring piece and you be the judge, if you pardon the cliche.
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