As violence in Iraq reaches unnerving levels in 2006, a second front in the war rages at the highest levels of the Bush administration. In his fourth book on President George W. Bush, Bob Woodward takes readers deep inside the tensions, secret debates, unofficial backchannels, distrust and determination within the White House, the Pentagon, the State Department, the intelligence agencies and the U.S. military headquarters in Iraq. With unparalleled intimacy and detail, this gripping account of a president at war describes a period of distress and uncertainty within the U.S. government from 2006 through mid-2008.
The White House launches a secret strategy review that excludes the military. General George Casey, the commander in Iraq, believes that President Bush does not understand the war and eventually concludes he has lost the president's confidence. The Joint Chiefs of Staff also conduct a secret strategy review that goes nowhere. On the verge of revolt, they worry that the military will be blamed for a failure in Iraq.Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice strongly opposes a surge of additional U.S. forces and confronts the president, who replies that her suggestions would lead to failure. The president keeps his decision to fire Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld from Vice President Dick Cheney until two days before he announces it. A retired Army general uses his high-level contacts to shape decisions about the war, as Bush and Cheney use him to deliver sensitive messages outside the chain of command.For months, the administration's strategy reviews continue in secret, with no deadline and no hurry, in part because public disclosure would harm Republicans in the November 2006 elections. National Security Adviser Stephen J. Hadley tells Rice, "We've got to do it under the radar screen because the electoral season is so hot.""The War Within" provides an exhaustive account of the struggles of General David Petraeus, who takes over in Iraq during one of the bleakest and most violent periods of the war. It reveals how breakthroughs in military operations and surveillance account for much of the progress as violence in Iraq plummets in the middle of 2007.Woodward interviewed key players, obtained dozens of never-before-published documents, and had nearly three hours of exclusive interviews with President Bush. The result is a stunning, firsthand history of the years from mid-2006, when
ISBN:2147483647
Author:Bob Woodward
Adhiambo Juma –
War,like rain sends no sure signs. It just falls one day, first slowly – in bits- then angrily.
The story of a child who woke up to war- Innocent, unaware.
The story of robbed innocence and childhood,
The story of resilience,
The story of the rainbow after the rain,
The story of hope.
Sikula –
A very informative book, with lots of sad stories and events, but narrated in an interesting and captivating way
Ygal –
Between the corollaries that follow the instability of the African Great lakes looms a dire lack of narrative from the victim’s perspective. Antonio’s Born of the First Congo War is a book that navigates the complexity of telling such a story by revealing a personal experience and putting into contexts the bigger its picture.
Abi Matheka –
I recently started reading this book and instantly drowned in it! The author’s writing style and ability to capture the reader’s attention and emotions is wildly mind blowing and I love it.
Cannot wait to finish reading this beautiful piece🤩
Nicole Stella Omondi –
Amazing
stella Katchanula –
For international relations students interested in peace and conflict this book is must to read ~!! Amazing book
Edmund Mwangi –
The book gives a descriptive picture of the first congo war and how it affected different people. The book was awesome
Nyayow Deng Chuol –
This was a beautiful read. It encapsulates a personal experience of war and highlights more issues in the contemporary world.
Esperance –
A nice book that veryone should read.
Iman –
Beautiful and captivating experience. Honestly one of my best reads!
Sheila –
An interesting read. You will not be able to put it down.