Rating: 
Summary: Truth Becomes More Obscure Everyday
Review: It pains me to see this book billed at the "inside truth" written be an "outsider/liberal." Over the years since his Watergate score, Woodward has morphed from investigative journalist to consumate insider. His access here was vetted by Karl Rove, Andrew Card, Ken Mehlman -- the henchmen inner circle. These people work in secret, allow no real press access (just ask the reporters), and politicize every act and statement that comes out of the White House, i.e. everything is a calculation to make Bush look good and to stay in power. So here comes Woodward, with his rep and Washington Post connection, the perfect guy to give Bush statue with doubter and critics from the center/left. The whole thing is a "set up" calculated to sell Bush, and at the same time give Woodward a a big book, bucks, and a new basis for getting his face on TV. Is it the truth? Woodward wouldn't get within shouting distance of Bush or any other "insider" interviewed if he was a free thinker and truthteller. No, he gets in because
he's "reliable", "they" can depend on him. Is Woodward a liberal? Hell no. He's pure establishment and self-serving to boot. Sure, some of the stuff is interesting. And the book is a decent read. But in the end, it's just a piece of establishment propaganda. Woodward is just another of the "insiders" who take good care of each other and pipe out the "newspeak" calculated to keep us feeling alright. To my mind, the "Evil One" here (since we're supposed to think like this nowadays) is Woodward -- a coy boy he is indeed, a player for sure, but when it comes to reality, he leaves us in the dark.
Rating: 
Summary: False advertising?
Review: Bob Woodward says he interviewed over 100 people for this book. But it reads as if the narrative is constructed solely from the minutes of various National Security Council meetings he obtained. That is no mean feat. But this book is not about "Bush AT War": it is about George Bush getting READY for war -- in disjointed councils during which only Colin Powell, Condelezza Rice, and George Tenet ever offered the President any substantive advice. Moreover, Woodward barely mentions the feats of the Air Force Special Tactics men and teams from the 5th Special Forces Group which really liberated Afghanistan in only 90 days -- ten months before Woodward finished his book.
Rating: 
Summary: Not "Bush at War"
Review: Bob Woodward is lucky enough to have been allowed hundreds of interviews with White House insiders. He makes his usual great effort, nicely written, to help readers get their arms around Bush's thought processes. But, what's happening is not "Bush at War". This is Americans at war. All of us. Let not yourself be deceived by some people who work at thought control in the media. This is not Bush's war. Listen, Mr. and Mrs. America, those who desire the fall of the American "empire" not only hate your government and your way of life, they actually hate YOU, personally, and want to see you and your children DEAD. Though I enjoyed Mr. Woodward's book, it is not going to help you to understand why Bush is doing what he is doing. If you want to understand Bush's thinking (and I hope you understand that you critically need to) I have no hesitation in recommending a book that was recommended to me that is excellent and an easy read for everyone by Norman Thomas Remick, "West Point: Character Leadership Education, A Book Developed From The Readings And Writings Of Thomas Jefferson" in which West Point is metaphor for America. Bob Woodward's book is an excellent piece of journalism. Be sure to read it. But also read the Remick book if you want to wrap your arms around our President's thought processes and philosophy.
Rating:
Summary: True meaning of "behind the scenes"
Review: Just halfway through...Woodward had unbelievable access, I doubt there could possibly be a better account of the days just after September 11th and the buildup to the war in Afghanistan. Great so far, just hesitated on the fifth star because I'm not done yet.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting, but no blockbuster
Review: I bought this book the day it was released and tore through it pretty quickly, finishing in the wee hours of the morning two days later. Since it's likely to be a mega-seller and has received much press, I offer a few observations that hopefully will help you in your decision to buy: (1) It becomes clear to the reader before long that this book more or less wrote itself. The bulk of the text is based on transcripts of National Security Council (NSC) meetings in the fall of 2001, beginning with the September 11 attacks and ending with the stunning turnaround in the war in Afghanistan in mid-November. Woodward is legendary and gifted reporter, but for most of the book he is simply summarizing these transcripts, providing context that is sometimes helpful, sometimes too thin. Much of the read goes something like this: the NSC met in the morning. Cheney said this, Rumsfeld said that, Rice said this, and so on. Next morning they met again....and you get the picture. It is often interesting to follow the arguments and decision process, but nevertheless one is still getting a rather narrow view of "Bush at war." For the current moment, I would give this book four stars, but I suspect that its usefulness will steadily diminish in time and I therefore give it three stars. (2) Bush emerges as a mostly solid, steady leader. He is inconsistent on the point of whether "getting" bin Laden should be a primary goal of the war on terrorism. At times he is impetuous. But there is one point when his leadership is absolutely crucial. A few weeks into the Afghanistan campaign, doubt and dissension emerge within the NSC, as the bombing is less successful than expected and both the CIA and Special Forces have difficulty getting "boots on the ground," along with intransigence among some Northern Alliance commanders. Had Bush expressed doubt himself, or suggested the need to change course, the effect could have been devastating on both the war and the cabinet. Bush, who has little tolerance for "hand-wringing" in difficult times, stays firm and reinvigorates his team. (3) Rice, the National Security Adviser, is shown to be the "principal" who is closest to the President. She has a clear conception of her role, understands the President's personality better than anyone else, and is able to stay above the fights that often break out between the Rumsfeld-Cheney-Wolfowitz faction one hand, and the Powell-Armitage faction on the other. (4) Woodward's book is very kind to the CIA, giving the agency much credit for its ability to deploy experienced teams, including paramilitary units with Predator drones, on the ground in Afghanistan to "prep" the battlefield and buy local support (including Taliban defectors) with millions in cash (this latter story, by the way, is nothing new). Tenet was one of the most gung-ho and best prepared members of the NSC, possessing a capability that clearly aroused some envy in Rumsfeld. One gets the sense, however, that the CIA is being glorified a bit too much. See Bill Gertz's book Breakdown for a less kind view of the agency. (5) Powell is clearly using Woodward to air some dirty laundry. The Secretary of State is consistently portrayed as the voice of reason, a frequent victim of DOD/VPOTUS whispering campaigns. He comes precariously close to disrespect for the President at times. Almost in spite of itself, however, book shows with attentive reading that Powell is not nearly as isolated or out of step in this cabinet as he is often depicted by the mainstream press and neocon intellectuals. Hopefully these observations are helpful. Enjoy the book.
Rating:
Summary: Engrossing
Review: This is a facinating look at how the President, his staff, and the CIA handled the response to the 9/11 tragedy. Hopefully, people will not politicize this, and will read the book and judge the current administration's response in an fair and unbiased way.
Personally, it gives me a great deal more confidence in the president; particularly in the way he handled the different opinions among his staff. He did not go off half-cocked in any direction, and he used his people to the utmost benefit to the country. At the same time, he was decisive and action oriented
in getting the job done quickly and right. Our enemies were made to pay for what they did. He did not "pound sand", as he puts it, by fruitlessly wasting our resources on meaningless use of war resources.
The cost of the war in Afganistan was amazingly small for everyone except the Taliban and al Qaida. All Americans should sleep a little better after reading this.
Rating:
Summary: More from the Definitive Insider
Review: Bob Woodward forever stands where the big stories are developing. Who could forget his tip-toe excursion into former CIA director William Casey's hospital room as he stood at death's door, seeking confirmation of his knowledge of the Iran-Contra initiative. Woodward spirited to fame and millionaire status along with fellow Washington Post journalist Carl Bernstein with "All the President's Men," the inside story on the Watergate burglary and what transpired in its wake, a brilliant expose of the Nixon White House which resulted in Pulitzer Prizes for both journalists. They returned to the same Nixon White House scene to pen "The Final Days", detailing how the sad saga of the Nixon Administration Watergate finally played out. Woodward's current effort takes up in many ways where "The Commanders" left off, the story of the Gulf War and the strategy of the White House of George H.W. Bush. Some of the most fascinating passages related to the conflict between General Norman Schwarzkopf and Armed Forces Chief of Staff Colin Powell on whether or not the U.S. should send troops into Iraq to destroy the regime of Saddam Hussein. Powell held the line for Bush in explaining that the UN mandate for action did not encompass such an initiative. Now we are back in the same area as Bush's son seeks to undermine Saddam Hussein through threatening U.S. military action unless weapons of destruction which Bush asserts he possesses are ultimately destroyed. Powell, now in the position of Secretary of State, has been urging an international approach through the United Nations Security Council. Woodward points out that Powell was ultimately joined in that regard by National Security Adviser Condoleeza Rice, who also stressed the international approach. Woodward writes much about the Afghanistan campaign and how the U.S. supplied $70 million in cash on the barrelhead to seek assistance within that nation to repel terrorism. He frankly concludes that the answer is far from known and that one needs to stay tuned for evolving developments.
Rating:
Summary: A political book for both sides of the spectrum!
Review: Love him, hate him, voted for him, voted for Gore, didn't vote in 2000, none of that matters one spec. The fact of the matter is, this candid look at our President shows that he might have acted with more bravado and character than most of us-not all of us, but certainly most of us. I suggest reading this one. It's a good and honest perspective-from a liberal-that's semi-flattering to the compassionate conservative.
Rating:
Summary: Ruffles no feathers
Review: This is not a "fly on the wall" sort of report. It is a reconstruction of meetings, conversations and thoughts focused on President Bush as he orchestrated the military response to 9/11. Bob Woodward, the celebrated Washington Post journalist who with Carl Bernstein wrote All the President's Men about the Watergate scandal during the Nixon administration, demonstrates here that he has entree (and will keep it) at the highest levels of the Bush administration including lengthy interviews with the president himself. Much of the material in the book comes from these interviews, where the participants recall their thoughts, motivations, and reconstruct their words. Woodward weaves into his text both direct quotes and reconstructed quotes, the former with quotation marks, the latter without. The story itself is rather bland and unrevealing. Most of the action is clearly off camera, the deviling details left to those lower on the change of command. The various secretaries report to the president and get his views and his orders and then they meet again. Some of the progress in the war is reported on. Spin is discussed. Bush prepares for and gives speeches. Scenarios and long-term consequences of various actions are bandied about. The high level players posture and engage in dialogue. We do feel some of the tension between Rumsfeld and Powell and there is an occasional bit of peek and undertone displayed but overall the language is what one would expect to find in official documents. Nonetheless Bush-watchers will find this book very interesting in that a clear picture of George W.'s leadership style and substance emerges. I think that was Woodward's goal, and I think he did a good job of achieving it. Here are two quick examples of Bush revealing himself: Taking a kind of Harry Trumanesque "the buck stops here" stance, Bush says, "...I don't need to explain...why I say things. That's the interesting thing about being president...I don't feel like I owe anybody an explanation." (p.146) Or, when advised by Rumsfeld that the bombers leaving Missouri for the 15-hour flight to Afghanistan might tip off "the start of operations," Bush responded, "Let them go. Try some disinformation." (p. 204) Clearly, President Bush's presidency is a practical presidency. We see this today with the emphasis on "nation building" in Iraq, a 180-degree turn from his stance both during the 2000 election campaign and during the bombing of Afghanistan when he reiterated again and again that he did not believe in using the US military for nation building. (See especially page 192.) But more than anything we see Bush and Company preoccupied with visualizing how their actions will appear to the public via the media. This is nothing new. John F. Kennedy worked tirelessly to manage the press, with varying degrees of success, as has every president since. We have to go back to JFK's immediate predecessor, Dwight Eisenhower to find a president that felt comfortable putting substance before spin. Perhaps it is no coincidence that Ike was the last president to be elected before the majority of American homes had television. Revealing how commonplace spin has become, Woodward writes, "The president, focused as always on the public relations component, asked Defense to work with Hughes [White House counselor Karen Hughes] on the themes that were going to be used in the announcement of military action." (p. 189) Notice the "as always" and the use of the word "themes." The postmodern president has no choice but to be a master of spin since in today's world perception of what has happened and why is often at least as important as what really happened. Rumsfeld's style on public relations is contrasted somewhat in that he comes across as believing that the best way to handle the media is to give them no more information than is absolutely necessary. For example, he is quoted on page 176 as saying, "I think the precedent is bad of having to go out and make your case publically...because we may not have enough information to make our case next time..." The role that National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice plays in the Bush administration was what most surprised me about the information I got from this book. She is not just a token black woman in the White House. It is clear that Bush relies on her to both coordinate the input of the other participants at the highest level and to advise and guide the president himself. Rice comes across as someone who thinks clearly, rises above petty squabbles, works hard, and has the ear of the president. Powell's famous patience and level-headedness and cautious style also come through vividly. Rumsfeld's preoccupation with guarding his rear and protecting his turf and its prerogative powers is also well-illustrated. Bottom line: this is the sort of book that serious politicos must read, but will probably speed-read.
Rating:
Summary: More Objective than Expected
Review: I was surprised when a friend of mine suggested this book to me, because he is very conservative and my impression was that this book was just another anti-bush rant. I was clearly wrong. I thought that this book was an insightful look into the President's War Cabinet. I did feel that Woodward was partial towards Powell over Rumsfeld. Overall, however, I thought that this book was excellently written and I would suggest this book to anyone wishing to learn more about the way that the Bush administration operates.
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