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4.29 AVERAGE
4.29 AVERAGE
adventurous
informative
fast-paced
A book better served by audiobook. Really informative yet not too heavy to read. Love how the book was set up as well
informative
fast-paced
An engaging tour of the US Presidents going back to Kennedy through the lens of the Situation Room. The use of the space, the nature of decision making across administrations, and the behind the scenes stories of some of the most tension filled moments of my lifetime all made this a fascinating read. The technology experts deserved this recognition of their critical role.
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5/5. Super interesting look behind the scenes, from the origin of the "Sit Room" under JFk's direction following the Bay of Pigs invasion, to the similarities of George W. Bush/Biden/and JFK's approach to communicating with intelligence analysts and use of the Situation Room, to the chaos following 9/11 (World Leaders calling the Situation Room to communicate directly with staffers instead of the President, as with Vladimir Putin and Condi Rice) and the chaos of a COVID-19 Situation Room under the direction of Donald Trump.
informative
tense
fast-paced
Though I typically prefer my nonfiction via audiobook, The Situation Room surprised me with some of the production choices. So, I had to switch to print from the library, and it worked so much better for me. Plus, I got the benefit of the pictures included. In both the audiobook and print versions, some sections came across as a bit too dry, too reporter-like. Admittedly, that feels like George’s authentic voice, though. Regardless, this was well-crafted, incredibly researched, and full of enthusiasm for the subject.
One issue that kept this from being five stars for me was that it was a bit overloaded with (unsurprisingly) a bunch of white men, and I had trouble keeping them straight, especially when it came to people or events from before my “news awareness” age. George would often reintroduce someone with the sentiment of, “Remember this one white guy from LBJ’s era? Here he is again, thirty years later.” No, George, I don’t remember him.
All in all, this was a fascinating look at a wide range of administrations and how they each responded to crises—both through their unique approaches and with the limitations or advancements in technology at the time. Like George, I’m surprised this was the first book detailing the history of this hugely important meeting point.
One issue that kept this from being five stars for me was that it was a bit overloaded with (unsurprisingly) a bunch of white men, and I had trouble keeping them straight, especially when it came to people or events from before my “news awareness” age. George would often reintroduce someone with the sentiment of, “Remember this one white guy from LBJ’s era? Here he is again, thirty years later.” No, George, I don’t remember him.
All in all, this was a fascinating look at a wide range of administrations and how they each responded to crises—both through their unique approaches and with the limitations or advancements in technology at the time. Like George, I’m surprised this was the first book detailing the history of this hugely important meeting point.
The author has had incredible access to many of the key players who used the White House Situation Room over the last 30 years, so he was able to bring the history of that place to life. Stephanopolous uses the Sit Room as a vehicle to explore many of the crises that have troubled presidents from Kennedy to Biden. I did this book on audio and I highly recommend this version, as the author does most of the narration, but more importantly they use audio from historical sources (LBJ-Nixon-Reagan) and from the author's interviews for Clinton times on. It is fascinating to hear from the actual watch officers, cabinet secretaries, politicians, etc. involved in the decisions of the day.
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Strongly recommend listening to this book rather than reading it as you hear the voices and recording of those who worked in the situation room firsthand.
A history of the Situation Room told by those who lived it. The decisions made inside the walls and how each president interacted with the idea as well as the professionals staffing the room.
Somehow only cam into existence under JFK!
Stephanopoulos does an excellent job removing his own personal bias, both during the Clinton Administration he served as well as other administrations. It does peak through at times, but in small and largely insignificant ways.
A must read for those interested in internal White House decision making.
A history of the Situation Room told by those who lived it. The decisions made inside the walls and how each president interacted with the idea as well as the professionals staffing the room.
Somehow only cam into existence under JFK!
Stephanopoulos does an excellent job removing his own personal bias, both during the Clinton Administration he served as well as other administrations. It does peak through at times, but in small and largely insignificant ways.
A must read for those interested in internal White House decision making.