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knaglieri's review against another edition
4.0
Ya know, I know this book is basically just a collection of gossip but I can't help thinking that it jives with damn near everything that we've witnessed this year. This paints Trump as a moron who never expected to or wanted to win, who is only concerned with his media coverage and who likes him, who is surrounded by people who all know that he's completely unfit for the job but keep trying to make it work for their own gain. Basically what I've always assumed. But this book really drives home that the real decisions were made by Bannon or "Javanka" and that those two parties were constantly fighting for power. It basically gives a pass to Spicer and Priebus. I wish he had touched on Sarah Sanders. I'd love to know the behind the scenes gossip on her.
But mostly this feels a lot like Bannon's book... he was clearly a main source. And as despicable as he is, if what is attributed to him is true, he really was the smartest guy there.
God, what a long year it's been... I kept being reminded of terrible things that happened that I had forgotten about, there have just been SO many unbelievable things.
But mostly this feels a lot like Bannon's book... he was clearly a main source. And as despicable as he is, if what is attributed to him is true, he really was the smartest guy there.
God, what a long year it's been... I kept being reminded of terrible things that happened that I had forgotten about, there have just been SO many unbelievable things.
pzriddle's review against another edition
4.0
Seems plausible to me, and a good read.
I understand that the author has a bad reputation for his journalistic ethics, but when Maggie Haberman sniffs that he got some facts wrong, as well as needing a copy editor, she seems to be praising with faint damns. Given that we’re all living in the fog of war, I’ll add this to my provisional picture of the administration.
I understand that the author has a bad reputation for his journalistic ethics, but when Maggie Haberman sniffs that he got some facts wrong, as well as needing a copy editor, she seems to be praising with faint damns. Given that we’re all living in the fog of war, I’ll add this to my provisional picture of the administration.
cyndireadsbooks's review against another edition
I still feel dirty for having read this, but I just had to. It is, hundreds of rambling parentheticals included, shabbily written but I will gift the author with assuming this has more to do with a rushed production schedule than anything else. The short answer is yes, he is that bad and everyone knows it. Some have just sold their souls, some didn’t know at first, and some think they are being valiant and taking one to help protect America from Trump. The author seems to both love and hate Bannon, and the only ones who come off relatively unscathed are the generals (Flynn excepted). If Trump scares you. Then the final scene in the book should give you nightmares. Mostly preaching to the choir. Those “shoot someone on fifth avenue” people won’t read this anyway.
jeslarsen's review against another edition
3.0
Frightening. I would not call this a substantial book with great insight into any specific factor of the Trump campaign and White House (besides the already obvious mayhem). It is, however, a frightening reporting of conversations of a happenstance insider. It's something you can't stop consuming - similar to when your friend feeds you unbelievable gossip about some group of people you both hate (for either valid or invalid reasons) - you can unite in your hatred and tirelessly complain and criticize simply because the gossip is so outrageous!
alisarae's review against another edition
Basically just confirmation of what we've known all along: the White House is in complete chaos, with inexperienced power-hungry factions grabbing as much as they can before they are pushed out or (hopefully) imprisoned. Don't come to this book looking for analysis or new info; this is a chronological order of events with brief backgrounds on the main players. For an essential read-along with deeper analysis and criticism, see Seth Abramson's thread: https://twitter.com/SethAbramson/status/949330818056454145
The best thing this book did for me was crystalize the term "neoliberal" that I see thrown around so much (no discussion of this in the book btw; I was just thinking about it). Ivanka and Jared are the personification of this: progressive on the streets and same-old same-old in the sheets. According to Wolff, it was Ivanka's idea to trade DACA for the border wall, for starters.
So, meh, can be skipped, but good that it exists for posterity's sake.
The best thing this book did for me was crystalize the term "neoliberal" that I see thrown around so much (no discussion of this in the book btw; I was just thinking about it). Ivanka and Jared are the personification of this: progressive on the streets and same-old same-old in the sheets. According to Wolff, it was Ivanka's idea to trade DACA for the border wall, for starters.
So, meh, can be skipped, but good that it exists for posterity's sake.
lottie1803's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.75
jmdaly95's review against another edition
3.0
Book Number One in 2018
So let's get this out of the way at the start, this book is political trash reading. And it's great.
During the first year of the Clinton Administration, they let Bob Woodward hang around the West Wing for nine months and the result was The Agenda. Fire and Fury is exactly the same book but written by an author who basically turns it into a 350-page version of Page Six of the NY Post.
Everyone who talked to Michel Wolff was out to either trash Trump and Bannon and defend themselves.
It's clear from reading it the main source of the book is Bannon and he's epic in self-destruction through the narrative.
Like last years Devil's Bargain by Joshua Green this is not a historical book but one that's out to settle grievances and self-protection.
It's an interesting glimpse of a West Wing that is clearly dysfunctional, you don't learn anything new if you've been watching the news over the past year. What it does demonstrate is that this Lord of the Flies environment will lead to an administration that will be in for a single term and not see any forward motion in any new policy or initiative.
So let's get this out of the way at the start, this book is political trash reading. And it's great.
During the first year of the Clinton Administration, they let Bob Woodward hang around the West Wing for nine months and the result was The Agenda. Fire and Fury is exactly the same book but written by an author who basically turns it into a 350-page version of Page Six of the NY Post.
Everyone who talked to Michel Wolff was out to either trash Trump and Bannon and defend themselves.
It's clear from reading it the main source of the book is Bannon and he's epic in self-destruction through the narrative.
Like last years Devil's Bargain by Joshua Green this is not a historical book but one that's out to settle grievances and self-protection.
It's an interesting glimpse of a West Wing that is clearly dysfunctional, you don't learn anything new if you've been watching the news over the past year. What it does demonstrate is that this Lord of the Flies environment will lead to an administration that will be in for a single term and not see any forward motion in any new policy or initiative.
kdat's review against another edition
3.0
There is nothing extraordinary about the book...it’s a gossipy mess. I highly recommend the audio - the only way to be entertained by it.
It tells us nothing we didn’t already know about 45 and this entire cabinet...they’re a ridiculous mess and they’re gonna kill us all.
It tells us nothing we didn’t already know about 45 and this entire cabinet...they’re a ridiculous mess and they’re gonna kill us all.
drj's review against another edition
sad
medium-paced
1.0
What a douche this author is. Wrote all this stuff but chose not to tell anyone until they could make a buck.