Rating: 
Summary: As someone who knows...
Review: My son worked in the Clinton White House (one level above an intern.) Although I'm still a Democrat, I was shocked to hear the slipshod behavior in the White House about security concerns. What mattered was civil rights, raising money, and getting elected. The US Defense establishment was treated almost as an enemy! On reflection, I suppose that is to be expected from a passionate anti-Vietnam war protester.I was moved to write this review after reading the "1-Star" reviews of the book. Having read the book, I can only conclude that those reviews were politically motivated. My son and I have read the book and we agree that it is a fair, accurate presentation, not surprising to us, but probably eye-opening to the general public, especially Clinton supporters.
Rating:
Summary: Very good and eye opening book
Review: Dereliction of Duty is different from most political writing in being written by professional military man. Military is usually apolitical, they are trained to follow orders and do not discuss assignments. This book has no personal attacks on President Clinton; it is a very frank eyewitness account of how low a person can fall when he gets to the power, specially if that person is President. Also it has a good account of who we might face in the future elections - Hill - and what a horror it will be. I always knew that Bill has no honor, and is a pathological liar, but that he failed the most important responsibility of President- security of his country - I found out just now. I hope many people will read this book and understand the lesson of that shameful government.
Rating: 
Summary: False "Duty"
Review: Author Patterson needs to do a little more digging and quit picking on a president who has been out of office for more than a couple of years. In the latest "let's-bash-the-ex-president-because-he's-at-fault-for-our current-problems" expose, we learn that President Clinton hated the military, didn't attack terrorism, started the current crisis in North Korea, and is generally the reason the country is in really bad shape. Had Patterson dug deeper, he might have mention these pertinent facts: - Clinton thwarted just about every single terror attack Osama Bin Laden cooked up, up to and including plots that involved destroying the Lincoln Tunnel, blowing up the L.A. International Airport, taking out the Space Needle, and preventing terrorists from attacking U.S. Embassies all over the globe. - The U.S.S. Cole bombing happened towards the end of Clinton's term. - Clinton left a $38 BILLION dollar surplus that George W. Bush somehow BLEW, as well as a plan to pay off the National Debt. - Clinton attacked terrorism so much that his former administration spoke that he was "obssessed with taking out Osama Bin Laden". In fact, Clinton missed Bin Laden by more than a few hours in one bombing raid and it was dismissed by the Conservative Media as a "tool to distract the American public's attention from the Monica Lewinsky Scandal". - Republicans Newt Gingrich and Orrin Hatch denied Clinton the oppurtunity to go after Bin Laden because it was "low priority". This country's economy was BOOMING when Clinton was in office but Patterson doesn't seem to remember that because he's too busy remembering Clinton as a sex-addict who didn't care much about the state of American National Security. Let's compare, shall we? Clinton did everything in his power to stop Bin Laden from killing, including transferring his knowledge to the current Bush Administration. Bush, Jr. decided it would be better to ignore warnings posed to him and so did John Ashcroft. In fact, nobody wants to take blame for 9/11. Key documents needed to complete the inquiry on the intelligence blackout have been forever blacked out by the Bush administration. It's so bad, that Condy Rice actually DENIED having a meeting on the subject even when she said she DID have a meeting... So, Clinton tries to stop our country from being corrupted, stopping the terror BEFORE it starts and he gets bashed...smart. And lining your doors with plastic-sheeting and duct-tape is going to beat terrorism?!? Come on. Wake up! Patterson is WAY off basing his entire argument around a command that Clinton aborted. Patterson could have QUIT. he could have resigned but he didn't. Makes you wonder about his credibility in the matter, doesn't it? This book is tripe, full of lies, deceit, half-truths and heartless attempts to smear a man who actually sailed this country into greatness before the Conservative Right-Wing storm tore apart the boat by going after his sex-life (something that had ZIP to do with running this country). If you really want to read the facts, log on to the LexusNexus or check out Joe Conason's "Big Lies" or even Franken's latest book. Learn how much Bill Clinton DID as opposed to the things he didn't do that "annoyed" the Right. Learn how much Bush has lied and cajoled us into a war on a country that was no threat to the United States and how it wasn't Clinton that didn't finish that the job on Osama Bin Laden, but Bush who ignored several impending warnings that Bin Laden was due for a huge sneak attack. It's much more refreshing. --Matt
Rating: 
Summary: If you've read the dust jacket, you've read the book
Review: How much you enjoy this book might be determined by how you feel about the Clintons. Patterson scatters his few anecdotes, all of which fit nicely on the dust jacket, among drawn out chapters of his own observations about U.S. foreign policy.
Protestations to the contrary aside, "Dereliction" is a kiss and tell. There are already stacks of books like this about every modern president. Someday soon, someone from Laura Bush's flower arranging staff is going to come forward, wringing her hands, with a book about George W's transgressions against the Office of the Presidency. Patterson and his colleagues from the Military Aide staff would have made great sources for a more comprehensive work of this kind. As it is, it falls short on too many counts. It seems relevant to point out that many of those who hated (and hate) the Clintons, also hate the military. The American People were (and are) the true victims of the Clintons, not just the military. The Left still seems to think that the Clintons are some kind of champions for the rights of the poor, women, minorities and world peace. Since Hillary is currently gathering her forces as the junior Senator from New York with ambitions to be the first woman president of the United States, these facts need to be known. But "Dereliction of Duty" is just a whine in the wilderness.
Rating: 
Summary: A sad and scary book. . .
Review: . . .but one which needed to be written. Lt. Col. Patterson was in a unique position to observe the behavior of former President Clinton, and provides a devastating account of what could "gently" be considered extreme sloppiness with regard to our national security. Other citizens might well call the president's cavalier attitude toward his most important duty to be negligent and irresponsible. Lt. Col. Patterson makes it clear from the outset that he was not particularly a "political animal", that he had not even voted in the Presidential election which brought Clinton into power, and spends very little time addressing what his own political beliefs are (if any). He also makes it clear that it was quite difficult for him to write this book -- about his own commander-in-chief. Nevertheless, he felt that the truth HAD to be told -- and did so at the risk of alienating many friends and acquaintences. If only a small percentage of what Lt. Col. Patterson writes is accurate, then Bill Clinton will go down in history as the worst president, with regard to foreign policy and American domestic security, the nation has ever seen. Recommended, with grief.
Rating:
Summary: Very well written and believable!
Review: Please, please read this book before 2004. It's essential that people understand the danger the Clinton administration put us in through their neglect of national security. In addition, there are interesting incites into how the Clinton White House treated the individual military aids and reports of the disgusting behavior on the part of Hillary and the Rodham brothers. It will make you proud of the military (as if we needed any more reasons).
Rating:
Summary: This Book Underscores What A Great President Clinton Was
Review: It's obvious from reading this ugly right wing tome that Mr. Patterson loves the political agenda of the Republican far right.
If you want permanent budgets deficits and a hugh national debt, which are fueled by tax cuts for the richest Americans, big increases in defense spending, beligerent interventionist wars in the middle east, trashing the environment, global warming, busting up labor unions, autocratic workplaces, racial devisiveness fueled by the rollback of affirmative action quotas, draconian survailence of you lives, the destruction of the middle class, the intelligence communities having carte blanch to do anything they want(including the fomenting of terrorism) for the purposes of ending class warfare in America, defunding public education, the gutting of social services, the economy going to hell due to all of the above, then this is the book for you.
Bill Clinton stood against all of the above and that is why he was a great president. A caustic book deserves a caustic response
Rating:
Summary: Wake up call for all voters
Review: Every voter, Republican or Democrat, should read this book before November 2004. Patterson illuminates the Clinton presidency like a lamp in a cockroach infested motel room. The author pulls no punches in exposing Bill, Hillary, Al Gore, and their staff as they truly are. The book details how Osama bin Laden would be dead today if not for the direct intervention of Bill Clinton. Thank almighty God that somehow George W. Bush pulled off the election of 2000. May he also protect us from the shame of a future "President Hillary".
Rating:
Summary: An Essential Read For ALL......Especially as 2004 Approaches
Review: The importance of this unique and insightful book lies not in what it tells us about the past but what it warns us about for the future. It's not about Republicans or Democrats, not about personal attacks on a former administration. No, it's a warning to us all, as Americans, about the sorts of leaders we SHOULD be electing to office. Col Patterson does not identify himself in regards to a particular party. He does not engage in the tried and old persecutions of former President Clinton. To his credit, he points out the very many ways we have failed in terms of our national security policy and handling of the military during the Clinton Administration without resorting to name calling and personal attacks. This is the political book of the year and maybe years to come. Many of you spam conservative works on Amazon like its a game. Your time would be better spent actually reading the book and educating yourself. There are lessons learned here that if we fail to embrace, we will be doomed to repeat. "Dereliction of Duty" will be displayed in my book shelves for years to come. It's a well written, engaging, well researched tome. More importantly, it's a must read for all Americans who seek education and more enlightened trips to the polling booths. The Clintons and their ilk are not going away. Just the contrary, they continue to control Democratic politics in this nation. Do yourself a favor. Get the real insight from someone who was there by their sides 24/7. You'll never view your vote for the presidency the same again.
Rating:
Summary: Oh geez
Review: Another loser who just can't get over how good we had it when Clinton was in office!
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