Rating: 
Summary: Outstanding - Hard Hitting - Insightful.
Review: This book is an eye opener into the politican infighting and the covert operations that are ongoing to this day. Admiral Poindexter and Colonel North are true American heroes in every sense of the word who were fighting International Terrorism twenty years before 9/11. The Iran-Contra "scandal" is exposed as nothing more than an attempt by partisan Democrats to bring down a Republican President.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding - Hard Hitting - Insightful.
Review: This book is an eye opener into the politican infighting and the covert operations that are ongoing to this day. Admiral Poindexter and Colonel North are true American heroes in every sense of the word who were fighting International Terrorism twenty years before 9/11. The Iran-Contra "scandal" is exposed as nothing more than an attempt by partisan Democrats to bring down a Republican President.
Rating:
Summary: A Patriotic "True-North" Book
Review: This outstanding autobiography of retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North was as informative as it was entertaining. I found the book to be a great, honest accounting of a very prominent and controversial public figure involved in very sensitive and high-level government issues and policies-U.S. counter-terrorism efforts, U.S. hostage negotiations, international arms sales, and the "Iran-Contra Affair" to name a few. I related to North as a lieutenant colonel of Marines in the highly structured, undisciplined, politicized, and bureaucratic environment of the highest levels of government in Washington, D.C. North came across as an imperfect man who admitted his mistakes and who did his best to do what he was told, do what he thought was right, and do what he thought was best for his country. To say that North has had an interesting life is an understatement. North's background in this book definitely helped me to understand and appreciate his keen insights and perspectives while watching him report from the battlefields in our war with Iraq: *His "Norman Rockwell" small-town childhood-dad was a combat-decorated WWII Army officer
*The near-fatal car accident while attending the U.S. Naval Academy that severely injured him but crippled one friend and killed another
*His commissioning, marriage, and subsequent deployment to Vietnam
*His infantry platoon leader combat leadership experiences
*The challenges of balancing his Marine Corps and family duties and responsibilities
*How his re-affirmed strength of faith sustained him in many life struggles (the book contains many powerful biblical and inspirational references)
*How he was assigned to the National Security Council in 1981, and eventually fired on November 25, 1986
*His experiences testifying before Congress investigating the "Iran-Contra Affair" starting on July 7, 1987, ending with his indictment on 16 accounts on March 16, 1988
*His very public trial that started February 21, 1989, through the May 14 verdict of guilty on 3 counts (out of 16), and his July 5 sentencing (3 year suspended sentence, $150,000 fine, 2 years probation, and 1200 hours of community service in an inner-city drug-prevention program)
*The special prosecutor's subsequent 3 failed appeals from July 20, 1990 to May 28, 1991, and finally, on September 15, 1991, the special prosecutor's dropping of all charges and the closing of the case against North
*His calling-it-like-he-saw-it praise and criticism of democrats and republicans in all branches of the government, civil servants, and foreign diplomats and governments The book showed the best and worst, and highs and lows of justice, politics, democracy, and bureaucracy in action, from the unique perspective of an outsider who became an insider, and then was simultaneously viewed as both villain and victim by those he worked for and with, and by the American public. Truly an American story that should not be missed.
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