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Summary: An End to Evil: How to Win the War on Terror
Review: Frum (The Right Man) and Perle, former assistant secretary of defense, are on the lookout for the next generation of terrorists-while having some unkind things to say about France, Saudi Arabia, and the UN.
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Summary: Far too ambitious, as a foreign policy vision and a book
Review: At first look, "An End to Evil" is hardly exceptional; those who follow American foreign policy meticulously can easily assume that its sole merit is to bring together, under one book, some of the predominant themes that have shaped America's foreign policy and war against terrorism since September 11. But "An End to Evil" is hardly a defense of President Bush's policies-its scope and ambition is more far-reaching than anything the President has adopted thus far. Richard Perle and David Frum, both of the American Enterprise Institute, lay out a foreign policy vision whose cornerstone is aggressiveness, backed by military power. This is not a blueprint of Bush's foreign policy; it is their handbook for victory in the war on terror. Yet there is something disturbing about the authors' readiness to put force at the forefront of foreign policy. For one, the excessive emphasis placed on force can be self-defeating-a point hardly taken up by the authors. Even more, the authors try to be realistic when dealing with the world (when identifying America's true friends and foes, for example), but toss out that realism when discussion the limits and effects of force. Even the chapter on the "War of Ideas" ends on a note about the merits of force. But whatever the merits of the ideas, many readers will find the presentation more worrisome. The book, the authors acknowledge, was "written at high speed through the summer." At times, this speed is evident-arguments are rushed through, nuances avoided, and internal cohesion sacrificed. In the end, this hastiness and tendency to simplify animates many of President Bush's critics; it also undermines the potency of the authors' arguments and will likely disappoint many readers.
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Summary: Richard Perle: DEAD Wrong
Review: As reported by Knight Ridder reporter, Warren Strobel, Richard Perle, one half of the genius team behind An End to Evil had this to say a year ago: "Richard Perle, an influential former Pentagon official who is close to Rumsfeld, reportedly gave a briefing to Wall Street firm Goldman Sachs 10 days ago in which he predicted that the war would last no longer than three weeks. 'And there is a good chance that it will be less than that,' he said." Wrong, Mr. Perle. Dead wrong.
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Summary: DEAD Wrong
Review: Just over a year ago, David Frum, half of the genius team behind An End to Evil, wrote the following in a February 24, 2003 National Review article: "But there is good news: If the preparations for the Iraq round of the war on terror have gone very, very slowly, the Iraq fight itself is probably going to go very, very fast. The shooting should be over within just a very few days from when it starts. The sooner the fighting begins in Iraq, the nearer we are to its imminent end. Which means, in other words, that this 'rush to war' should really be seen as the ultimate 'rush to peace.'" You were wrong Mr. Frum. Dead wrong.
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Summary: frightening book
Review: I have read alot of books regarding the turmoil in the middle east, some unbiased and informative and others merely to cash in on the current crisis. However, this one is one that truly scares me and the authors have the president's ear. I would give this book by Frum and Perle the same status and credibility as the Communist Manifesto (...)
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Summary: Save your money
Review: A simplistic binary view of the world that spends more time justifying its ghetto mentality (us versus them) to the world than anything else. Ill informed and poorly written.
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Summary: A thoughtful analysis of an important worldwide problem
Review: This is a well reasoned and easily readable book that addresses the important problem of worldwide terrorism in a common sense manner. I would recommend it to anyone who wishes to obtain a basic understanding of foreign policy issues stemming from the terrorist threat. The book identifies specific problems, names names (people and countries), contains concise analyses, and proposes concrete solutions and courses of action. It advances no particular political agenda, and contains no detectable spin. All in all, this is a very rewarding and well-done effort on the part of the authors.
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Summary: Must Sterilize
Review: Do you remember the classic Star Trek when the Enterprise picks up the space robot, Nomad? Nomad was originally programmed to sterilize biological infestation on a planet somewhere, but now something has gone wrong. It thinks it must sterilize all imperfections including the crew of the Enterprise because they are "imperfect units". Though implausible and fantastic this episode seems like a fairly accurate representation of current American foreign policy and Mr. Bush's war on evil. And David Frum and Richard Perle have summarized the plan nicely in their book, An End to Evil.
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Summary: An Almost Cogent Strategy
Review: Messrs. Frum and Perle have written an excellent and timely book. It provides a needed political and military strategy, which goes beyond the tepid and politically correct bounds of the Bush administration. It names nations that promulgate and harbor terrorism (such as Saudi Arabia and Iran) and is willing to bite the bullet where action is required. My sole qualm is that by lack of a philosophical foundation there is a limit to its ideological clarity. Thus it slips into the vogue beliefs of imposing democracy, finding hope for the UN and Islam, and accommodating the foibles of ÒalliesÓ. Perhaps such views could be defended, but it appears that this book simply adopts such positions for reasons of expediency. Nonetheless, I strongly recommend his book.
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Summary: Good propaganda
Review: In some respects this is a very well executed work of propaganda. From the first page to the last, Frum's skill as a wordsmith is evident. The result is a highly readable, well-cadenced piece of writing that makes an urgent, anxious plea for the US to launch an unlimited war on terrorism. But the book's strengths are also its weakness. In their effort to land knock-out blows, the authors take their case far too far. The book reads like a McCarthyite list of enemies. The Democrats, the State Department, the CIA, the Pentagon brass, France, Russia, most of Europe, virtually all Muslims, and the UN--they're all apparently intent on crippling the US. The CIA, for example, is staffed with effete liberals whose anti-American world-views were formed in elite Ivy League universities. The State Department is full of -- horrors! -- diplomats, who seem begin each morning by asking themselves what they can do to undermine US security that day. The French...well, really, what do you need to say other than that they have the Gaullic gall to disagree with the US and define and pursue their own interests rather than shutting up and sitting in the backseat? What is the point of a book like this? It's essentially a long briefing note with talking points. While the smooth and easy writing style make it accessible to a wide range of the public, it's really aimed at arming the already converted but perhaps not particularly bright with a kind of intellectual argument-lite, stripped of all the boring facts and recognition of merit in conflicting perspectives.
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