Not worth it

I am. It a Trump nor Biden supporter. In this book it is very one sided, Biden amazing throughout. The book is not really about what it says it is. Failed to get much from it at all.

13 people found this helpful

Dull polemic

Trump is the baddie. Biden is the goodie. That's all there is to it.

9 people found this helpful

Lost it's way by Chapter 65

Struggled to finish the book. By the last 2 hours the whole pacing and dynamic of the writing had been lost. I think tbis was because the writers had lost the reporters objectivitity and didn't want to admit that their side made mistakes too. If you want an example of how partisan American life has become then I think this book is an example. Not so much in content although that is alarming in itself but also in style.

5 people found this helpful

Entertaining but not as thorough as usual

I thoroughly enjoyed the first two Woodward books on Trump. This book returns to some of the themes included there - for example unelected officials seeking to thwart the will of the elected President. In the first book it was Gary Cohn ducking and diving to avoid withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership. In this, the equivalent is General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs. His conversation with Nancy Pelosi are the big revelation, at least for those of us outside the USA.

Beyond the role of the military - and no one does a character study the way Woodward does - the events of 6th January have been covered repeatedly in many other books and there’s little new that this study adds. The way Trump treats his subordinates, the way he demeans, insults, seeks to bully, praise and wheedle all as methods of control, are very firmly on record.

After January 20th the book turns to the passage of the American Rescue Plan Act (the coverage here could have been taken wholesale from the New Yorker; conservative Democrats from West Virginia are conservative, Republicans are prepared to hold the government hostage, shocker) and the withdrawal from Afghanistan. The latter was looked at superficially, in my view. It relives media coverage and comments made publicly at the time, with only sporadic insights into the private conversations of President Biden and the other key players - which is something Woodward usually excels at.

I enjoyed it, for sure, but Woodward has done much, much better work.

4 people found this helpful

As if you were there

This narrative has an amazing fly-on-the wall character, you are really there with all the different personalities including their typical expletives!
The best book on Trump, Biden and the transition and a serious warning for the future.

3 people found this helpful

Poor performance.

The reader’s style is really very annoying. Intonation is all wrong. It’s been the same across all 3 titles.

3 people found this helpful

Superb

Excellent book. Could not leave it down. American system seems to be designed for another era.

2 people found this helpful

Very interesting and scary at times

The opening was very frightening if not entirely unexpected. I expected a little more in the way of story regarding Trump, as he’s the one who put the whole world at risk. Still an enjoyable listen.

1 person found this helpful

insightful

very interesting look at events and inner workings of USA politics. Not usually reported in mainstream media.

1 person found this helpful

Underwhelming

Some great moments about the insanity of Trump’s final days, not as compelling as previous work by Woodward. Hagiographic of Biden and ultimately a tad dull.