Unlimited Access: An FBI Agent Inside the Clinton White House

Unlimited Access: An FBI Agent Inside the Clinton White House
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Worth a read before the elections...

Turned My Stomach

Read This BEFORE You Vote for "Her"

Don't Vote for Hillary 'Till You Read This

Substantial and important book

Unlimited Access: An FBI Agent Inside the Clinton White House
Gary Aldrich
Manufacturer: Regnery Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

Dereliction of Duty: The Eyewitness Account of How Bill Clinton Compromised America's National Security

The Final Days: The Last, Desperate Abuses of Power by the Clinton White House

Hell to Pay: The Unfolding Story of Hillary Rodham Clinton

The Case Against Hillary Clinton

Thunder on the Left: An Insider's Report on the Hijacking of the Democratic Party

ASIN: 0895264064

Amazon.com

By now the whory notion of doing a tell-all book about your boss, the President, is a hoary one too. (It dates back to Ike, who got the treatment from one of his doctors.) But with this book, the Clinton administration breaks new ground by being on the receiving end of a kiss-and-sell from a member of the White House security staff. Aldrich was an FBI agent assigned to the White House under both Bush and Clinton who, as this book makes clear, didn't think the changeover was progress. He mostly fixes on anthropological differences: the Bush staffers were neat and straight, the Clintonites were sloppy and had kinky work- shift sex a stone's throw from the Oval Office. Who knows if it's true? Who knows if Aldrich was debating between this and other more devastating forms of revenge available to a presidential guard?

Book Description

#1 New York Times Bestseller.

Customer Reviews:

Worth a read before the elections..........2007-09-03

The Aldrich account of the treatment of the White House and the Presidency rang true from the first page. Tied together with what coverage there was and has been in the media, then and now, his first hand detail of the Clintons complete disregard for our security, standards, and code of conduct is hard to ignore.

I think he risked a great deal publishing this book and find it sad that so many did not listen.

Turned My Stomach.......2007-08-24

The utter lack of respect the Clinton's have for this country our military and each other never cease to amaze me. The incompetance during the Clinton 'administration' is thoroughly laid out in this book written by a top FBI agent who was there.

There are a lot of typos in this book which can get irritating. I give them a pass because of the importance of the overall content. The truth is not in the typos as people like Al Franken would have you believe.

If you want more stomach turning facts about these two clowns, try Robert "Buzz" Patterson's book, 'Dereliction of Duty'. Patterson was Bill Clinton's top military aide. He was at the former presidents side at all times when he was on duty.

Read This BEFORE You Vote for "Her".......2007-07-08

This is a MUST READ which for a long time was unavailable.
The FBI (at whose orders?) refused permission for publication.
The book was privately published by brave people in, of all places, California, and was almost impossible to get. It's an eye-opener and really worth owning.

Don't Vote for Hillary 'Till You Read This.......2007-05-31

I read this book years ago, but I recommended it again just today. If even a fraction of it is true (and I suspect it is a whole lot more than a fraction), it is REALLY scary.

Substantial and important book.......2007-04-12

I found this book very interesting. I'm British, but I take an interest in American politics. In this book ex-FBI agent Gary Aldrich relays his impressions and experiences of the Clinton White House.
AS is obvious from some comments in reviews here, the fact that the book has the political arena as its background means some strong reactions will be stirred almost by default.

But I did not find Aldrich was trying to score political points. His is actually something of a matter of fact analysis of more nuts and bolts issues surrounding the functioning of the White House. And he obviously cares very much about the dignity, efficiency and security of the place. And indeed, through his work he is obviously very knowledgeable about it. Which was one reason I found the book interesting, because it allows a glimpse into some of the basic mechanics of the place at the centre of American politics.

But even though I guess political loyalties will be fired up, it is quite plain to me that the book transcends these, and is in fact about what endures in the system of government beyond them. And although some individuals might get hot under the collar because of political considerations, nevertheless I suggest persons of any political persuasion should really be able to see the issues run deeper.

As for the reliability of the book, surely, the obvious basic fact of the matter is that Aldrich is an eminently credible and authoritative source. His job was to dispassionately and meticulously assess character in the highest office in the land for the sake of the standing of that office. A job he evidently took pride in, took very seriously indeed, did well and was respected for. It's obvious to me the man had Public Servant written all over him. I suggest he has proven a faithful servant to his nation.

I do not sense political opprtumism in this book, but moral courage. Aldrich seems to me to be a decent guy who felt it wrong to just shut up. And in so doing he offers an affirmation of the existence of bedrock decency in law enforcement agencies, itself no small matter.

I can't imagine he took the decision to publish lightly. It seems there was something very wrong in the corridors of power and Aldrich felt duty bound to alert the country. No matter what actual political persuasion Aldrich himself may have, this book is not in itself about that, and I think it's only reasonable to recognise this in assessing it.

I think the book is actually well written, which is part of its effectiveness. But it's not the fancy writing of the novella, its that of the informed, matter-of-fact report. Aldrich cuts to the chase, and his style is fluid and concise, making it very easily readable.

I highly recommend it. It obviously raises specific concerns, but more than that I think it raises fundamental questions about the nature of government in the USA; questions, for instance, pertaining to distinctions between process and personality, important issues when considering the mechanics of democracy.

America's First Families (HC) : An Inside View of 200 Years of Private Life in the White House

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America's First Families
Enjoyable light historical reading
Oh, What a Lovely Piece of Work This Is!
Entertaining look at White House hsitory

America's First Families (HC) : An Inside View of 200 Years of Private Life in the White House
Carl Sferrazza Anthony
Manufacturer: Touchstone
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Presidents & Heads of State | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

All the Presidents' Children: Triumph and Tragedy in the Lives of America's First Families
First Ladies: An Intimate Group Portrait of White House Wives
Real Life at the White House: 200 Years of Daily Life at America's Most Famous Residence
Secret Lives Of The First Ladies: What Your Teachers Never Told You About The Women of The White House
First Families: The Impact of the White House on Their Lives

ASIN: 0743203038

Book Description

Packed with more than 300 photographs from archives and private collections -- many published here for the first time -- entertaining anecdotes, political analysis, the dynamics of family relationships, and behind-the-scenes gossip, America's First Families offers the first up-close look at the families -- from John and Abigail Adams in 1800 to Bill and Hillary Clinton -- who have intrigued and entranced the American public for two centuries.

Carl Sferrazza Anthony opens the door to the world's most famous residence to reveal life as it was actually lived there. He takes readers into the heart of loyalties and estrangements, and the emotional pressures that politics brings to bear upon the forty White House families, from their arrivals to their "notices to vacate." Readers will enjoy an unprecedented tour of the previously unseen private rooms as used and decorated by each family. Revealed too are the personal proclivities of the presidents and how their families both sustained them through public crises and were used for political advantage. They'll get a firsthand look at the preparations for White House weddings and other occasions; meet the parents and children of the presidents -- as well as eccentric relatives; and discover the patterns of working, resting, and relaxing that shaped the nuts and bolts of family life.

A magnificent combination of visual delights and insider information, America's First Families is an irresistible invitation to spend some time at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Customer Reviews:

America's First Families.......2007-01-19

This is a fascinating book. It is a wonderful compendium of trivia, probably not available in any other volume. It contains a wonderful assortment of pictures of First Families, some of which have never before been published. The book is well organized into chapters detailing various aspects of the Presidential families' lives and activities. for me, one of its prime attractions is that it does not include the politics or issues of the President's era.
At times, it is a little confusing, because the author skips from one family to another rather abruptly, so it requires a little getting used to in order to follow the narrative.
I would strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in the social and "human" aspects of the White House families.

Enjoyable light historical reading.......2001-04-10

This book gives an insight into the private lives of the first families. We learn about their extended families, hobbies, illnesses, preparations for leaving the White House when their terms are completed, etc. The pictures are what really makes this book great. We see Lyndon Johnson in bed with his wife watching tv and we see the older George Bush in bed too (can you imagine Nixon or Clinton letting down his guard like this?). We see Gerald Ford in his bathrobe. If you always wanted to see such a sight, there is a photo of Eleanor Roosevelt in a bathing suit and a rare photo of Franklin in shorts with his polio ravaged legs exposed to the camera. We see painful personal moments such as the famous photo of Nixon hugging his daughter Julie when he made the decision to resign. In short this is, at times, a very rare personal and intimate glimpse into the lives of the first families. I enjoyed it and recommend it highly.

Oh, What a Lovely Piece of Work This Is!.......2001-01-12

I have been fortunate enough to read Mr. Anthony's brilliant "First Ladies" mini-opuses, and highly looked forward to this epic on the lives of our First Families. I sat for three hours stright with an almost constant smile on my face as I ran through the pages. What an amazing acheivement Mr. Anthony has pulled together! I can only imagine the painstaking research needed to find out the tidbits sprinkled throughout. There is so much information in this novel that it almost boggles the mind at times and is a bit overwhelming. I wondered if everything was sinking in, when I saw Mr. Anthony speak at the Richard Nixon library on CSPAN one night recounting the tales found here. Every story he told was instantly recalled and sentences finished before explaining. The sheer knowledge that one can gain from reading this novel is tremendous. (Where else can you find a list of President's favorite movies? By Reagan selecting Rambo, it does nothing but prove what a complete and utter moron we had occupying the White House under his reign).....Point proven further....When listing President's favorite reading options, Mr Anthony lays out beautiful examples of this. President Clinton enjoys biographies of his predecessors, Eisenhower military biographies and TR, anything he could get his hands on. Reagan? Newspaper comics.....I shall leave my review at that.

Entertaining look at White House hsitory.......2000-11-13

I purchased this book yesterday and I can't put it down. It is filled with great pictures and stories of the forty-one famlies who lived in the White House. This is a great source of presidential trivia and provides a human element to the most famous family in America. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in American history and the lives of the presidents.

Nerve Center: Inside the White House Situation Room

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Totally Cool
A must for lovers of the West Wing!
Behind Closed Doors - A Fascinating Look
Life in the WHSR
Great view of the White House Situation Room

Nerve Center: Inside the White House Situation Room
Michael K. Bohn
Manufacturer: Potomac Books Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Standing Next to History: An Agent's Life Inside the Secret Service
The White House Staff: Inside the West Wing and Beyond
Air Force One
The Nerve Center: Lessons in Governing from the White House Chiefs of Staff (Joseph V. Hughes, Jr., and Holly O. Hughes Book in the Presidency and Leadership Series)
How to Be President: What to Do and Where to Go Once You're in Office

ASIN: 1574884387

Book Description

The White House Situation Room is arguably the most important facility in the most important building in the world. As the president’s intelligence and alert center, it provides vital communication and crisis management capabilities to the chief executive and his advisers. It can also be “an island of calm,” as a top adviser for Vice President Al Gore once described it. So little is known about the Situation Room that, until the publication of Nerve Center, the American public’s knowledge of it is almost entirely based on its portrayal by the entertainment industry.

Yet, as Michael K. Bohn points out, Hollywood has failed to capture the real drama of the Situation Room. Numerous crises come alive in Nerve Center, from the Vietnam War (when President Johnson made late night visits to the Situation Room wearing his pajamas and went so often that he moved his Oval Office chair there), to the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan, to today’s high-tech war on terrorism. Created in the aftermath of the Bay of Pigs fiasco by advisers to President John Kennedy, presidents, cabinet members, and National Security Council staff members have all come to depend on the Situation Room. “I knew that I could always rely on the Situation Room,” President Jimmy Carter recalled, “and it never let me down.”

Bohn, who served as director of the Situation Room for the first President George Bush, has recruited numerous officials, including former and current staff, to tell the colorful forty-year history of the Situation Room. In a final chapter, Bohn uses a fictional crisis to describe how the Situation Room will evolve to help the president meet the challenges of an increasingly dangerous future.

Customer Reviews:

Totally Cool.......2006-07-26

Excellent sneak peak into the White House Situation Room, dispelling myths and showing us the American people how our leaders handle a crisis.

A must for lovers of the West Wing!.......2006-02-07

I first read this book 2 years ago after purchasing it from Amazon, and loved it the moment I saw it. Sitting down to read it was almost like opening a chocolate box, with wonderful anecdotes from dozens of men and women who have served in the nexus of American Military decision making. I highly recomend this book to anyone who would like to find out more about the White House Situation room and it's impact on the world and the West Wing itself.

Behind Closed Doors - A Fascinating Look.......2003-04-15

Mike Bohn has succeeded in opening to the reader a portion of the White House that few understand - let alone acknowledge its existence or function. The Situation Room truly is the "Nerve Center" for the country - both in times of crisis and in peace time. It is a central briefing room for the President, and a contact center for countries around the globe. Before reading this wonderful book, I hadn't thought about how calls to heads-of-state were made on behalf of the President, but now I can see why they would all go through the Situation Room.

If you are a fan of political movies, and want to know the truth behind the Hollywood fiction, or are just a political junkie, then this truly is the one book you want on your shelf!

Life in the WHSR.......2003-02-14

Bohn, Commander Bohn. Shakes not stirs events in the White House from the Situation Room. He takes the pulse of the Sit Room and displays it with humor and humanity. This is the first account of the people who watch and report on events that shape our world. Well done and well written!

Great view of the White House Situation Room.......2003-02-14

I enjoyed reading this book on the White House Situation Room. It offers readers great insight and anecdotes behind the scenes of government crises and every day political happenings.

Hillary's Scheme: Inside the Next Clinton's Ruthless Agenda to Take the White House

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must read
Telling part of the story
why she will run in 2004!
Flawless analysis from an objective journalist
For the good of Hillary or the good of the country?

Hillary's Scheme: Inside the Next Clinton's Ruthless Agenda to Take the White House
Carl Limbacher , and NewsMax
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Madame Hillary: The Dark Road to the White House
The Final Days: The Last, Desperate Abuses of Power by the Clinton White House
Hell to Pay: The Unfolding Story of Hillary Rodham Clinton
The Truth About Hillary: What She Knew, When She Knew It, and How Far She'll Go to Become President
The Case Against Hillary Clinton

ASIN: 1400052955
Release Date: 2004-06-22

Book Description

Can this country survive another Clinton presidency? Two terms of “Slick Willy” were bad enough. Now, numerous political experts and people close to the Clinton family hint that Hillary is plotting to retake the White House and ring in another four—or eight—years of a Clinton as commander in chief.

She denies any presidential bid is in the works. But a few years before she entered the Senate race, Hillary claimed she would never run for any elective office whatsoever.

In shocking detail, Hillary’s Scheme confirms the worst fear of tens of millions of Americans: that Hillary Clinton indeed plans to run for president within the next few years. This explosive, behind-the-scenes book by investigative journalist Carl Limbacher blows the lid off the New York senator’s plans for a grand political coup, something she has been carefully and quietly plotting for more than 20 years. Limbacher conducted extensive research into Hillary’s past and secured exclusive interviews with Clinton insiders—and even questioned Hillary herself—to bring you the real story. What he uncovers are the truly juicy morsels, the backroom deals, and the insider wrangling around Hillary’s presidential ambitions that aren’t being reported in the mainstream press. If you love to hate Hillary or are just curious about one of America’s most controversial figures, there’s plenty in this book to get your blood boiling. You’ll discover the answers to questions Hillary is unwilling to address in public, including:

Why is she not likely to wait until 2008 to enter the race for president?

How did she torpedo Al Gore’s chances for a rematch with President Bush?

Where are the millions of dollars she’s supposedly raising for the Democratic Party really going?

Why does she dodge tough questions about her husband’s abysmal record on fighting international terrorism?

And many, many more!

If you don’t think that Hillary Clinton has a fighting chance to win the presidency, you must read this book. With startling prescience, Limbacher draws parallels between today’s political environment and that which existed in 1992—the year George H. W. Bush lost the race to an upstart governor from Arkansas. You don’t need to be a member of the “vast right-wing conspiracy” or even a Republican to be concerned about what Hillary in the White House would mean for the presidency, the Constitution, and America as we know it.

Customer Reviews:

must read.......2007-06-13

A must read not because it is the best book written. A must read because America needs to know what it could be getting itself into voting for Hilary.

Telling part of the story.......2007-05-17

This is an informative book, but does not tell all of the story about Hillary. No mainstream author or publisher is very likely to do so, either. There are certain unwritten rules of journalism in America that operate to limit how much will be told about someone, even when that someone is a public figure. A book presented as fiction, but which does tell a very similar, and much more complete, story is Dr. Richard Little's book entitled The Empress Project. Some reviewers seem to believe that book is an attempt to connect dots in a way that no other book, not even this nice book by Carl Limbacher, has done.The Empress Project

why she will run in 2004!.......2007-02-05

`In Fact, it's astonishing that anyone believes Mrs. Clinton's denials that she'd consider running in 2004, given the wealth of evidence that she's planning for just that contgingency'

I know it's hindsight, but Limbacher was so very wrong here. He even quotes some people who say she won't and ridicules them, even though they were right.

He's biased, a clinton/hater and thinks the entire media is liberal/biased.

Now some plus points
1. Some of the facts are quite scary and if they are true, and I kinda fear some of them have some truth in them, they will be the characteristics of maybe the new President. Nothing new though. There are many notes in the back as well to look up the sources, which leads you to believe it might be right, even though most sources seems to be other right/wing media outlets.

It is a funny book however and well worth a read.

Flawless analysis from an objective journalist.......2005-12-26

In this brilliant book, Carl Limbacher uses sharp analysis and well-documented sources to craft an airtight case that Hillary will undeniably be running for president in 2004. Limbacher thankfully does not let petty partisanship color his analysis, since such bias could conceivably lead to an incorrect conclusion. Limbacher puts to rest any suspicion that writing for the far-right publication Newsmax could interfere with making objective, sound judgements and predictions.

Some would argue that, since it is already 2005, it is a little late for Hillary to run for president in 2004, thus casting some doubt upon the claims of this book. These people are clearly wrong, and are obviously falling for Hillary's scheme. If anyone is crafty enough to win the 2004 election well after the election has already happened, it is Hillary. One underestimates her crafty schemes to their peril.

In short, anyone interested in knowing whether Hillary will run for president in 2004 is well advised to read this book. Having become quite a fan of Limbacher's astute forecasting, I am really looking forward to his upcoming book, "Harriet Miers: A Triumphant Ascent to the Supreme Court".

For the good of Hillary or the good of the country?.......2005-08-03

Limbacher has put together an excellent analysis of what Hillary has been all about and what is behind the actions she has taken in the past and what will influence what she will do in the future.
Keep in mind,this book was published in 2003,and many might think that since the 2004 election has come and gone;it is a waste of time reading this book.Au contraire,Hillary is the same person with the same motives at work and it is even clearer to see through her now than it was 2,3 or 4 years ago.
The problem that Limbacher had with trying to figure out if Hillary would take her run at the Presidency was that Hillary couldn't have told him herself;even if she wanted to.She does not operate on any logical principles;only on what will serve her own interest at the time.This book alone, shows that to be the case time after time.Since she can't predict the outcome of events any better,and would never commit herself to a stand on any issue;her modis- operendi can only be to obstruct anything that might hinder her goal and stand back and abide her time until what she seeks is handed to her on a platter.
The Clintons have an iron clad hold on the Democratic party,and what the party does will only be what in in the best interest of the Clinton,s and whether that is in the best interests of the Party or the Country is a mute point.All one has to do is look at the past.
Haq Clinton stepped aside at the time of his scandle,Gore would have become his replacement,completed Bill's term and as an incumbent would have easily won the Presidency and maybe even a second term.How would that have benefited the Clintons? It wouldn't have,it would have benefited Gore and the Party not the Clintons, and that is the point.Again,in the year leading up to the 2004 election Hillary,took no stand on any major issue ,put herself behind no candidate,except tentative support to anyone who would keep the Party from concealing strength with one candidate.Since she concluded she could'nt win against Bush,her only hope was that nobody else would.If it happened,that would be the end of the Clintons,,possibly for two terms and that is an eternity in politics.As the election approached the final months, and while the debates seemed to favor Kerry,emphoria over expectations of winning was running rampant throughout the Party,the Clinton's presence became obvious by the absence of their involvement. This must have been frightful days for Hillary until Bush won and the election that she side stepped was over and done.
So what next? Nothing has changed;Hillary will bide her time,take no positions,make no decisions,keep her agenda to herself,obvious as it is,pretend to be all things to all people,and hope that by the time 2007 rolls around that the voters will forget the Clintons past,and if they still hold the Party in their grip;she will have the nomination,otherwise the Clinton's reign will in fact have ended in 2001.
It's all there in this book and easily seen if one wants to know what motivated and continues to motivate both Bill and Hillary.There's going to be more books like this one in the next couple of years.Look at the Customer Reviews on "The Truth about Hillary" by Edward Klein,and its still 2 years before the action is in full swing for 2008.
It's a Guarantee Hillary can hang in if you can;it's going to be interesting!

Fighting Back: The War on Terrorism from Inside the Bush White House

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'Somebody's going to pay'
Thank You George W. Bush
Sold With Pom Poms
Disappointed with our leaders.
GO BUSH!!!!!

Fighting Back: The War on Terrorism from Inside the Bush White House
Bill Sammon
Manufacturer: Regnery Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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Terrorism | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Misunderestimated : The President Battles Terrorism, Media Bias, and the Bush Haters
Strategery: How George W. Bush Is Defeating Terrorists, Outwitting Democrats, and Confounding the Mainstream Media
At Any Cost: How Al Gore Tried to Steal the Election
Rebel in Chief: Inside the Bold and Controversial Presidency of George W. Bush
The Evangelical President: George Bush's Struggle to Spread a Moral Democracy Throughout the World

ASIN: 0895261499

Book Description

Best-selling author and award-winning White House correspondent Bill Sammon uses his unparalleled White House access -- including revealing one-on-one interviews with President George W. Bush, conducted on Air Force One and elsewhere -- to show how the pr

Customer Reviews:

'Somebody's going to pay'.......2004-11-27

This book, which preceded _Misunderestimated_, is the one in which Bill Sammon began chronicling the presidency of George W. Bush. (_At Any Cost_ -- an excellent book as well -- was an account of Al Gore's attempts to steal the 2000 election, not of Bush's presidency itself.)

I read _Misunderestimated_ first, but this one is every bit as good. It begins with 9/11 and follows the Bush Administration's responses, up to and including the removal of the Taliban from Afghanistan. (The war to depose Saddam Hussein is covered in the next volume.)

Sammon makes no secret of his own support for Bush (and his lack of respect for Bush's immediate predecessor in office). But this isn't a liability, journalistically or otherwise. It isn't that he's not _capable_ of criticizing the Bush Administration (and he does chide the White House for its occasional misstep); it's that he really has come to the conclusion that the Administration is doing a good job and the President has proved equal to his historical tasks. (And as for Clinton, well, let's just say that the ability to see the warts on _that_ presidency isn't exactly a sign of bias.)

Sammon's account is crisp, clear, and briskly paced -- and, since he's been in such close touch with the President, it's the next best thing to being inside Bush's head. It is, in short, a captivating and informative read.

It also incorporates several of Bush's speeches in their entirety -- including his inspiring remarks in the National Cathedral and his stirring 9/20/01 address on Capitol Hill before a joint session of Congress.

Together with _Misunderestimated_, it's a fine account of America's post-9/11 transition from peacetime to wartime. Bush-haters won't like it, but that's their problem.

Thank You George W. Bush.......2004-07-05

As an American, I cannot thank you enough for your heroic handling of the events of 9/11, your steady attack on terrorists, for keeping this country safe, for taking out Sadam Hussein and for defeating Al Gore and his democrat croonies and for making this a better country.

Although we may not be where want to be, we are sure as heck a lot better off now than we would have been if Gore was in office. And four years from now, we will be in a lot better shape with you as our Commander-In-Chief than we would be if John Kerry became President (God Forbid!))

Thank you President Bush for your unselfish service and dedication.

Sold With Pom Poms.......2004-06-23

There must be a rule with any author that has a book published by Regnery Publishing and that is that on every third page the book needs to take a negative dig at either President Clinton or Democrats in general. For those of you wondering, this book fulfills the quota with an impressive start on page two. Even though this book is an unabashedly pro Bush book on the 9/11 attacks and the American response, there are more mentions of President Clinton then Osama Bin Laden. The author finds ways to blame just about everything bad in the world on Clinton and then for good measure knocks around his wife at least once per chapter. I knew this book was going to be, in a small part anyway, a bit of a puff piece for Bush. The author wears his love for the President on his sleeve on all his public appearances on the FOX network and he is employed by the rather conservative Washington Times. This was one of the reasons I was drawn to the book. Who doesn't like to read a positive, pro American, rock-um sock-um type book? I thought I would get a nice and interesting look at 9/11 from an author that was probably given more access to the Bush Team because he was going to write such a glowing review. I figured this would be a nice bookend to the Woodward book.

The book does deliver what I was looking for, a very positive and detailed account of the Bush administration from 9/11 through mid 2002. The author does a nice job of giving the reader a great deal of facts that the average author might pass by. This is why I bought the book and on this point I was pleased. My concerns with the book were the rather childish way the author lets his massive dislike for President Clinton invade this book. It was almost as if the author could not stop himself with the rude comments. They added nothing to the main story. If this side show was not enough the author spent about 20% of the book attacking the media and its coverage of the Bush administration. So much so I got to think that maybe the title of the book was somehow related to the Bush Administrations fight with the "Liberal" press instead of Americas fight with terrorists. All of this anti Clinton and press bashing did nothing for the story and took away more from the book then it added.

I guess what really disappointed me was the authors very obvious and not very well done attempts at defending the Bush administration from some of the negative charges or comments made by the press or his opponents. The author covered topics that had nothing or very slightly anything to do with the main focus of the book. Many of the comments were nothing more then bait and switch campaign tactics or well worn GOP standard attack lines usually used at the end of a losing negative campaign. All these comments did for me was to call into question how much of the book as based in solid fact and how much was blind support for the President. What makes the comments sad is that the book did not need them. The President, by almost all accounts, was and still is thought of as performing very well during this time. He does not need this ham handed shading of the facts and cheap shots that this author employs. It actually takes away more then it adds.

Overall I enjoyed the parts of the book that detailed the facts. These sections of the book put the President in a very positive light and were well written. It was just that the negative comment campaign against President Clinton and the press brought the book down to some playground name calling event. Throw in the attack dog dirty campaign style support pieces and the book falls into the middle of the rating scale. If you are an arch conservative you will probably fall in love with the book and the author. If you are more of a moderate and are looking for a book that just covers the facts and skips the rhetoric then I would suggest the Woodward book Bush at War.

Disappointed with our leaders........2004-05-28

I am a sad American - Disappointed with our leaders.
While I was writing my review off-line to take advantage of the spell checking, I watched this book go from number 6 to number 57. I actually read the book. Now I wish I'd spent the money on a good steak with onions, mushrooms and a really big scotch. It's hogwash, an illusion, like most politicians.

I'm an old fart, retired Texas businessman, conservative, grandfather, and once proud to be a Republican. I even voted for George Bush Jr., thinking that Gore was a better statesman, but George Jr. was closer to understanding the plight of the middle working class. It wasn't the biggest mistake I've ever made, but it troubles me the most. I'm sure a lot of good Americans are reassessing their support for our Misunderstandeded President.

Hey class clown, yes; most fun to get drunk with, yes; class bully, yes; but qualified to be President of the Greatest Country in the History of the World? I don't think so. What the hell were we thinking? He doesn't represent us, the middle class, he represents the CEOs, the affluent, the Top 2%, and the lobbyists from big corporations. Time to admit we were wrong.

I have a lot of time on my hands to think, think about the Korean War I served in, WWI that three of my 7 uncles served in, and the Vietnam War that my son was disabled in. I, like the vast majority of Americans, believed our government and trusted politicians back then. But, hey we were stupid, we thought being a lawyer was an honorable profession.

Even though I was a conservative, I contributed to charity, I did volunteer work, I never judged a man or woman who was down on their luck or those who had made bad life decisions. I always thought; "There but for the Grace of GOD, go I." I lived by the Golden Rule. I even supported `Affirmative Action' thinking that Jesus would have also. Given my fellow man that had been so horribly oppressed, a hand up. What happened to Christian charity? You can call the President many things, but you CANNOT call him `compassionate' with a straight face.

This book is written by a life long conservative who is an average journalist and big business supporter. It is turned out by a public relations gin mill and not worthy of your money. One of my four children is a rabid conservative. Somewhere I went wrong. I failed to teach him that family, love, compassion, honor, and being your brother's keeper were the reasons we put here by God. I can no longer be silent. This is not a worthy read, nor is it the truth.

GO BUSH!!!!!.......2003-12-19

Do not get me wrong, I am a strong Democrat who does not support most of President Bush's politics nor his war on Iraq. However I do like him as a person because he is a very down to earth, loving human being and this book proves it. It's sad to see the libreals bashing this book because it has alot to tell and alot to offer about President Bush and what kind of a man he is. I do not look at him as a bad man at all. That does not mean he gets my vote in 04 but I would ask people to read this book with an open mind and think about This President Uniting this country to the best of his ability on 9/11. Al Gore never could have done that let me tell you. So to all readers I hope you read it and enjoy it and perhaps look at President Bush in a diffrent way.

Inside the White House in War Times: Memoirs and Reports of Lincoln's Secretary

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Inside the White House in War Times: Memoirs and Reports of Lincoln's Secretary
William O. Stoddard
Manufacturer: Bison Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Historical | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Inside Lincoln's White House: The Complete Civil War Diary of John Hay
Honor's Voice: The Transformation of Abraham Lincoln

ASIN: 0803292570

Book Description

Of the three secretaries who assisted President Abraham Lincoln—John G. Nicolay, John Hay, and William O. Stoddard—only Stoddard wrote an extended memoir about his time in the Executive Mansion. First published in 1890, the book vividly depicts the president’s agonizing reaction to the defeats at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, the difficulties encountered (and presented) by Mary Lincoln, the president’s relations with George B. McClellan and other generals, and the anxiety preceding the Merrimack’s epic battle with the Monitor.

In 1866 Stoddard also penned thirteen “White House Sketches” about his time in Lincoln’s service. Originally published in an obscure New York newspaper, these essays—never previously collected—supplement Stoddard’s memoir. Together the memoir and sketches provide an intimate look at the sixteenth president during a time of crisis.

The Agenda: Inside the Clinton White House

Average customer rating:

inside the clinton machine
Talking 'Bout The New Kid In Town
historical, but reads like throwaway journalism
The Agenda captures the essence
Big Fan

The Agenda: Inside the Clinton White House
Bob Woodward
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Commanders
The Choice: How Bill Clinton Won
Shadow : Five Presidents and the Legacy of Watergate
Veil: The Secret Wars of the CIA, 1981-1987
Plan of Attack

ASIN: 0743274075

Amazon.com

A no-holds-barred look inside the Clinton White House during the first one hundred days of his presidency. What emerges is a portrait of a man hampered by his struggle to do the right thing. Despite the defeat of the health care initiative and the bungling first steps of a naive administration, Woodward uncovers the essential decency of the man from Hope.

Book Description

The Agenda is a day-by-day, often minute-by-minute account of Bill Clinton's White House. Drawing on hundreds of interviews, confidential internal memos, diaries, and meeting notes, Woodward shows how Clinton and his advisers grappled with questions of lasting importance -- the federal deficit, health care, welfare reform, taxes, jobs. One of the most intimate portraits of a sitting president ever published, this edition includes an afterword on Clinton's efforts to save his presidency.

Customer Reviews:

inside the clinton machine.......2006-12-07

Good inside scopp and 'West Wing' reporting of what happened when President Clinton was running for President and the beginning of his first term. Interesting to see how each of the players felt about eachother and how some were slighted by eachother during the whole political process. Hillary's handling of several incidents is a good view into her charactoer for the future.

Talking 'Bout The New Kid In Town.......2005-06-16

"The Agenda" reads pretty dull for the first 100 or so pages, skimming over Bill Clinton's successful 1992 presidential campaign and the promises he would make (and sometimes, break) with celebrated muckraker Bob Woodward displaying more his gimlet eye for detail than his nose for news, or more unhappily for readers, any interest in characterizing the ideas and personalities of the Clintonistas in more than bold strokes.

Maybe Woodward wanted to give us some of the numbing sensation President Clinton experienced when he and his wife Hillary woke up in the White House, only to realize it wasn't Disneyland and they couldn't change the world overnight. Even with firm Democrat majorities in the House and Senate, there would be those who, whether out of caprice, malice, or simply not seeing issues the same way, wouldn't play ball.

Complicating matters was a national economy that Clinton had made the central concern of his campaign ("It's the economy, Stupid" became such a mantra Clinton insiders shortened it to ITES) and now threatened to bury him after years of profligate spending by his Republican predecessors. Before any meaningful change could occur, Clinton had to work on such capitalist esoterica as interest rates and deficit reduction.

The liberal side of Clinton balked: "I hope you're all aware we're all Eisenhower Republicans," Woodward recounts Clinton yelling at his cabinet. "We stand for lower deficits and free trade and the bond market. Isn't that great?"

It is at this point, more than a third of the way in, that "The Agenda" zooms right up there with "The Brethren" and "The Final Days" in terms of Woodward tomes. Not that Woodward's prose ever sings (he is strictly meat-and-potatoes that way), but the story evolves into one of good intentions clouded by hubris and political calculations. Even when progress is made, passions run high, way high, too high.

Political consultants who should have been given letters of reference after the Inauguration are instead allowed to roam through the White House browbeating economic advisors about low poll numbers more than three years before the next presidential election. Congressional Republicans are ignored so contemptuously that conservative and moderate Democrats on the Hill get nervous.

And then there's Hillary, who while her husband desperately insists he's no tax-and-spender, casually tells a roomful of senators she'll need $100 billion in new revenue to nationalize health care. When a friendly Democrat asks for her to back up on that obvious red flag, she replies: "That's the truth and they better get used to it."

The book ends with the successful passage of Clinton's first budget and with Hillary's health care initiative still alive. In fact, things would get worse for Clinton before they got better; 1994 presented him with Republican control of the legislature for the first time in 40 years. That's probably not what he had in mind when he talked about being an "Eisenhower Republican."

As a character study, it's not much, but "The Agenda" lays out the early history of the Clinton Administration in what seems a fair and balanced as well as absorbing style. A lack of quotes hurts; Woodward notes that all his many interviews were done not for attribution, and won't be made public for 40 years.

Even Mark Felt didn't have that good a deal. Also the reader misses out on being able to understand who told Woodward what and gauging why they did so. But since some like George Stephanopoulos say Woodward was on the mark (even though his participation cost him Clinton's good graces), it seems like the reporting here was solid. Woodward isn't a pundit, thank God, and he's no Zola, but he shows here why he is considered by so many to be one of the best reporters ever.

historical, but reads like throwaway journalism.......2004-04-04

For a book that will certainly serve as a primary source for presidential historians because of its insider reporting, this book is extremely disappointing and indeed superficial. You get a kind of blow by blow report of Clinton's tumultuous first year in the White House with virtually no analysis and context, but instead just raw description. I was appalled at how much trash was in it.

The one nugget I took away was that in that first year, Clinton spent too much time chatting with aides due to his "lack of discipline" and enjoyment of exercising his mind with the extraordinary grasp he had of policy. But there is no exploration of his character, and indeed ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about the details of the policies he was attempting to advance. As such, this book is like so much election journalism of today: covering the horse race but not the issues.

Not recommended, except for academics doing deep research.

The Agenda captures the essence.......2002-10-11

The Agenda written by Bob Woodward, pertains to Bill Clinton's first year in office. It's mostly about the battle and struggle for the new (at the time) president to get his budget and economic recovery package passed through Congress. It's amazing, but I never realized how much of a tough job it is to be president.

Shortly after winning the presidency in November of 1992 over incumbent President George Bush Clinton soon had to both come to grips and realize that his work was cut out a lot more for him, than he, or his campaign staff could've ever realized. Ultimately, he had to accept the fact that he would have to do some drastic compromising from his campaign promises. Clinton of course campaigned to be a "New Democrat" who would restore the economy to the forgotten middle-class and overturn the Reagan-Era greed of the 1980s, by investing in jobs, education, and health insurance reform. After meeting with Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan, he soon realized that it wouldn't be so easy. As it would turn out, taking bold action to reduce the overwhelming national deficit would become the top-notch priority of his economic recovery plan, and would hog up most of his budget. Therefore his beloved domestic investment agenda would have to be sacrificed. Including his promised tax-cut for the middle-class.

So even before, let alone after Clinton took the oath of office, Clinton had his work cut out for him. He had to realize
early that his approval ratings would sink miserably and there would be disenchantment among his strongest supporters, let alone the American people. In many ways, two camps developed in his White House. There were the fiscal conservatives such as Robert Rubin, Leon Panetta, David Gergan. Then there were those from his campaign staff who wanted him to continue with his campaign pledges of investment such as Paul Begala, George Stephanapolis, and James Carville.

Greenspan's influence over the new president was amazing. Although it was from a neutral point of view, Greenspan
made Clinton understand how it was crucial that Clinton tackle the deficit. Or else long-term interest rates would never come down and the economy would never take off. Without the economy taking off, no way would Clinton ever be able to get back to doing the things that he was elected to do, let alone re-elected in 1996. Clinton had to come to accept that he would have to sacrifice many things, among them, his political popularity, but know that the long term effects would pay off dividends for both him politically, and for the US economy.

Fortunately for him, it did apparently work out for the best, and he did (with the extreme help of a Republican Congress
balance the federal budget in 1997) reduce the deficit and gave us a budget surplus. What should also be strongly considered is that he did this, at the behest of cutting the DOD and the intelligence community, which contributes to events such as September 11th, 2001.

What is also amazing about this book, is that Woodward gives you a fly-on-the-wall view of the battle to pass this
budget through both the House and the Senate. It also gives you the word for word account of a bitter phone conversation between Clinton and Nebraska Democratic Senator Bob Kerry, in which Clinton tells Kerry to go f--- himself, when Kerry refuses to vote for his budget, which turned out to be the crucial vote.

As it would turn out, Kerry would vote for it, making it a tie. Gore then gave the over the top vote and the budget was
passed.

This book was very, very good, and that is why I was able to go through it so quickly.

-Nicholas J. Vertucci

Big Fan.......2002-04-17

Ok, I admit it; I am a big fan of Woodward. I will read everything he puts out and probably enjoy it. With that being said here is another book of his that I will profess to really enjoying. For my money he is the best political writer in the business today. He has so many contacts that many times in reading the book you could swear he has the White House bugged. This book follows the Clinton team through the first two years that they are in office. You get all the standard Woodward items with the book, great details, wonderful he said - she said conversations that really make you feel like a fly on the wall, an easy to follow and well laid out book.

I have read the book All Too Human that George Stephanopoulos wrote and in the book he describes the interviewing technique of Woodward, he stated that Woodward has a great style of getting you comfortable with him and then before you know it you are spilling all the secrets. What was also interesting is that Stephanopoulos wrote that Woodward audio tapes all of his interviews so that leads me to believe that the information in his books has not gone through a reporter taking notes loss of detail. One last bit of info is the Stephanopoulos said that once this book came out the Clinton's got so mad at George for all of the info he told Woodward that they basically shut him out for a year. That must mean Woodward got it right.

Book Description

When Ronald Kessler's The FBI resulted in the dismissal of FBI Director William S. Sessions, it established Kessler as the preeminent examiner of secretive U.S. government organizations. Now Kessler focuses on the most myth-laden and clandestine institution of them all: the modern White House. From the hidden lives of the last seven presidents and first families to the intricate inner workings of this all-powerful institution, Kessler peels away the White House facade to reveal the fascinating and often scandalous reality behind the stately illusion.

With unprecedented access to Secret Service agents, domestic servants, Air Force One Stewards, and military aides, Kessler uncovers the disturbing truth -- from Johnson's blatant infidelities to Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton's sham marriage, and from the excesses of spoiled presidential children to the legendary all-night parties in the White House's underground vaults. Exposing presidential misconduct, blunders, and cover-ups, Inside the White House dramatically lifts the cloak of secrecy surrounding the presidency and reveals the men who acted as monarchs rather than public servants. This fascinating examination ensures that Americans will never view their chief executives the same way again.

Expanded and updated to include the remarkable political transformation that resulted in President Clinton's loss of power.

Customer Reviews:

A peek at some presidents and first ladies.......2005-09-17

This book makes interesting reading, since it lifts the curtain slightly and gives us a peek inside the White House and Air Force One. In doing so, we're able to see some of our beloved presidents and their families as they really were when behind closed doors. A few of the resulting revelations may seem startling to some but all appear to be in line with the character of those being peeked upon.

The book is essentially a compilation of observations and information gleaned from those who worked in the White House and on Air Force One, or supported the Presidents or their families, from the beginning of Lyndon Johnson's Administration up to about the middle of the Clinton Administration. It also touches briefly on President Kennedy and includes a broad discussion of Clinton's many escapades while Governor of Arkansas. In my view, this latter discussion was most likely appended because the author was unable to acquire significant information from his sources while Clinton was still in office.

The president who came across the best in this book seemed to be Ronald Reagan. The presidents who came across the worst were Lyndon Johnson and Bill Clinton. The first lady who came across the best was Barbara Bush. The worst would probably have to be Rosalynn Carter. The best presidential child would have to be Chelsea Clinton.

The observations and excerpts which follow reveal the tenor of the book. John F. Kennedy was a known womanizer in an unhappy marriage, but the press never reported it that way, and Jacqueline Kennedy made all staff members sign a pledge not to talk about their experiences in the White House. Lyndon Johnson was not only unscrupulous, but almost as bad a womanizer as Bill Clinton. Once, while on a trip with two governors, Johnson reportedly made the following comment in explaining why the civil rights bill was so important to him. He said it was simple: "I'll have them niggers voting Democratic for two hundred years." One of the author's sources said that President Nixon wasn't an "out-and-out thief for his own personal gain," as Lyndon Johnson was. Instead he had his staff do it. Gerald Ford liked to pass gas and then try to blame it on his Secret Service agents. Jimmy Carter micromanaged to such an extent that White House aides had to call him on Air Force One to get permission to use the tennis courts. Ronald Reagan was said to be "down to earth and easy to talk to," but Nancy was described as strict and demanding. The first President Bush was said to be so out of touch with everyday America that he was amazed to see an electronic price scanner in a supermarket checkout counter. Bill Clinton was described by one insider as "...not doing the hard work of being the CEO, of thinking, planning, and strategizing. He is a mediocre guy getting his kicks out of being the top politician in the land."

Readers of this book, of course, will have to make their own decisions as to what to believe and what not to believe, probably based on their own political persuasions. But it does make interesting reading, and I suspect that most of it is true.

You would've thought I country bumpkin wrote this book........2004-05-27

Johnson's part was hilarious. I was crying with laughter. But the rest of the book was boring, just a bunch of gossip. No juicy details. No funny lines. And definitely anti-Democrats.

Biased.......2003-07-23

This book looks to be an in-depth expose of the lives of presidents since Kennedy. However, it quickly turns into a anti-Democrat and Clinton-bashing book. Johnson is portrayed as a compulsive liar and serial adulterer and Carter is described as a disingenuous hypoctite. Reagan, on the other hand, is portrayed as a nice man who was a wonderful human being. While this may be true, it is worth noting that this is the same man who lied to the American people about his knowledge of the Iran-Contra scandal and who left office with the worst budget deficit and highest unemployment rate in American history. This man also declared war on the world power that is Granada and bombed that country back to the Stone Age. The auther seems enthralled by Reagan and repeatedly describes him as a great communicator (which he was) and a man who could make you feel good. Of course Reagan could do these things...he was an ACTOR! That is what actors do! The worst part of the book is the end. Kessler wrote this piece in 1995, just over 3 years into the Clinton presidenc. Yet, criticism of Clinton dominates the book and is almost 2.5 times as long as the chapters on Reagan, Johnson, and Nixon who each served over 4 years. Kessler condemns the press for not investigating Clinton's lies about his philandering and makes the case that since Clinton can't keep his Billy in his pants he is unfit to be president. If that were the ultimate judge of a man's ability to govern a country, most of the world's countries would be left without a leader. Also, U.S. presidents throughout history have had mistresses: Jefferson, Cleveland, Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Roosevelt among others. The fact is this book does not reveal any bombshells about president's secret lives; all it reveals is Clinton's healthy extramarital sexcapades. Clinton-haters should love this book, though there are better books available on the subject.

wanted to give this a 5 rating.......2003-06-26

i wanted to give this a 5 rating but after finishing it, you notice that carter and clinton are so much more picked apart than nixon, ford, regan and bush. the republicans are held, for the most part, in highter esteem than the democrats. i recommend this book still though.

More of the Same.......2002-04-18

Kessler really wants to be a hard-hitting reporter; he takes on the government at every chance he gets, the CIA, the FBI and now the President. Unfortunately with this book he tended to pick the low hanging fruit and gave us more of the same old stuff, the "shocking but true" and the "they don't want you to find out" info. He rattles off some well-used stories about many of the last holders of the office meant to show that power corrupts etc. The only thing I found new was some of the descriptions of the everyday employees of the White House and their daily jobs. Overall this is an average book. I would suggest the better book would be "Shadow" by Woodward - not the best but an improvement over this book.

The Kennedy Tapes: Inside the White House during the Cuban Missile Crisis, Concise Edition

Average customer rating:

Behind closed doors ...
The Evil Voice of The Council on Foreign Relations Speaketh
A definite "insiders" tale...
Fascinating Actual Account of History
One of the best books ever written.

The Kennedy Tapes: Inside the White House during the Cuban Missile Crisis, Concise Edition
Philip Zelikow
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Thirteen Days: A Memoir of the Cuban Missile Crisis
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The Week the World Stood Still: Inside the Secret Cuban Missile Crisis (Stanford Nuclear Age Series)

ASIN: 0393322599

Amazon.com

For 13 days in October 1962, the United States and the Soviet Union teetered on the brink of a nuclear exchange after the Soviets placed intermediate-range missiles on the island of Cuba. U.S. forces were poised at red alert while the Soviets pledged to launch nuclear weapons if the island was invaded. As the world watched anxiously, President John F. Kennedy and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev negotiated a truce that averted disaster. Throughout this tense period, Kennedy and his closest advisors planned their strategy carefully, while--unknown to all but Kennedy, his secretary, and possibly his brother Robert--the historic discussions were being taped by hidden microphones placed in the Oval Office. More than 23 hours of meetings and telephone calls were recorded, all of which have been painstakingly transcribed and documented in The Kennedy Tapes, providing an intimate perspective on the decision- making process and the personalities involved. Enhanced by the commentary and analysis of historians Ernest R. May and Philip D. Zelikow, this volume is the essential reader on the Cuban missile crisis.

Book Description

The closest most of us will ever come to being inside the Oval Office at a moment of crisis. For sheer drama, this work of history may never be duplicated. The events of the Cuban Missile Crisis unfold in the actual words of President John F. Kennedy and his top advisers. Now available in a new, concise edition, this book retains its gripping sense of history in the making. 20 photographs.

Customer Reviews:

Behind closed doors ..........2004-09-18

Have you ever wondered what is being said behind closed doors, in those places where important decisions are made?. If you have, Ernest R. May and Philip D. Zelikow allow you to learn just that, at least regarding the conversations that took place in the White House during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

This book contains the transcriptions of those discussions, and many notes that contribute to clarify certain details that the reader might well not be aware of. The editors of "The Kennedy tapes" are able to offer us this unexpected treat thanks to the fact that an audio tape recorded the conversations of the committee that was formed to deal with the crisis. It is generally thought that only President Kennedy and his secretary knew that their words were being recorded, and we can easily believe that when we realize that the different functionaries said exactly what they thought, without wasting time in order to formulate their ideas in a politically correct way :)

It is almost scary to know how little did the persons involved in the decision making process know about what was really happening at that time, and about how would the URSS react to their optional courses of action. But then, I guess that complete information is never available, and less during a crisis of that magnitude... However, after reading these pages, I cannot help but wonder what would have happened if, for example, USA had launched a preventive attack on Cuba. The answers to that question are many, and none of them is good. I suppose we should be grateful to President Kennedy and his advisors, for somehow arriving to a course of action that avoided the real possibility of a nuclear war.

I think it is worthwhile to point out that the editors of this book wrote not only an interesting introduction, but also an excellent conclusion to this book. The introduction explains very well the Cold War context in which this crisis developed, and how recent and ongoing events affected the perspective of the decision makers. On the other hand, the conclusion sums up what happened, taking into account "the other side" (URSS), and the peculiarities of the decision-making process in Soviet Russia. The editors also include their own considerations, all of which I consider worthwhile remembering. For example, when they reflect on the kind of lesson they think this book can teach to the reader, they say that "Someone who wants to learn all that can be learned from this extraordinary record of decision-making needs not only to notice how the process stutters and veers amid barrages of detail but also to infer how individuals of different backgrounds and temperaments are sorting the detail, discerning choices, and electing among those choices (...)".

"The Kennedy tapes" is a rather impressive book due to the fact that it is quite long. However, it is also very helpful if you want to know more about the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the kind of environment that surrounds difficult decisions in the higher levels of authority. It is certainly more comfortable to believe that those decisions are at all times informed and rational, but unfortunately (as this book shows) that not always happens. May and Zelikow say that "Reconstruction that oversimplifies or ignores the incessant tension between realities and beliefs makes us no wiser. By coming fully to grips with the particulars of past moments of choice, we may become better able to handle our own". We can only hope that is the case...

On the whole, I think you will benefit a lot from reading this book. It allows you the opportunity to really "listen" to what happened in the discussions surrounding the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, without intermediaries. Take advantage of the privilege of listening to what happens behind closed doors!.

Belen Alcat

The Evil Voice of The Council on Foreign Relations Speaketh.......2004-02-09

The Authors, Ernest R. May and Philip D. Zelikow, (both billed as editors-supposedly of the tapes) are members of the super-evil Council on Foreign Relations (CFR,) a secret society founded by the Rockefellers for the sole benefit of the Rockefellers and their small cadre of treasonous lap dogs who control scads of other secret societies under the guise of tax-exempt foundations that collectively, persistently, even feverishly work toward that sacrosanct goal that despots and tyrants like Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, the Rockefellers, John McCloy, Prescott Bush, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush and Senator John Kerry have sought to enforce upon mankind for centuries; globalization under a New World Order absolutely controlled by the Rockefellers and their cohorts; a world order under one world government under which the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and U.S. sovereignty would cease to exist!

Like the Warren Report, this work covers only what the CFR wants Americans to believe on the subject. Americans are supposed to naively believe that nothing else of consequence can be found on those tapes by other researchers. This is utter whitewash. Don't waste a penny on this un-American trash. If you love America and cherish the freedom guaranteed in the Bill of Rights, invest the money you would spend on this propaganda in whatever it takes to ensure that these monsters are stopped once and for all.

A definite "insiders" tale..........2001-04-27

I'd really like to give this 3 1/2 stars (not quite 4 stars). This book is not for the average history reader...you will be confused and sometimes mis-led as you slog through these transcripts. The saving grace for this book is the authors' interjections at the beginning and end of each chapter to kind of summarize what just transpired (...a complete sentence is a rarity here...just what you'd expect from real time transcripts). Also, the Introduction and Conclusion sections are classic history telling and made me wish that the authors would write their own story of the "Crisis". Overall, worthwile for the Cuban Missile Crisis buff, but be prepared for slow reading.

Fascinating Actual Account of History.......2001-02-12

To be honest, I bought this book used after seeing the movie "13 Days." In fact, I ordered this book the very night I came home from the movie, wondering if it would be worth the money spent.. Now, having read through it, I must admit that this was a very fascinating and intriguing book.

The book is an actual copy (i.e. transcript) of taped conversations that occurred in the Whitehouse during the Cuban Missile crisis. The book was so fascinating for the sole fact that it presents (true to life) all the details which were actually being spoken of, on, about, etc. The reader can actually sense the emotion, tension, anguish, and despair that comes out in some of these conversations. In fact, the intensity in this book puts the movie to shame (which is usually the case with most good books).

This book consists of conversation's of the National Security Council, President Kennedy,Robert Kennedy, and the President's advisors. The book is very revealing and honest (since it is true to life) and it paints a very vulnerable picture of just how easy things could fall apart in this 'invincible' place we call home. Fortunately, we as readers today actually know the outcome is positive. However, the terror comes through the pages when, as I read, the realization that these men have no idea what is going to happen as this whole situation unfolds. That was one of the riveting things about this book.

Overall, this is a great book for those who are interested in American history, or Presidential history, etc. I recommend it, especially since it is so fascinating and also because it is an actual account word for word accurate. That makes for great objective history.

One of the best books ever written........2001-01-23

I think that this is a very interesting book. When I found out that it was being published, I bought it right away. I've read a lot of books about the Cuban Missile Crisis, but this is the first book that I've read about this subject that has the truth about events that occurred in the White House during the crisis. The book had a lot of action and suspense that kept me interested and excited throughout the entire book. It also accurately includes Kennedy's attempts to end the crisis and to avoid the pressures by the Joint Chiefs to make President Kennedy either attack the missile sites or invade Cuba. I thought that this was a really good book and I really enjoyed reading it. I also think that this book is worth reading.

The Art of the Steal: Inside the Sotheby's-Christie's Auction House Scandal

Average customer rating:

Informative.
"greed is good, greed works"
For Gossip-hounds Only
Greed!
High society shows its greed in Mason's book

The Art of the Steal: Inside the Sotheby's-Christie's Auction House Scandal
Christopher Mason
Manufacturer: Berkley Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0425202410

Book Description

The Art of the Steal is the only book that tells the whole truth about the price-fixing scandal that rocked the auction world and put one of America's richest men behind bars. It's the story of billionaire tycoon Alfred Taubman; the most powerful woman in the art world, Dede Brooks; and the wily British executive Christopher Davidge-who cheated their clients out of millions until federal prosecutors put a stop to their high-end thievery.

Brilliantly written by Christopher Mason, it's an unprecedented look inside this secretive, glamorous industry by the only reporter with access to all the key players. From galleries and boardrooms in London, Paris, and New York to parties in Palm Beach to the courtrooms of lower Manhattan, The Art of the Steal is a fascinating, damning story of dirty dealing in the art world.

Customer Reviews:

Informative........2007-01-03

This was a close look at corporate London/New York greed within my world of antiques dealing, and it was nice to see comeupance for some amorality, but I'm not sure how much anybody or anything has really changed in the auction world. The stakes are just too high, so probably now the crooks are just more careful.

"greed is good, greed works".......2005-09-11

The Art of the Steal is a morality play but the morals we must draw from it differ somewhat from those proclaimed in Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. (The book should have been dedicated "to those who got away with it".) True some of the sinners discover that the wages of sin are destruction (incomes, careers, reputation and in one instance, liberty). However, there are also less morally satisfying `morals' to be drawn. Chief of these is: if you must sin make sure you get it all down on paper and then squirrel the evidence away so that later you can get away with your sins by acts of cowardice, betrayal, and the skilfully orchestrated whistle blowing known as `turning state's evidence'. Do all that and you may evade the penitentiary and even hang on to millions in severance pay, stock options and mansions. Also exposed is the ludicrous capriciousness of the American criminal justice system where so much legal action is dominated by the desire of lawyers to add to their reputations - and their incomes. Certainly the connection between the courts and morality - or indeed justice - seems coincidental. Here we find the very marginally guilty going to prison, the very guilty walking away, and the outrageously, indeed confessedly, guilty slapped firmly on the wrist. Finally, this book delivers one clear lesson to all future corporate sinners. If everybody keeps his big mouth shut everybody will get away with everything, no matter how dire the suspicions of the Justice Department. Am I serious? Alas, I am.
Christopher Mason's enthralling book concerns the great Sotheby's and Christie's scandal, which rocked the art collecting world and `high society' across continents during 2000. The blurb states that chief executive officers Christopher Davidge (Christie's) and Dede Brooks (Sotheby's) conspired to "cheat their clients out of millions of dollars". In fact the issue is more that they colluded to deny their clients costly incentives to become their clients. The often comic sometimes revolting thread running through this affair is that terminal greed was to be found everywhere - except, ironically, among the dedicated, devoted, grotesquely underpaid employees of the auction houses. The executives were greedy for power and the privileges of great wealth. The dealers, collectors and sellers were greedy for the last dollar from their Cezannes and Van Goghs (neither artist made a brass farthing from painting) for, as the Duchess of Windsor remarked, "You can never be too rich." Another irony: although colluding with Christie's in defiance of the anti-trust laws put the chairman of Sotheby's, Alfred Taubman, one of the richest men in America, in jail for a year, and put his really guilty executive officer, Mrs Dede Brooks, under house arrest for six months and stripped her of her wealth, it was the decades long intense competition between Christies and Sotheby's which had brought this situation about. Their competing for clients and the grotesque incentives they offered were bankrupting them. Finally the hounds of the Justice Department came baying at the door and after them the lawyers, like genial sharks, charging more an hour than a Sotheby's fine art expert could hope to earn in a week. By that time Davidge had unearthed his long cached evidence and cut a deal with the Justice Department which was so good for Christies as well as himself that the new management, trying to come to grips with the destruction he had brought upon them, had to swallow their bile and pay him millions in severance pay. Christies lost millions in lawsuits from hungry clients but escaped criminal prosecution - most unjustly.
What makes this book so good is the author's expertise. He moves in the circles whose lifestyle he mercilessly lays bare. He does not lambast the rich with inflammatory invective. He is more deadly than that. He gets them to spill the beans about themselves, a `child among them taking notes' - and faith, he prints it! The opulence and tasteless extravagance are so gross, the self-absorption of so many are so blatant, that Mason needs no rhetoric. Remember Gordon Gecko? "Greed is good, greed works!" Right on Gordon - but keep an eye on the Anti-Trust Laws!

For Gossip-hounds Only.......2004-09-29

Written like a particularly juicy and in-depth Vanity Fair tell-all, Christopher Mason's book, The Art of the Steal details the Christie's / Sotheby's price-fixing scandal that roiled the art world several years ago. Through meticulous research and countless interviews Mason brings to life for the average reading-joe the main players purported to be involved in the crime--Dede Brooks and Alfred Taubman of Sotheby's, and Christopher Davidge and Anthony Tennant of Christie's.

Mason is clearly comfortable inhabiting the social circles he seeks to chronicle and the evidence lies in the sheer number of candid interviews he managed to conduct in preparation for writing the book. The story unfolds largely through anecdote (often times to scathing and hilarious effect), and the method mainly succeeds here. The first half of the book sails along at a breathless pace as Mason recounts the arrangement and execution of illegal collusion by the two auction houses. Brooks and Davidge-the then-CEOs of Sotheby's and Christie's, respectively--are portrayed as power-hungry aristocratic wannabes with no concept of the ramifications their unlawful meetings could produce. God-on-high Tennant (Christie's then-chairman) is credited with masterminding the scheme, while Alfred Taubman (Sotheby's then-chairman) is portrayed as the hapless scapegoat who took the hardest fall.

Unfortunately, the amusement of reading bon mot upon bon mot eventually wears off and the later chapters become bogged down with gossipy or repetitive stories that often do nothing to further the narrative. Where the author's sympathies lie also becomes quite plain in the book's final third. Mason has clearly not taken a strictly journalistic approach to his writing and this shortcoming ultimately weakens the facts so painstakingly narrated in the book's first half.

Nonetheless, The Art of the Steal succeeds in much the same way a good soap opera does. Most of the characters depicted between its pages have more money than some of the planet's smaller nations, and everyone knows it's a guilty pleasure to witness the spectacular fall of the uber-rich. The Art of the Steal ultimately proves itself to be a must-read for both watchdogs of the glitterati and those addicted to society columns.

Copyright 2004

Greed!.......2004-08-23

Vivid description of the eternal battle between old and new (money) and the rise and fall of some of the upstarts. A good example of what will happen if first generation money is allowed to take over a respectable business and to defile it with their greed and love of display. After all: it takes three generations to become a gentleman...
Special attention for the comments of Lord and Lady Hindlip.

High society shows its greed in Mason's book.......2004-08-12

A great description of New York high life amidst one of the biggest money scandals of recent memory. Mason keeps the pace fast and sizzling. Lots of colorful details of the characters of high society and the art world make this a fast paced read. He even kees the business and legal side of the story scintilating. It kept me up late into the nights. A must read!

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