Dereliction of Duty: The Eyewitness Account of How Bill Clinton Endangered America's Long-Term National Security

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Summary: Nothing new here
Review: I'm a conservative , but I tried to read this book as unbiased as I could. LTC Patterson made many blanket statements with little to back them up. While some of these statements did have some basis in fact(I too was an officer on Active Duty during the Clinton Administration and heard the jokes behind closed doors, etc.), others were just blanket statements of the author's opinion. Basically, all I got out of this book is that Clinton was irresponsible (big revelation there!), indecisive(The one characteristic that a leader should not have), and that Hillary has a temper.

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Summary: A Fascinating Inside Look at a "Unique" President
Review: "Dereliction of Duty: The Eyewitness Account of How Bill Clinton Endangered America's Long-Term National Security" by Robert Patterson is a unique look at President Clinton and his singular relationship with the United States military. The only president since Franklin Roosevelt to NOT serve in the armed forces (and the comparison between Clinton and FDR end here), Clinton's approach to the military was one of convenience and skepticism. The author outlines a number of instances which demonstrate's Clinton's low regard for the military, particularly those who made service their career.

While the book is filled with anecdotes, the author presents a pattern which, with knowledge of other things, paints the president as a leader with a unique personal and professional agenda. Robert Patterson presents the material almost reluctantly, and with long term concern for the concept of the president as "Commander-in-Chief."

The book is written from a particular point of view, yet seems absent of malice or personal attack; rather, its pages reveal a thoughtful writer tackling a difficult topic with professional dispatch. I would highly recommend this book.

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Summary: and where is YOUR honor?
Review: In these days when the brass hats are again held in a great esteem, even though their purpose became much more blurry, Mr. Patterson felt it was needed to bestow the unfortunate fruits of today's administration onto its predecessor. While this technique worked for some figures in the past (in 1933 Germany for instance) it falls flat today. The military just fought a needless war and did not uncover any nukes, the economy is still in ruins with the rich benefiting from it all, and the environment is disintegrating quicker than ever before. Osama is still "wanted" -- I suppose that's Clinton's fault as well, right? And to drag out the same sexual harassment bull from the 90's? ...

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Summary: Hellsgate: 8 years of the Clinton Administration
Review: If you haven't already done so, find and read Lt. Col. (USAF, Ret.) Robert "Buzz" Patterson's _Dereliction of Duty: The Eyewitness Account of How bill Clinton Compromised America's National Security_ (Washington, DC: Regnery Publishing, 2003; ISBN 0-89526-140-5) and read it. I couldn't put it down, partly because it's very well-written, but also because the sheer enormity of the attitude, general behavior, and incompetence of the Clintons and the Clinton administration, from Gore down to the lowliest staff members and their media shills, got my full attention from the beginning and never let up. To say I was appalled is to beg the question.
I've read several books on that administration and the men and women who were part of it, and each one has ratcheted my revulsion against all of them up to a much higher notch than the one before. Maybe it's just the accumulation of revelations that does it, but this one just about had me over the top. Among other things, given what Col. Patterson says about that administration -- and there is no good reason to doubt him -- it's a miracle that no enemy tried to attack us in force between 1992 and 2000, and thank God, because otherwise, given the hamstringing the Clintons did to our military and the resultant deterioration of their morale, esprit de corps, and general readiness for action, we probably wouldn't have been able to defend ourselves from attack by Monaco, let alone some major power such as Communist China. (In fact, there is more and more evidence coming to light that Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda may have been behind the bombing of the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City in April of 1995; if so, they may have done so because of our general state of unreadiness then, calculating that they could have caused a general panic and deterioration of public morale that would have led to our destruction. If so, clearly they vastly underestimated and misjudged the American public, whose general response to that horror was sheer outrage and a stiffening of the collective spine of the country rather than a collapse of our will.)
Patterson describes, in rich and terrifying detail, the contempt the Clintons and Al Gore had for our military; the spin-doctoring, AKA blatant lying, that was conducted concerning matters that might otherwise have made the public less than happy with Clinton; the vast expenditure of taxpayer dollars on things that were utterly unnecessary to the public weal; the utter lack of concern that that administration had for the American public and the country, their total narcissitic self-absorption; their concern only for what might make them look good in the public eye, or give them political advantage; the fact that they all stole everything not nailed down from the White House, national hotels, even from hotels and buildings of state while on trips to other countries; and so on and on and on.
This book is not long, and because it is also very well-written, not to mention the fact that every page compels the reader's mesmerized attention, it's a quick read. I recommend this book to everyone who gives even a tenth of a damn about this country. We must never, ever have a presidential administration like that again.

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Summary: book was both personal and impartial
Review: I am a lukewarm Republican. I read the book in one sitting and was unconvinced of its claim not to be a personal attack. I believe it was at once both personal and impartial. It is no surprise to me that a military officer found the political environment of a modern day Democratic administration unbearable. No one can accuse Democrats of being disciplined and focused, attributes that military personnel learn to honor and respect. No, today's Dems are naively idealistic, innovative, and like to keep all options and diplomatic channels open for as long as possible. This, of course isn't all bad, but their alternative thinking did lead them to make a very unwise decision about hiring Lt. Col. Patterson. He clearly told them in the interview process that he was uncertain he wanted the job. Now call me crazy, but most prudent employers would have ended the discussion at that point and moved on in their search. But not Clinton's forward thinking Administration; they experimented with a new hiring concept: lets give the job to the guy who least wants it. The fact that they ignored generally accepted employment practice is unremarkable when compared to their disregard for thousands of years of military and political history. The fact that Clinton and company thought they could engineer the outcome of playing paddy cake with the likes of North Korea is the type of insanity that must have driven the military rank and file (who had an appreciation and understanding of history) around the bend and colored their entire opinion of the man. Whether Clinton's actions in military and international affairs were based on idealism, stupidity, ignorance, or cynicism really does not matter. The Lt. Col. Pattersons of this world diagnosed it as just plain dangerous to America's interests. After perceiving that dangerous experiments were afoot Petterson reacted viscerally. Hence, everything the President did was looked at through a personal filter of fear, for his country, and disgust.

Overall, I found the book worth the time to read. I enjoyed reading all the reviews just as much! Patterson got a lot of us thinking, talking, and writing.

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Summary: An important first-hand account
Review: Dereliction of Duty is not a "Great" book. However, it is an important book. Part first-hand history, part expose, part personal memoir and part cathartic release, Dereliction is important as a testamant to a dangerous period in American history.

By now, most Americans are well aware that the Clintons routinely placed personal ambitions ahead of the good of the nation. However, few American's are aware of the degree to which the Clinton's "CNN Diplomacy" and general decadance abrogated responsibility to the defense of our nation. Nor are most aware of the resultant loss of life and compromising of capabilities. Contrary to the opinion of some, compartmentalization is a dangerous fantasy. Corruption HAS consequences.

Patterson's account is a relatively quick read and provides a vivid insight into the rotten core of the Clinton era. This is an important book, because it teaches important lessons about the fragility of our American experiment and our susceptability to destruction from within. (And don't forget the potential for a Clinton Era II in 2009.)

Dereliction of Duty will leave you angry, but better informed. Read it, and buy a copy for a friend too.

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Summary: Little substance - borrow this book, don't waste your $$
Review: This book contains precious little substance. For an eyewitness so long on duty in the White House, the author gives only a smattering of concrete examples. True, Mr. and Mrs. Clinton were very bad, and continue to be so, for our country. But, the author could have supplied much more detail in order to live up to the book's title. Unless, most of the good stuff is still classified. But the true stories have to get out to the public before Mrs. Clinton tries for the White House.

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Summary: Dereliction of Duty
Review: This book is full of nonsense!

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Summary: Interesting
Review: I bought this book for my husband, he's really enjoying it! Recommended for any proud Republican! ha!

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Summary: I'm waiting for just one more book to come out about Clinton
Review: That book would be a book blaming Clinton for the Crucifixion! That's right, he probably had something to do with that too!