A review by canada_matt
No Higher Honor: A Memoir of My Years in Washington by Condoleezza Rice
4.0
I thoroughly enjoy political memoirs, especially if they are well-written. Rice uses her time in Washington to weave countless tales and gives many behind the scenes details I would not have otherwise known. She brings to life what some may call an 'eight year conservative reign of terror fighting' and does so less in a lap-dog sense, choosing to show the reader that she can and does think for herself.
Having recently read Dick Cheney's memoirs of the same period, I am amazed at how different these two Bush stalwarts actually tend to be. Rice minces no words in her sometimes lack of respect and agreement with what the VP did and said, using her scholarly background to make it seem as though it was compliments, not outright bashing. Rice is much more thorough and gives off the air of having the president's ear a lot more than the VP.
While the book did go on for pages and pages about some of the minutae surrounding North Korea, the Middle East, and even Africa. Of course, these were some of the legacies that Bush and Rice left behind and she has full right to praise herself for some of the controversies.
Well done, Dr. Rice. I liked it oh so much and hope other memoirs pop up soon to whet my appetitie.
Having recently read Dick Cheney's memoirs of the same period, I am amazed at how different these two Bush stalwarts actually tend to be. Rice minces no words in her sometimes lack of respect and agreement with what the VP did and said, using her scholarly background to make it seem as though it was compliments, not outright bashing. Rice is much more thorough and gives off the air of having the president's ear a lot more than the VP.
While the book did go on for pages and pages about some of the minutae surrounding North Korea, the Middle East, and even Africa. Of course, these were some of the legacies that Bush and Rice left behind and she has full right to praise herself for some of the controversies.
Well done, Dr. Rice. I liked it oh so much and hope other memoirs pop up soon to whet my appetitie.