Rating: 
Summary: A Good Place to Start
Review: Bush at War is an insightful overview of the Bush administration's initial prosecution of war against Afghanistan-based Islamic terrorists who attacked the United States on 9-11-2001. It focuses on how the most senior government officials (President, VP, Powell, Rumsfeld, Rice, Tenent, etc.) worked as a team during the last three months of 2001 to prioritize, formulate and conduct the successful military campaign to disrupt Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda stronghold. Controversial U.S. domestic responses (indefinite detention of suspects, the unsolved anthrax attacks, airline security efforts, etc.) are barely mentioned. Even though the events covered in Bush at War occurred barely one year ago, we lose track of perspective in our "news"-saturated culture. It's amazing to recall how much happened, and has already been mostly forgotten, in such a short time. The most informative part of the book is the process by which senior government officials cooperatively (more so the initial months than, according to media reports, subsequently) addressed an unanticipated event. The most surprising part is how truly unanticipated the attack was and how unprepared for response the U.S. military was. Former Clinton administration officials, from Clinton himself on down, assert they were actively engaged in pursuit of bin Laden/al Qaeda subsequent to the Nairobi and USS Cole attacks. Yet as of 9-11 the Central Command apparently had ABSOLUTELY NO contingency plans for attacking al Qaeda strongholds in Afghanistan other than more wimpy Clintonesque Tomahawk missile strikes on empty training camps (which President Bush wisely refused to do). Some American forces were ready to go against al Qaeda strongholds in just a few days but the vaunted defense planners had no contingency arrangements for temporary air bases in the region; this turned out to be the primary delay in mounting a military response. Also surprising, in light of more recent events, is the President's initial insistence, despite pressure from certain officials, on not getting sidetracked by Iraq (so much so that he cancelled a previously approved strike against Iraqi missile sites that had fired on U.S. aircraft in order to avoid the impression Iraq was being attacked in response to 9-11). Bush at War is based on extensive interviews with the principals and access to contemporaneous notes of then-secret meetings. Famed Washington Post investigative reporter Woodward is not known for being soft on government officials. Therefore, the highly positive picture of the President's and senior officials' performance in the initial weeks of the United States' escalated conflict with militant Islam is reassuring. Despite some media portrayals, President Bush comes across as a very competent leader. I recommend this book as a starting point for more detailed reading on what has, and has not, been accomplished in the non-Islamic world's response to the militant Islamic forces that seek to destroy or contain non-Islamic institutions through out the world.
Rating:
Summary: Woodward At His Best
Review: One of the finest nonfiction writers of our time has done it again! I felt I was actually in many of the NSC meetings with the War Cabinet. I was absolutely delighted to be able to follow their thoughts, understand their concerns and consider their conclusions. Insight into the thoughts and debates that good thinking people, reaching with all their ability, must go through in an effort to truly do the right thing is facinating.
My hat is off to Mr. Woodward (and to the President and his team). I appreciate the ability to better understand some of the thoughts etc. that go into some of our most critical actions.
Rating:
Summary: Good Coverage on the Afghanistan War!
Review: This is a good book by Bob Woodward that gives you excellent
insight into planning for the war in Afghanistan after the
terrorist attacks on September 11th.You are shown the roles of
the individuals who were involved in the decision making of thewar in Afghanistan.President Bush,Vice-President Cheney,Secretary of State Colin Powell,Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfield,CIA Director George Tenet,National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice and General Tommy Franks, and their roles in the Afganistan war are shown in this book. This book gives wide and good coverage to the war effort. You are also given some insight into the Iraq situation and the Bush administration. This is an excellent book on the Afghanistan war.
Read it.
Rating: 
Summary: Save your cash
Review: I used to respect Bob Woodward, but this book is star-struck, celebrity-seeking drivel. I agree with others who feel the journalist did not dig deep enough. Further, it is abundantly clear from Bush's remarks post-September 11th ("Why do they hate us?") to his actions in the region right now that he has no understanding of real foreign policy or the issues shaping the region.
Rating:
Summary: Woodward Hits a Homerun with BUSH AT WAR
Review: Just finished Bob Woodward's great book BUSH AT WAR. Woodward, a WASHINGTON POST reporter and no great admirer of things Republican, was given unprecedented access to the White House and the inner workings of our government at the highest levels during the days following Setember 11. This is the story of that period with major emphasis on Bush, Cheney, Powell, Rumsfeld, Tenant and Rice, their roles, thoughts and comments as they struggled through the situation. The whole time I was reading it, the thought kept circling in the back of my mind "thank God the previous residents weren't still at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue." It was also amazing to learn the political types at the White House, i.e. Rove, Hughes, etc. were kept out of the process. More importantly, there wasn't one mention in the remarks attributed to any of the principals about polls or focus groups.
Rating: 
Summary: NOT RIVETING, BUT INTERESTING LOOK AT THE MAJOR PLAYERS
Review: If you are (like myself) an individual who has a somewhat limited knowledge of Bush's closest staff and advisors, Bob Woodward's occasionally compelling biography about the first 100 days following September 11th will provide you a better understanding of the main characters and players running the show in Washington and how they interact with one another. The majority of the source material for the book appears to be taken primarily from many of the National Security Council meetings following 9/11 (in addition to over 100 interviews according to Woodward) which is in some ways a blessing and a curse. While it is interesting to be an insider to the discussions about launching a war on terrorism, "Bush At War" does get a little bogged down about three quarters of the way through as Woodward presents each and every possible scenario to launching "Enduring Freedom" in Afghanistan and the resulting consequences as discussed by the players in these NSC meetings (i.e. what do we do if Tajikistan doesn't give the U.S. permission to use their air strips?...etc.) Since all of us now know the outcome of the war, some of these discussions just seemed to slow down the flow of the story. The book redeems itself somewhat in the rather lengthy but faster-paced epilogue which focuses on the reasons for the mission's sudden success after a three-week period of "perceived" sluggish progress and occasional uncertainty. Finally, it concludes with a good Bush interview at his Crawford, Texas ranch. After seeing Woodward interviewed upon the release of this book and hearing how there was a bit of controversy about some of the details which made it to his final draft, I was expecting perhaps a story with a few more behind-the-scenes surprises or with a couple of "classified" leaks. This book though is fairly straightforward although obviously carefully researched by a master craftsman. It does in the end make a good document for the post-9/11 era.
Rating:
Summary: total propaganda
Review: I"m a fan of Bob Woodward but found this book to filled with platitudes and unsubstantiated drivel, as if he had been paid by the GOP to write it. I've lost faith in this writer as a objective journalist.
Rating:
Summary: Theater Criticism Applied to Washington Politics
Review: I must admit my reading of Bob Woodward's Bush at War leaves me troubled. At a time when we are being asked to place our children in harm's way, in a part of the world that few of us have even visited, serious policy questions come to mind; questions that Bob Woodward could have appropriately addressed in a book of this nature. Rather, we are given a blow-by-blow account of the stage entrances and exits of key Washington players reconstructed from interviews and notes of the players. Instead of a thoughtful review of the questions raised, we are treated to theater-like criticism of the players. Instead of finishing the book with conclusions like "this is, or is not, the proper foreign policy for the world's only super power," we are left with conclusions like "Bush is focused," "Bush is in charge," "Condoleezza Rice plays an important role on the team," "Dick Cheney, a hardliner, did not appear to cooperate with the reporter" and "Donald Rumsfeld is a crafty agitator." These are conclusions I can draw from reading my daily newspaper. I recognize that television's pervasive influence has forced other media outlets to adapt a tabloid view of the world in order to compete for eyeballs. The type of book I want to read takes longer to prepare, if it is going to be done well. Clearly Bob Woodward and his publisher did not have that luxury. The market was hot; the holiday book selling season was upon us. Clearly a newspaper, like the Washington Post where the author serves as Assistant Managing Editor, provides the best medium to distribute this type of detailed reporting, but then again, that would cut out the book publisher. It is at times like this when I recognize how old fashioned I have become. Quality reporting belongs in the pages of a quality daily newspaper where it can be published in a timely fashion; books should be reserved for the policy questions raised by that reporting. Please excuse me while I hone the tip of my quill pen.
Rating:
Summary: Locked On Target
Review: For such a credible and experienced author to clearly display the 'behind' the scenes dialogues of the nation's key players on and after 9/11 is both wonderful and almost unbelieveable. Woodward, himself, has stated publically that he cannot believe how open and accessible President Bush was for his interviews. Bush is no lite-weight. Bush allowed one to one discussions with a critical observer and writer. No reservations, no 'gimmes'. Doubt Gore or Clinton would be so bold and open.
We elected a 'team' in 2000, and boy, has that paid off. Thanks for this book which will give objective comfort to many but will cause Babs to cry and Gore to pucker.
Rating: 
Summary: Hold Your Nose Mr. Woodward
Review: Mr. Woodward should be commended for writting and interesting book about an administration that will go down in history as the dumbest, most narrow-minded, self-serving for the rich, in American history. Fabricating an ill advised massacre against the Iraq citizens in the name of oil and the rich contractors. Woodward portrayed W. Bush, the born-again Christian, cocaine using (1972), convicted drunk driver, warmonger as sometype of "war leader". Surrounded by "chicken hawks" that have never served their country in a military capacity. Fooling many Americans in believing in him and his croonies as they lead us to war against the wrong enemy. History will not be kind to this foul group of "Losers" we have running our government. Woodward had to be holding his nose as he interviewed Rumsfeld, Cheney, Pearle, Rice, and the other chicken hawks left over from little Bush's fathers administration. Mr. Powell is the shinning star in this dirty group. Hopefully he will continue to talk some common sense in Bush and his entourage of ...
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