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State of Denial
Bush at War, Part III
1 of 2 copies available
Bob Woodward examines how the Bush administration avoided telling the truth about Iraq to the public, to the Congress, and often to themselves in State of Denial. Woodward's third book on President Bush is a sweeping narrative from the first days George W. Bush thought seriously about running for president, through the recruitment of his national security team, the war in Afghanistan, the invasion and occupation of Iraq, and the struggle for political survival in the second term.
State of Denial answers the core questions: What happened after the invasion of Iraq? Why? How does Bush make decisions and manage the war that he chose to define his presidency? And, is there an achievable plan for victory? After more than three decades of reporting on national security decision making, including his two #1 national bestsellers on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Bush at War and Plan of Attack, Woodward provides the fullest account, and explanation, of the road Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice and the White House staff have walked.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Awards
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Release date
September 30, 2006 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9780743565684
- File size: 209475 KB
- Duration: 07:16:24
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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A weighty text is well executed in audiobook format with this production. Woodward's crisp writing is perfect for an audiobook, with its brisk sentences and newspaper-style "5-cent words." Boyd Gaines reads with assuredness at a perfect pace. Gaines further aids the production by seamlessly and consistently switching voices when quoting conversations between the main actors. He captures the speaking tone and style of President Bush, Vice President Cheney, former Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, and various other high officials. Woodward's searing tale of hubris and ineptitude is deftly and nimbly translated to audiobook, with very good sound quality as a bonus. Abridgment is careful, and context is well preserved. The result is an attention-grabbing production. T.F. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine -
Starred review from October 1, 2006
If there ever was a crystalline indictment of a president's wartime decisions, this is it. In the third volume exploring the political carnage and bureaucratic infighting prompted by the September 11 attacks, legendary investigative journalist Woodward (Bush at War, Plan of Attack) dissects the Bush administration's conduct of the war in Iraq. The picture isn't a pretty one, and Woodward's disarming, matter-of-fact prose makes his page-turning account more powerful still. The incompetence and arrogance on display in the highest levels of the executive branch is as stunning-and as unsettling-as the dismay voiced by civilians and soldiers who endeavor and fail to open the administration's eyes to the failures in Iraq, from the complex security challenges to simple logistical matters like securing sufficient translators. Unable to manage the war they unleashed, the principals-President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and national security advisor, later Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice-fare poorly here. Many of the charges are familiar-the president lacks inquisitiveness, the vice president is obsessed with WMD, Rice is "the worst security advisor in modern times"-but gel anew in the light of Woodward's explication. The breakout star of this disturbing spectacle is Rumsfeld, who presides over the conflict with a supreme self confidence that literally leaves Woodward at a loss for words. If journalism is the first page of history, then Woodward's opus will be required reading for any would-be historians of the time. -
Adam Grupper's evenly paced, clearly articulated style is a fitting vehicle for the delivery of Bob Woodward's third book chronicling the current Bush presidency. Like the text, Grupper's narration is steady and objective. Woodward's concise writing style and Grupper's distinct presentation guide the listener through the complex realities of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the controversy at home. Although he doesn't attempt vocal impersonation, Grupper's subtle inflections make the individuals involved, from the White House to the Pentagon and beyond, immediately recognizable. This brisk, lucid reporting is perfect for attempting to sift through the various "known knowns" and "known unknowns." M.O.B. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine
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December 4, 2006
Rather than a liberated state, Iraq has become this administration's "state of denial." With apparently limitless access, Woodward recounts the trials and tribulations of Bush, focusing on Iraq. Woodward presents a broad range of sincere efforts, missed opportunities and blatant mistakes by Bush and his team of advisers. According to Woodward (and many others in the administration), one of Bush's most contemptuous denials is his continual endorsement of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. But the ultimate denial by Bush is his refusal to be genuine, sincere and honest with Americans, other world leaders and the war-torn impoverished Iraqis. His fear of showing weakness, doubt or emotion actually debilitates and discredits his humanity. Woodward illustrates Bush's emotional capacity, even revealing several times when Bush cries. This, more than any speech, would make Americans believe again in their president, but Bush denies Americans this reality. Boyd Gaines delivers the facts with a reporterlike authority and tone while perceptively capturing the emotional resonance of spoken words, his Bush impersonation improving as the audiobook progresses. Overall, his performance coincides neatly with Woodward's writing style. Simultaneous release with the S&S hardcover.
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