Rating: 
Summary: The Measure of a Man
Review: If you wish to know what sort of man George W. Bush is, try reading this book. It's fashionable among the ..., intellectuals, and other such brainless folk in America to dismiss this man, at the prompting of such geniuses as the famous war experts at the NY Times (who are amused by his bad habits: honesty, punctuality, and being in proper physical shape, and wite him off as a lightweight). And yet he appears here, in the words of an actual White House correspondent (unlike Woodward), as a man who confronts a worse incident than Pearl Harbor (more were slaughtered on 9/11 than Dec. 7) with an aplomb and grace not seen in a president since FDR's one proud moment on Dec. 8th, 1941 (and certainly not seen in another Democrat since Cleveland's paternity suit). We follow a Dubya resolute and focused; we hear him vowing a deserved revenge in locker room language and see him comforting widows at the Javits Convention Center. I cannot recommend this enough to our presidents friends and enemies--and those in between should pick it up, if only to get out of the middle of the road: there are dead skunks there.
Rating: 
Summary: Just say no to this book.
Review: Some other reviews of "Fighting Back" raved that it was so good that they blazed through it in less than a day. I think they blazed through it so quickly because it is such a very light-weight bit of writing. There is just not much to the book. I was expecting a much more detailed and informative look at the events in the White House after the attacks.I was also dissapointed by the lack of balance and critical thinking in the approach of this book. I knew that Sammon was a conservative who works for Fox and the Washington Times before I read the book, but I still hoped that as a journalist he would tackle the issues fairly. He does not. I agree when he says the press was to quick to condem the US actions in Afghanistan, but in general this book is too politically biased to be of much use. Not only does he treat Bush, his aides and their actions with kid gloves, he goes out of his way to attack Bush's rivals and critics. If this is a book on the White House decision making process after 9/11, why does it start by going back the the presidential race of 2000 to make Gore look silly all over again? Why does it go into the personal problems Democrat James Carville had when he was young? I'm still interested in the events surrounding 9/11 and will now turn to other books for information. I suggest you do the same. Even a one day reading of this is a waste of time!
Rating:
Summary: terrorism shmerrorism!
Review: Other countries have been fighting terrorism for years and years. We get one attack and we go to complete state control and a nationalistic us against the world fighting stance. This is all bullcrap. The war they are fighting is against the american people, they think that if they can just control them enough - everything will be okay. Remember, you'll be held for up to a year with no reason if you are a suspected terrorist - so watch how you talk on the phone and what you write in your emails!
Rating:
Summary: Highly recommended
Review: I blazed through this book in less than 24 hours; I was unable to put it down. This captured the "behind the scenes" happenings of 9/11 and the subsequent War on Terror. Mr. Sammons has a great deal of access to the President and his account of that fateful Tuesday morning is magnificent.
Rating:
Summary: A whole new appreciation for this leader
Review: Rarely has a biographer had such access to the President of the United States. The book presents a riveting look into the heart of the President. The author was with the President as his aide informed him of the planes smashing into the World Trade Center. You will not get this sort of insight on the evening news.
Rating:
Summary: Could have been good
Review: This could have been a good book. Instead the author keeps taking us "into the mind of the President". Hello! What a stupid idea! Don't try and pretend to have any idea what the President thinks about the way the sun comes up! What a waste of time. This is just a fluff piece. Skip it.
Rating: 
Summary: Front and Center in the War on Terror
Review: As White House correspondent for the conservative "Washington Times," Bill Sammon obviously has greater access to President Bush than most biographers and his paper's well-earned reputation has likely garnered the president's trust. This combination of favorable happenstances makes this book an insightful read even though it plows familiar ground. The events since September 11 2002 have been extensively documented, but Mr. Sammon who was with the president on that fateful day and has enjoyed close proximity ever since provides some information available only to with such privileged facility. At times the details are trivial and almost tedious. Do we really need to know what the president ate on the night of September 10 or the back and forth banter on his morning jog the day of the incursion? Often though, Mr. Sammon's revelations offer a glimpse inside the president's psyche and give a helpful view of what makes the man tick. In a rare unguarded moment the president complained about Hillary Clinton's irresponsible accusations where she flagrantly flailed a misleading headline on the senate floor. His public contempt for the terrorist perpetrators is not an act, and it is reassuring to see that his rapport with his able cabinet and sagacious advisors is genuine. Mr. Sammon also ventures into some related topics, none as hilariously on target as Donald Rumsfeld's longsuffering relationship with the media. In an amusing section, he repeats many asinine queries lobbed at the Defense Secretary and contrasts them with a "Saturday Night Live" skit. Frighteningly many of the intentionally absurd questions asked on the late night comedy are not too far beyond the banality of the real reporters legitimate inquiries. He also discussed the president's enduring high popularity to the umbrage of many media muckamucks. Peter Jennings' befuddlement at the President's maintained respect while disdain for media elites increases is humorously presented. Anyone who read "Absolute Power" Mr. Sammon's first book or is familiar with his reporting will not be surprised by his engaging prose. The book contains no bombshells nor unearths any inside controversies, but it further fleshes out the president's character and gives an appreciation of day to day plotting and strategizing within the inner sanctum of the White House regarding the War on terrorism.
Rating:
Summary: Much More than I Would Have Thought!
Review: That this book fell off the radar screen when Bob Woodward published his book, BUSH AT WAR, is too bad, because Sammon's book is really worthwhile. I had thought that I would have to lumber through this thing to find bits and pieces of interesting information, but his story is so well told that I sped through it faster than expected.. The book begins on September 10th where Bush is staying in Florida so that he can address a group of schoolchildren the next morning. Here Sammon describes the regular operations of a President, traveling the country to campaign for education. He then describes the entire day of September 11th from Bush's vantage. How the president got up in the morning to jog, to the drive through a bad section of town to the school, to the moment he learned of the second plane hitting the trade center. Then he tells us about how James Carville and other strategy Democrats learned of the disaster, followed by Osama Bin Laden's brief bio and notorious past. He even goes into detail about Bob Beckwith, the firefighter that Bush stood next to at Ground Zero. The book then continues on into the summer of 2002 just before it looked likely that Iraq would be the next target. Since Bill Sammon works for one of the few conservative papers in the country, the Washington Times, the book is really good at showing the folly of the mainstream press throughout the early days of the conflict. There are some great stories about how the newsmen are already calling Afghanistan a quagmire 3 weeks into the fighting. The book simply flows very well and is hard to put down. I figured I'd like it because it wasn't an attack piece, but I was surprised at how positive the entire book is. Sammon reveals a President that will do whatever it takes to beat the bad guys and protect American freedom. In short, he reminds us of the Bush that everyone admired after September 11th and thankfully the Bush that most of us still admire today.
Rating:
Summary: Fightin Back, The right man at the right time.
Review: This book gives great insight to the man behind the Seal of the US President. It gives me great pride to read about this mans upstanding character. He brings honor and respect back to the office, and this book gives many examples of his fine leadership. Give the book a read, you will not be disappointed in the man or the book.
Rating:
Summary: COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN!!!
Review: Still think George W. Bush is a dim-witted frat-boy? If you do, then your just kidding yourself. There are three books (that I know of) on the market now concerning the president and how he's handling the War on Terrorism: David Frum's THE RIGHT MAN, Bob Woodward's BUSH AT WAR and Bill Sammon's FIGHTING BACK. Three different writers with the three different views, but yet, President Bush is the same man in each book. He's confident, driven, passionate and smart--yes, you heard me. Dubya is smart. Anyone who has been inside the Bush White House will testify, just as these three writers have, that he's the boss, not Cheney or Rumsfeld or Powell, as the press would have us believe. If you want your heart to swell with pride again for our country and for her leaders, then I would suggest that you read any of the aforementioned books, but FIGHTING BACK especially.
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