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2.71 AVERAGE
2.71 AVERAGE
Mostly tedious, with a bit of new information thrown in. I’m not sure why Trump was so concerned with this book coming out before he’d (or a lackey) read it. Most of this information has either leaked or been public for some time.
John Bolton writes in the epilogue "It is jarringly apparent to government veterans that those who have never been on the "inside" find it difficult, if not impossible, to understand what goes on and why."
There are not many jobs in the world similar to the one that John Bolton had and hopefully not many bosses similar to his either. At the same time, it is a job where many of the decisions may affect all of us for a long time.
That's why I found the book fascinating and an exciting read. It describes in great detail what it entails to oversee the national security of the USA and the many dilemmas that must be managed.
The book doesn't have Donald Trump as its main subject. It explains what taking care of national security looks like from a republican and conservative perspective. It includes documenting why Donald Trump makes this job even harder. The president is apparently not able to distinguish the national interest of the USA from his own personal interests.
Although I am politically miles from John Bolton I do recognize his insight, experience and integrity. He comes across as a person with high ethical standards and someone who walks his talk.
There are not many jobs in the world similar to the one that John Bolton had and hopefully not many bosses similar to his either. At the same time, it is a job where many of the decisions may affect all of us for a long time.
That's why I found the book fascinating and an exciting read. It describes in great detail what it entails to oversee the national security of the USA and the many dilemmas that must be managed.
The book doesn't have Donald Trump as its main subject. It explains what taking care of national security looks like from a republican and conservative perspective. It includes documenting why Donald Trump makes this job even harder. The president is apparently not able to distinguish the national interest of the USA from his own personal interests.
Although I am politically miles from John Bolton I do recognize his insight, experience and integrity. He comes across as a person with high ethical standards and someone who walks his talk.
Nothing new here folks but still fascinating. It is interesting and horrifying to read from a first hand writer of the mercurial, ill-informed, vindictive style of his boss. Bolton is fairly bizarre himself but Trump is off the charts.
To be fair- I really dislike his policies so this was more of a hate read. It took me forever to finish because it is just too long and detailed and boring.
Bolton drones on and on. He must like to hear himself speak too. Not much to add, but when Kelly said, “What if we have a real crisis like 9/11 with the way he makes decisions?” What if Bolton agreed to testify instead of being a traitor?
I have extremely mixed feeling about this book, and about John Bolton. I think John Bolton is an asshole. But he's an INTERESTING asshole. And, at times, he's got a dry sense of humor that I deeply enjoyed.
This is an important perspective on the Trump administration, from the inside. I also read A Very Stable Genius, and this book truly doesn't conflict in overall tone in terms of the chaos and the egocentric decisionmaking that has been going on. Bolton is clearly an extreme conservative, he never misses an opportunity to bash Obama's decisionmaking and liberals in the State Department for what he perceives as obstructionism. And yet, he doesn't pull his punches regarding Trump and the people surrounding him.
I hate that this is an important book to read. I hate that Bolton is going to benefit from it financially. I hate that he essentially said that Democrats had a chance to impeach Trump the "right" way and they blew it, and it isn't HIS fault at all. Bolton was a Trump enabler, constantly willing to do things that were actually bad for the country, as long as he had the power to do what HE thought was important, such as withdrawing from the Iran deal and from missile treaties and such. Bolton, overall, has been part of the Trump/Republican machine that is destroying our country. He could have stood up and said "this is wrong", multiple times; he could have been a part of the solution after he left the administration, instead of walking away. From what he describes, he ought to be terrified that Trump is going to do something unhinged and cause deep damage. Like, a nuclear strike against North Korea. (Wait, maybe Bolton actually wouldn't mind that... maybe a nuclear strike against Venezuela?) My intent isn't to shift this from a book review to a political treatise, but you read Bolton's book, and you should ask yourself, is this a good guy? Given what he's written, what is our take on him?
I recommend this for anyone who supports Trump and wants a perspective from a non-liberal who was part of the administration. And for anyone who thinks that foreign policy and national security are easy - clearly, they're not. Bolton sure had a lot of balls in the air, and it's amazing how many powerful people in the world he interacted with! Bolton's book is very personal - A Very Stable Genius is more news-reporting, and probably provides a broader perspective. And I haven't read Mary Trump's book yet, so I can't compare that.
This is an important perspective on the Trump administration, from the inside. I also read A Very Stable Genius, and this book truly doesn't conflict in overall tone in terms of the chaos and the egocentric decisionmaking that has been going on. Bolton is clearly an extreme conservative, he never misses an opportunity to bash Obama's decisionmaking and liberals in the State Department for what he perceives as obstructionism. And yet, he doesn't pull his punches regarding Trump and the people surrounding him.
I hate that this is an important book to read. I hate that Bolton is going to benefit from it financially. I hate that he essentially said that Democrats had a chance to impeach Trump the "right" way and they blew it, and it isn't HIS fault at all. Bolton was a Trump enabler, constantly willing to do things that were actually bad for the country, as long as he had the power to do what HE thought was important, such as withdrawing from the Iran deal and from missile treaties and such. Bolton, overall, has been part of the Trump/Republican machine that is destroying our country. He could have stood up and said "this is wrong", multiple times; he could have been a part of the solution after he left the administration, instead of walking away. From what he describes, he ought to be terrified that Trump is going to do something unhinged and cause deep damage. Like, a nuclear strike against North Korea. (Wait, maybe Bolton actually wouldn't mind that... maybe a nuclear strike against Venezuela?) My intent isn't to shift this from a book review to a political treatise, but you read Bolton's book, and you should ask yourself, is this a good guy? Given what he's written, what is our take on him?
I recommend this for anyone who supports Trump and wants a perspective from a non-liberal who was part of the administration. And for anyone who thinks that foreign policy and national security are easy - clearly, they're not. Bolton sure had a lot of balls in the air, and it's amazing how many powerful people in the world he interacted with! Bolton's book is very personal - A Very Stable Genius is more news-reporting, and probably provides a broader perspective. And I haven't read Mary Trump's book yet, so I can't compare that.
The Room Where It Happened
Author: John Bolton
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Publishing Date: 2020
Pgs: 577
_________________________________________________
REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
Summary:
Bolton is not a nice person. But he was behind the curtain looking directly in at the Great Wizard as he tried to manipulate the lands and people of Oz about him. Some insight. Lots of ego stroking, name dropping, blowing his own horn.
_________________________________________________
Genre:
United States
Government
National Security
International
Executive
Autobiography
Civics
Why this book:
Because Jeff got it and handed it to me.
_________________________________________________
The Feel:
A self-serving ego stroke and name-drop-arama. None of which reflects on the veracity of his observations. But it’s fairly obvious that he is as he put it in the text auditioning for his next job, whatever that might be.
Least Favorite Character:
John Bolton and President Donald J Trump...in roughly equal measure.
Favorite Scene:
Holy shit. The NSC meeting that Trump chaired in Chapter 12: Trump Loses His Way And Then His Nerve. How are we not all dead? Official makes a statement. Trump responds...then goes woolgathering. Themes: someone else will pay, we should get out, don’t care if ISIS comes back in Iraq.
Favorite Quote:
Regarding the calling off of the Iran retaliatory strike following the drone shootdown - “In my government experience, this was the most irrational thing I ever witnessed any President do. It called to mind Kelly’s question to me: what would happen if we ever got into a real crisis with Trump as President? Well, we now had one, and Trump had behaved bizarrely, just as Kelly had feared…I had thought about resigning several times before, but this for me was a turning point. If this was how we were going to make crisis decisions, and if these were the decisions being made, what was the point?”
Favorite Concept:
Bolton awakening to Trump being Trump.
Hmm Moments:
So...was Bolton in contact with those running departments and advising the President that much and that early on in the administration or is he blowing smoke and dropping names? Hmmm.
So the Taliban deal that almost happened at Camp David just before September 11th, 2019 went ahead and happened in February 2020. And it is an all-Trump deal. Of course, he’ll do his best not to own it.
So, Sondaland was pushing the Ukrainians for the phone call and saying that the Ukrainians wanted the phone call. Methinks he was deeper in this shitpile than he let on in the hearings. Bolton saying that he was surprised that Sondaland was as far afield from his EU Ambassador’s desk in all this Ukraine mess. Can believe Perry was a deer in the headlights in all this, having watched his Texas political career.
So Mulvaney forced Bolton out by backbiting him to Trump until he found a wedge that would work. Bolton flying on military transport and Mulvaney ear whispering to Trump that Bolton had his own plane. How mean girls of them.
WTF Moments:
In the middle of a briefing on the Middle East, Trump asked which of their Arab allies had better soldiers. And failed to understand the response, focused instead on whose soldiers had more physical stature. Thinking that a taller soldier is a better soldier. Someone needs to introduce Trump to the history, tradition and badassedness of the Brigade of the Gurkas.
Well Duh! Moments:
Krauthammer described Trump as an 11-year old and, afterward, realized observing the non-transition transition that the country was being lead by a 1-year old.
The Sigh:
Everything is an episode of The Apprentice with a last man standing mentality.
Bolton has a severe case of the Blame-Obama/Blame-Hillary-itis that seems prevalent in the Trump Administration. After 3 years at the helm, you can’t blame the people who were steering before you took the wheel.
Wisdom:
If it doesn’t benefit Donald J Trump, Trump has no interest in it.
No way should warhawk Bolton have another job in leadership in government. He wants to go to war with Iran and North Korea. He has for years. He doesn’t hide it. His being one of the adult voices in the Trump Administration was horrifying.
Juxtaposition:
Trump falling asleep in meetings with foreign leaders being compared within a few paragraphs to the Obama Administration’s dealings with Iran. For being as smart on foreign policy as he is, he sure does have a truckload of the dumbass about him sometimes.
No one else finds it suspicious that a day before the Japanese Prime Minister Abe was supposed to visit Iran with proposals to lessen tensions and get the nuclear deal back on track, a Japanese tanker came under attack in the Straits of Hormuz. An attack that can’t be definitively laid at the Iraniain’s feet, but like all the other tanker attacks in that period are suspicious in their origin. But the propaganda machine effectively wiped out any investigation of those causes and the guilty parties. Logically, Abe meeting with Rouhani and Khameni doesn’t make sense in that time frame.
So, the attack on a drone over the Gulf was more important than attacks on manned tankers...because of how much the drone cost. And they didn’t see the failure in their logic...and Bolton, in retrospect, doesn’t see the flaw either.
And, then, Bolton backpedals and covers his ass. One statement he’s opposed to this and it smells, legally. In the next, he’s sure that it is well within presidential purview even if it is illegal. And, someone else did it.
The Unexpected:
Trump is more worried about what reporters say and report than what he gets from his intelligence services.
Missed Opportunity:
The illustrated circuitous thinking of Trump is shown here in detail. It’s a small circle.
Predictability/Non-Predictability:
Smarminess.
Shocked that when Trump pulled the plug on the retaliation strike on Iran after the drone shootdown, he stood up against the advisors who were in lock step on wanting to blow hell out of four or five targets inside Iran. Because he didn’t want that many body bags on his conscience...or the news. Think it’s more the news in light of the body bags that Corona has brought home to us and his response to that.
Dreamcasting:
The Three Stooges as Giuliani, Parnas, and Fruman.
Val Kilmer as Donald Trump. ...sorry Val.
Movies and Television:
It’s not going to lend itself to portrayal or a script. Just not that kind of story.
_________________________________________________
Pacing:
The pace is all over the place.
Last Page Sound:
Well that’s a couple days reading that I’ll never get back.
Questions I’m Left With:
If this was all he was going to do, why write it and why release it. The answer, I believe, is $$$.
What room?
Conclusions I’ve Drawn:
People behind the curtain know things. Things that if they came to light could burn down this presidency and save the country from continuing to slip toward Third-World-dom. But they aren’t. They’re cashing their paycheck, taking the hush, and moving on to their next phase of life with no thought to patriotism.
Bolton believes that the House could have gotten Trump, and convinced enough Senators, if they would have taken their time and did a proper, thorough, and wide ranging probe instead of getting into an election season rush and narrowing the focus.
Author Assessment:
Bolton needs a better ghostwriter. The prose is way too stream of consciousness/I recall.
I expected better from Bolton.
Editorial Assessment:
A halfassed editor could've improved this.
_________________________________________________
Author: John Bolton
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Publishing Date: 2020
Pgs: 577
_________________________________________________
REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
Summary:
Bolton is not a nice person. But he was behind the curtain looking directly in at the Great Wizard as he tried to manipulate the lands and people of Oz about him. Some insight. Lots of ego stroking, name dropping, blowing his own horn.
_________________________________________________
Genre:
United States
Government
National Security
International
Executive
Autobiography
Civics
Why this book:
Because Jeff got it and handed it to me.
_________________________________________________
The Feel:
A self-serving ego stroke and name-drop-arama. None of which reflects on the veracity of his observations. But it’s fairly obvious that he is as he put it in the text auditioning for his next job, whatever that might be.
Least Favorite Character:
John Bolton and President Donald J Trump...in roughly equal measure.
Favorite Scene:
Holy shit. The NSC meeting that Trump chaired in Chapter 12: Trump Loses His Way And Then His Nerve. How are we not all dead? Official makes a statement. Trump responds...then goes woolgathering. Themes: someone else will pay, we should get out, don’t care if ISIS comes back in Iraq.
Favorite Quote:
Regarding the calling off of the Iran retaliatory strike following the drone shootdown - “In my government experience, this was the most irrational thing I ever witnessed any President do. It called to mind Kelly’s question to me: what would happen if we ever got into a real crisis with Trump as President? Well, we now had one, and Trump had behaved bizarrely, just as Kelly had feared…I had thought about resigning several times before, but this for me was a turning point. If this was how we were going to make crisis decisions, and if these were the decisions being made, what was the point?”
Favorite Concept:
Bolton awakening to Trump being Trump.
Hmm Moments:
So...was Bolton in contact with those running departments and advising the President that much and that early on in the administration or is he blowing smoke and dropping names? Hmmm.
So the Taliban deal that almost happened at Camp David just before September 11th, 2019 went ahead and happened in February 2020. And it is an all-Trump deal. Of course, he’ll do his best not to own it.
So, Sondaland was pushing the Ukrainians for the phone call and saying that the Ukrainians wanted the phone call. Methinks he was deeper in this shitpile than he let on in the hearings. Bolton saying that he was surprised that Sondaland was as far afield from his EU Ambassador’s desk in all this Ukraine mess. Can believe Perry was a deer in the headlights in all this, having watched his Texas political career.
So Mulvaney forced Bolton out by backbiting him to Trump until he found a wedge that would work. Bolton flying on military transport and Mulvaney ear whispering to Trump that Bolton had his own plane. How mean girls of them.
WTF Moments:
In the middle of a briefing on the Middle East, Trump asked which of their Arab allies had better soldiers. And failed to understand the response, focused instead on whose soldiers had more physical stature. Thinking that a taller soldier is a better soldier. Someone needs to introduce Trump to the history, tradition and badassedness of the Brigade of the Gurkas.
Well Duh! Moments:
Krauthammer described Trump as an 11-year old and, afterward, realized observing the non-transition transition that the country was being lead by a 1-year old.
The Sigh:
Everything is an episode of The Apprentice with a last man standing mentality.
Bolton has a severe case of the Blame-Obama/Blame-Hillary-itis that seems prevalent in the Trump Administration. After 3 years at the helm, you can’t blame the people who were steering before you took the wheel.
Wisdom:
If it doesn’t benefit Donald J Trump, Trump has no interest in it.
No way should warhawk Bolton have another job in leadership in government. He wants to go to war with Iran and North Korea. He has for years. He doesn’t hide it. His being one of the adult voices in the Trump Administration was horrifying.
Juxtaposition:
Trump falling asleep in meetings with foreign leaders being compared within a few paragraphs to the Obama Administration’s dealings with Iran. For being as smart on foreign policy as he is, he sure does have a truckload of the dumbass about him sometimes.
No one else finds it suspicious that a day before the Japanese Prime Minister Abe was supposed to visit Iran with proposals to lessen tensions and get the nuclear deal back on track, a Japanese tanker came under attack in the Straits of Hormuz. An attack that can’t be definitively laid at the Iraniain’s feet, but like all the other tanker attacks in that period are suspicious in their origin. But the propaganda machine effectively wiped out any investigation of those causes and the guilty parties. Logically, Abe meeting with Rouhani and Khameni doesn’t make sense in that time frame.
So, the attack on a drone over the Gulf was more important than attacks on manned tankers...because of how much the drone cost. And they didn’t see the failure in their logic...and Bolton, in retrospect, doesn’t see the flaw either.
And, then, Bolton backpedals and covers his ass. One statement he’s opposed to this and it smells, legally. In the next, he’s sure that it is well within presidential purview even if it is illegal. And, someone else did it.
The Unexpected:
Trump is more worried about what reporters say and report than what he gets from his intelligence services.
Missed Opportunity:
The illustrated circuitous thinking of Trump is shown here in detail. It’s a small circle.
Predictability/Non-Predictability:
Smarminess.
Shocked that when Trump pulled the plug on the retaliation strike on Iran after the drone shootdown, he stood up against the advisors who were in lock step on wanting to blow hell out of four or five targets inside Iran. Because he didn’t want that many body bags on his conscience...or the news. Think it’s more the news in light of the body bags that Corona has brought home to us and his response to that.
Dreamcasting:
The Three Stooges as Giuliani, Parnas, and Fruman.
Val Kilmer as Donald Trump. ...sorry Val.
Movies and Television:
It’s not going to lend itself to portrayal or a script. Just not that kind of story.
_________________________________________________
Pacing:
The pace is all over the place.
Last Page Sound:
Well that’s a couple days reading that I’ll never get back.
Questions I’m Left With:
If this was all he was going to do, why write it and why release it. The answer, I believe, is $$$.
What room?
Conclusions I’ve Drawn:
People behind the curtain know things. Things that if they came to light could burn down this presidency and save the country from continuing to slip toward Third-World-dom. But they aren’t. They’re cashing their paycheck, taking the hush, and moving on to their next phase of life with no thought to patriotism.
Bolton believes that the House could have gotten Trump, and convinced enough Senators, if they would have taken their time and did a proper, thorough, and wide ranging probe instead of getting into an election season rush and narrowing the focus.
Author Assessment:
Bolton needs a better ghostwriter. The prose is way too stream of consciousness/I recall.
I expected better from Bolton.
Editorial Assessment:
A halfassed editor could've improved this.
_________________________________________________
It's a lot about JB, supposedly the only adult in the room. A few details might spark your interest, but the book as a whole isn't worth your money.
As entertaining as watching paint dry from an arrogant artist.