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jone_d's review
3.0
I found this book really interesting on a couple levels. The first was just how it exposed the monumental task of preparing for a war. It was amazing to think about all these really intelligent people putting in a tremendous effort to make their little piece of something happen. It kind of reminds me of how I feel about a drag line, used for stripmining and mountaintop removal. I marvel at the machinery even while I abhor what it does. It was also interesting just to have some insight into the personalities involved in the US's invasion and occupation of Iraq. The book really made you feel like you knew some of the players and what they were thinking... sort of like the West Wing.
I what I didn't like about the book is it is laid out like a narrative, with no analysis. What analysis there is, focuses on personalities and even then doesn't draw conclusions. When I finished the book I had no more clear understanding about why of the invasion and occupation of Iraq than before. The way the book unfolds, is actually pretty disempowering, because there is such an inevitability about it. It is like a Greek tragedy, accept there is no lesson one can glean from it. I needed Woodward to do better than laying out a narrative about a star crossed administration, whose blunders have cost thousands of lives and billions of dollars. Bob give me something to work with!
Note: Gen Sanchez now has a book out. Here is a link to the a Fresh Air interview with him.
http://thin.npr.org/p.php?pid=13&d=20080507
Note: So far much of this book seems to be a criticism of Rumsfeld as Sec. of DOD. Here is a article about a Rumsfeld decision.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080510/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/commando_war_plan
I what I didn't like about the book is it is laid out like a narrative, with no analysis. What analysis there is, focuses on personalities and even then doesn't draw conclusions. When I finished the book I had no more clear understanding about why of the invasion and occupation of Iraq than before. The way the book unfolds, is actually pretty disempowering, because there is such an inevitability about it. It is like a Greek tragedy, accept there is no lesson one can glean from it. I needed Woodward to do better than laying out a narrative about a star crossed administration, whose blunders have cost thousands of lives and billions of dollars. Bob give me something to work with!
Note: Gen Sanchez now has a book out. Here is a link to the a Fresh Air interview with him.
http://thin.npr.org/p.php?pid=13&d=20080507
Note: So far much of this book seems to be a criticism of Rumsfeld as Sec. of DOD. Here is a article about a Rumsfeld decision.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080510/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/commando_war_plan
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