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2.71 AVERAGE
2.71 AVERAGE
A horrible person writing about other horrible people. The Hamilton references feel gross, as if Bolton really doesn't realize that content isn't for him. But the play by plays are quite interesting and validating and it's fun to watch Bolton feel utterly chafed at where his content was censored.
challenging
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
informative
medium-paced
I never thought I'd force myself through a book by John Bolton.
I was not really surprised by all the Trump antics recounted in the book, but the Epilogue where the author lists out his reasons for not testifying at the impeachment proceedings - and accuses the House Democrats of impeachment malpractice for wanting an expedited process - is ridiculous.
Anyway, glad the book was leaked online.
I was not really surprised by all the Trump antics recounted in the book, but the Epilogue where the author lists out his reasons for not testifying at the impeachment proceedings - and accuses the House Democrats of impeachment malpractice for wanting an expedited process - is ridiculous.
Anyway, glad the book was leaked online.
informative
medium-paced
As expected, there Is plenty of score settling in this book. Bolton’s account of the events during is critical of fairly everyone involved and the author makes clear throughout his narrative that everyone would have been far smarter to have only listened to him. Correspondingly, the only one that walks away unscathed is the author - who blatantly and errant my describes events and his solutions with exaggerated certainty where none existed, and may still not exist. Bottom line, according to Bolton he was always the smartest guy in the room and everyone else is an idiot. All if that said, Bolton does provide fascinating (one sided) insight into major events during his time in the White House. “Like making and executing policy inside of a pinball machine” was one of my favorite quotes. He was very clearly taking exact notes and writing down quotations from senior administration officials through this time in the NSC. The insight into the us policy actions in support of the Venezuelan uprising were particularly interesting and I’ve seen nowhere else. Bottom line: it’s an interesting book, but be ready for some serious eye rolls.
I would have loved to hear him testify, but now I couldn't care less reading it all in a book - even if the info is the same. Pointless now.
Excellently crafted and easy to read. But still a war-monger that injects opinion where a military-man could. "We would have but pacifists did this instead" type of banter. However, it is yet an eye-opener into the Trump White House and his constant fumbles and miscalculations.
An evil soulless warmonger recounts his time in an administration that is as corrupt as it is incompetent. The book itself has no narrative, no point, just a constant boring stream of events poorly told with a singular agenda: trying to settle scores with this and previous administrations while absolving the author of all of the disasters that he directly contributed to. In a just world, he and all of his fellow enablers of a criminal president would be rotting in jail now.
Too dense. For this one, I ended up relying on the reporting.
It’s actually frightening to dwell on the fact that the author of this book has been in high positions of power and influence in several government administrations. You have someone who seems to be borderline (or fully) exhibiting pathological tendencies influencing policy decisions of utmost importance. The fact that Trump was the voice of slightly-better reason regarding their disastrous Iran policy is all you need to know about the depths of this author’s unfitness for post. Most of the book boils down to mere bloviating and Monday-morning quarterbacking, shining the turd of his legacy while largely blaming others for his perceived policy wins and losses. The absurdity and mental gymnastics he displays in laying out his side of non-participation in the House trial is simply ludicrous. At the end of the day he simply seems to regret that he served under an obstinate ‘boss’ who wouldn’t listen to his ill-formed advice.