Known and Unknown: A Memoir
Encyclopedia
Known and Unknown: A Memoir is an autobiographical
book by Donald Henry Rumsfeld
, an American politician and businessman who served as Secretary of Defense
from 1975 to 1977 and again from 2001 to 2006 (among many other positions). He published it through Penguin Group USA
in February 2011. It covers a variety of his experiences such as working as a Republican
in the U.S. House
in the late-60s, serving in the Ford Administration during the Watergate
and Vietnam
crises, and serving during the George W. Bush Administration through the Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay scandals.
The book was listed as number one on The New York Times Best Seller List for hardcover nonfiction, and number three for E-book
nonfiction, on February 27, 2011. Rumsfeld is giving all of his profits from the book's sale to veterans’ charities.
Rumsfeld aide Keith Urbahn said pre-release on September 20, 2010,
depicts Rumsfeld during a get-away trip to Taos
, which journalist Ben Smith
has suggested conveys the notion of being "detached from the Beltway".
Rumsfeld begins the book by recounting his famous 1983 meeting with Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein
. He recalls that Hussein said that France "understood the Iraqi view". Rumsfeld writes, "That particular remark came to my mind on more than one occasion and I never had cause to doubt it." He states that Hussein came across as "rather reasonable", but that Hussein repeated word for word a line Rumsfeld had used the day before in another meeting—leading Rumsfeld to conclude that he was bugged
.
Rumsfeld recounts his childhood, with his ex-military father making a living selling real estate
near Chicago, Illinois. He discusses becoming an Eagle Scout
, wrestling
in high-school, and then serving in the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps
to help him get through college. He also mentions, after graduation, his tour as a naval aviator and marrying his high school sweetheart.
He recalls heading back to his native Chicago and being elected to the U.S. House
in 1962—only at age 29. He notes voting for the Civil Rights Act of 1964
and the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
. As the Vietnam War
drags on, he describes growing dissatisfied with the Johnson
administration's policy—particularly the use of drafted soldiers
and the expansion of troop levels on the ground. Rumsfeld discusses his advocacy of "Vietnamization
", which he tries to implement under President Nixon
.
Rumsfeld recalls how his career led him and his wife to develop a lifetime friendship with media and entertainment personality Sammy Davis, Jr.
Rumsfeld recalls his service as President Ronald Reagan
's Middle East envoy at the time that U.S. pulled out of Lebanon. He states that the situation and its aftermath showed him that American weakness (whether real or merely perceived) is provocative. He describes developing a strategic perspective that U.S. foreign policy should be "forward-leaning".
He criticizes Colin Powell
for promoting the decision taken by President George H. W. Bush
not to remove Saddam Hussein from power after the 1991 Gulf War
. Rumsfeld describes Powell as the representative of State Department views to Bush rather than the other way around.
Rumsfeld recounts his distance from George H. W. Bush
during the Ford and Reagan administrations, which ranged from differences in opinion for appointments and political endorsements as well as personal differences. He describes himself as skeptical of the experiences of "those who enjoy the inherited benefit of prominent names." However, he ends up forging a close relationship with George W. Bush
. Rumsfeld labels the younger Bush "decidedly down-to-earth, with no inclination to formality" with a "demeanor... different from his father’s somewhat patrician manner."
He details his efforts to move the Defense Department away from its traditional emphasis on expensive, long-standing weapons systems towards a system based on ligher, mobile, and autonomous forces. He recounts his turf disputes while enacting reforms such as canceling the $11 billion Crusader artillery platform.
He describes being in the Pentagon
when the hijacked American Airlines Flight 77
slammed into it on September 11, 2001. He recounts staying at his post amid the rubble and groping to determine the significance of the attack. He also remarks that the targeted sectors of the Pentagon were undergoing refurbishment
(with many offices unoccupied) and thus many lives were spared.
Rumsfeld states that he has been opposed to the Defense Department ever using waterboarding
during interrogations.
Rumsfeld recounts the President inviting him into the Oval Office
fifteen days after the 9/11 attacks and the President then ordering a review of war plans for Iraq. He writes that Bush called for "creative" ideas, but "[t]wo weeks after the worst terror attacks in our nation's history, those of us in the Department of Defense were full[y] occupied.
He describes how Hussein targeted his family as well as the President's for reprisal
attacks. He mentions that the dictator left a $60 million bounty, and that pictures of Bush's daughters later surfaced in Uday Hussein
's palace.
He details the 2004 Abu Ghraib detainee scandal and the public exposure of photographs of American soldiers abusing prisoners, which he calls one of his biggest personal regrets. Rumsfeld recounts asking President Bush to accept his resignation and how Bush repeatedly refused. He writes that staying at the President's request "was a misjudgment on my part."
He asserts about Bush administration reports of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq
,
While writing that he regrets that no significant stockpiles of weapons were found, Rumsfeld defends the invasion. He states that Mideast would be "far more perilous" with Hussein, and he states that Bush's "aggressive, unrelenting offensive against the enemy" has prevented another 9/11-style attack.
Rumsfeld praises Bush's response to Hurricane Katrina
, and he states that the military response was swifter than any previous handling of a natural disaster.
Rumsfeld argues that while he was a "latecomer" in supporting the Iraqi troop 'surge'
, he still felt open to changing policy. He states that until 2006 Generals Tommy Franks
, Ricardo Sanchez, George Casey, and John Abizaid
had all assured him that increasing troop levels would not help the situation. Rumsfeld points out that he signed off on General David Petraeus
' appointment before his departure.
He expresses doubts about further escalating U.S. involvement in Afghanistan. He argues that more troops will not help with the nation's problems but may in fact make matters worse. He writes specifically that more troops could create "resentment among a proud population" and also give "more targets for our enemies to attack."
He concludes the book by arguing that President Barack Obama
has largely "kept in place the most contentious and widely derided Bush administration policies" such as holding people in Guantanamo Bay, charging internees in military commissions rather than civilian courts, and continuing drone attacks abroad.
wrote in City Journal that Rumsfeld "is as candid and unapologetic in retirement as he was in government and corporate service". He generally praised Rumsfeld's depiction of the Bush years while also asking why Rumsfeld was unwilling to change strategy after 2003
as the Iraqi insurgency
expanded. Hanson also remarked that "[w]ith the publication of Known and Unknown, the onus shifts back onto Rumsfeld’s critics to prove him wrong or disingenuous".
Journalist Justin Webb
commented for The Observer
that "Rumsfeld comes out fighting", and Webb criticized Rumsfeld for ignoring issues such as internees "wrongly imprisoned" in Guantánamo. Webb concluded:
The Economist
referred to the memoir as "a fascinating history" and "a good read" as well as "interesting and even enjoyable". The news-magazine also stated that Rumsfeld, predictably, avoided self-criticism. "The quagmires in Iraq and Afghanistan, it appears, were everyone’s fault but his", commented the review.
In The Huffington Post
, journalist Marcus Baram stated that Rumsfeld blamed "almost everyone else for mistakes that were made" and ends in a "self-satisfying" way. He also wrote, "Notably missing from the book is any mention of Pat Tillman
, the football star turned soldier whose death by friendly fire was covered up by the Pentagon."
Author and history professor Andrew Bacevich
panned the book in The Financial Times, writing:
Jonathan Powell, who served as chief of staff
to British Prime Minister
Tony Blair
at the same time as Rumsfeld's tenure under Bush, disparaged the memoir in The New Statesman
. He remarked that Rumsfeld reminded him of a reactionary Bourbon monarch
after the French restoration
. Powell also asserted that Rumsfeld made "no revelations of importance" and wrote with a "relentless desire always to be right" that is "deeply off-putting". Powell wrote (quoting Talleyrand) that Rumsfeld "learned nothing and forgotten nothing".
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
book by Donald Henry Rumsfeld
Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Henry Rumsfeld is an American politician and businessman. Rumsfeld served as the 13th Secretary of Defense from 1975 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford, and as the 21st Secretary of Defense from 2001 to 2006 under President George W. Bush. He is both the youngest and the oldest person to...
, an American politician and businessman who served as Secretary of Defense
United States Secretary of Defense
The Secretary of Defense is the head and chief executive officer of the Department of Defense of the United States of America. This position corresponds to what is generally known as a Defense Minister in other countries...
from 1975 to 1977 and again from 2001 to 2006 (among many other positions). He published it through Penguin Group USA
Penguin Group
The Penguin Group is a trade book publisher, the largest in the world , having overtaken Random House in 2009. The Penguin Group is the name of the incorporated division of parent Pearson PLC that oversees these publishing operations...
in February 2011. It covers a variety of his experiences such as working as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
in the U.S. House
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
in the late-60s, serving in the Ford Administration during the Watergate
Watergate scandal
The Watergate scandal was a political scandal during the 1970s in the United States resulting from the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., and the Nixon administration's attempted cover-up of its involvement...
and Vietnam
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
crises, and serving during the George W. Bush Administration through the Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay scandals.
The book was listed as number one on The New York Times Best Seller List for hardcover nonfiction, and number three for E-book
E-book
An electronic book is a book-length publication in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, and produced on, published through, and readable on computers or other electronic devices. Sometimes the equivalent of a conventional printed book, e-books can also be born digital...
nonfiction, on February 27, 2011. Rumsfeld is giving all of his profits from the book's sale to veterans’ charities.
Background
The title, "Known and Unknown," is a play on Rumsfeld's famous remark in a February 12, 2002 press conference:Rumsfeld aide Keith Urbahn said pre-release on September 20, 2010,
Book contents
The coverBook cover
A book cover is any protective covering used to bind together the pages of a book. Beyond the familiar distinction between hardcovers and paperbacks, there are further alternatives and additions, such as dust jackets, ring-binding, and older forms such as the nineteenth-century "paper-boards" and...
depicts Rumsfeld during a get-away trip to Taos
Taos, New Mexico
Taos is a town in Taos County in the north-central region of New Mexico, incorporated in 1934. As of the 2000 census, its population was 4,700. Other nearby communities include Ranchos de Taos, Cañon, Taos Canyon, Ranchitos, and El Prado. The town is close to Taos Pueblo, the Native American...
, which journalist Ben Smith
Ben Smith (journalist)
Ben Smith is an American political journalist and blogger for the news outlet Politico, which was frequently cited during the 2008 presidential election. He formerly wrote for the Wall Street Journal Europe, the New York Sun, the New York Observer and wrote a political column for the New York Daily...
has suggested conveys the notion of being "detached from the Beltway".
Rumsfeld begins the book by recounting his famous 1983 meeting with Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
. He recalls that Hussein said that France "understood the Iraqi view". Rumsfeld writes, "That particular remark came to my mind on more than one occasion and I never had cause to doubt it." He states that Hussein came across as "rather reasonable", but that Hussein repeated word for word a line Rumsfeld had used the day before in another meeting—leading Rumsfeld to conclude that he was bugged
Covert listening device
A covert listening device, more commonly known as a bug or a wire, is usually a combination of a miniature radio transmitter with a microphone. The use of bugs, called bugging, is a common technique in surveillance, espionage and in police investigations.A bug does not have to be a device...
.
Rumsfeld recounts his childhood, with his ex-military father making a living selling real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
near Chicago, Illinois. He discusses becoming an Eagle Scout
Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
, wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
in high-school, and then serving in the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps
Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps
The Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps program is a college-based, commissioned officer training program of the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps.-Origins:...
to help him get through college. He also mentions, after graduation, his tour as a naval aviator and marrying his high school sweetheart.
He recalls heading back to his native Chicago and being elected to the U.S. House
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
in 1962—only at age 29. He notes voting for the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark piece of legislation in the United States that outlawed major forms of discrimination against African Americans and women, including racial segregation...
and the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
The Tonkin Gulf Resolution was a joint resolution which the United States Congress passed on August 10, 1964 in response to a sea battle between the North Vietnamese Navy's Torpedo Squadron 10135 and the destroyer on August 2 and an alleged second naval engagement between North Vietnamese boats...
. As the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
drags on, he describes growing dissatisfied with the Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
administration's policy—particularly the use of drafted soldiers
Conscription in the United States
Conscription in the United States has been employed several times, usually during war but also during the nominal peace of the Cold War...
and the expansion of troop levels on the ground. Rumsfeld discusses his advocacy of "Vietnamization
Vietnamization
Vietnamization was a policy of the Richard M. Nixon administration during the Vietnam War, as a result of the Viet Cong's Tet Offensive, to "expand, equip, and train South Vietnam's forces and assign to them an ever-increasing combat role, at the same time steadily reducing the number of U.S....
", which he tries to implement under President Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
.
Rumsfeld recalls how his career led him and his wife to develop a lifetime friendship with media and entertainment personality Sammy Davis, Jr.
Sammy Davis, Jr.
Samuel George "Sammy" Davis Jr. was an American entertainer and was also known for his impersonations of actors and other celebrities....
Rumsfeld recalls his service as President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
's Middle East envoy at the time that U.S. pulled out of Lebanon. He states that the situation and its aftermath showed him that American weakness (whether real or merely perceived) is provocative. He describes developing a strategic perspective that U.S. foreign policy should be "forward-leaning".
Colin Powell
Colin Luther Powell is an American statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army. He was the 65th United States Secretary of State, serving under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African American to serve in that position. During his military...
for promoting the decision taken by President George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
not to remove Saddam Hussein from power after the 1991 Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
. Rumsfeld describes Powell as the representative of State Department views to Bush rather than the other way around.
Rumsfeld recounts his distance from George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
during the Ford and Reagan administrations, which ranged from differences in opinion for appointments and political endorsements as well as personal differences. He describes himself as skeptical of the experiences of "those who enjoy the inherited benefit of prominent names." However, he ends up forging a close relationship with George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
. Rumsfeld labels the younger Bush "decidedly down-to-earth, with no inclination to formality" with a "demeanor... different from his father’s somewhat patrician manner."
He details his efforts to move the Defense Department away from its traditional emphasis on expensive, long-standing weapons systems towards a system based on ligher, mobile, and autonomous forces. He recounts his turf disputes while enacting reforms such as canceling the $11 billion Crusader artillery platform.
He describes being in the Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
when the hijacked American Airlines Flight 77
American Airlines Flight 77
American Airlines Flight 77 was American Airlines' daily scheduled morning transcontinental flight, from Washington Dulles International Airport, in Dulles, Virginia to Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California...
slammed into it on September 11, 2001. He recounts staying at his post amid the rubble and groping to determine the significance of the attack. He also remarks that the targeted sectors of the Pentagon were undergoing refurbishment
Refurbishment
Refurbishment may refer to:*Refurbishment *Antiques restoration*Automotive restoration...
(with many offices unoccupied) and thus many lives were spared.
Rumsfeld states that he has been opposed to the Defense Department ever using waterboarding
Waterboarding
Waterboarding is a form of torture in which water is poured over the face of an immobilized captive, thus causing the individual to experience the sensation of drowning...
during interrogations.
Oval Office
The Oval Office, located in the West Wing of the White House, is the official office of the President of the United States.The room features three large south-facing windows behind the president's desk, and a fireplace at the north end...
fifteen days after the 9/11 attacks and the President then ordering a review of war plans for Iraq. He writes that Bush called for "creative" ideas, but "[t]wo weeks after the worst terror attacks in our nation's history, those of us in the Department of Defense were full[y] occupied.
He describes how Hussein targeted his family as well as the President's for reprisal
Reprisal
In international law, a reprisal is a limited and deliberate violation of international law to punish another sovereign state that has already broken them. Reprisals in the laws of war are extremely limited, as they commonly breached the rights of civilians, an action outlawed by the Geneva...
attacks. He mentions that the dictator left a $60 million bounty, and that pictures of Bush's daughters later surfaced in Uday Hussein
Uday Hussein
Uday Saddam Hussein al-Tikriti , was the eldest son of Saddam Hussein from his first wife, Sajida Talfah. He was the brother of Qusay Hussein. Uday was for several years seen as the heir apparent of his father; however, Uday lost his place in the line of succession due to his erratic behavior and...
's palace.
He details the 2004 Abu Ghraib detainee scandal and the public exposure of photographs of American soldiers abusing prisoners, which he calls one of his biggest personal regrets. Rumsfeld recounts asking President Bush to accept his resignation and how Bush repeatedly refused. He writes that staying at the President's request "was a misjudgment on my part."
He asserts about Bush administration reports of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq
Iraq and weapons of mass destruction
During the regime of Saddam Hussein, the nation of Iraq used, possessed, and made efforts to acquire weapons of mass destruction . Hussein was internationally known for his use of chemical weapons in the 1980s against Iranian and Kurdish civilians during and after the Iran–Iraq War...
,
While writing that he regrets that no significant stockpiles of weapons were found, Rumsfeld defends the invasion. He states that Mideast would be "far more perilous" with Hussein, and he states that Bush's "aggressive, unrelenting offensive against the enemy" has prevented another 9/11-style attack.
Rumsfeld praises Bush's response to Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
, and he states that the military response was swifter than any previous handling of a natural disaster.
Rumsfeld argues that while he was a "latecomer" in supporting the Iraqi troop 'surge'
Iraq War troop surge of 2007
In the context of the Iraq War, the surge refers to United States President George W. Bush's 2007 increase in the number of American troops in order to provide security to Baghdad and Al Anbar Province....
, he still felt open to changing policy. He states that until 2006 Generals Tommy Franks
Tommy Franks
Tommy Ray Franks is a retired general in the United States Army. His last Army post was as the Commander of the United States Central Command, overseeing United States Armed Forces operations in a 25-country region, including the Middle East...
, Ricardo Sanchez, George Casey, and John Abizaid
John Abizaid
John Philip Abizaid, AO is a retired General in the United States Army and former Commander of the United States Central Command , overseeing American military operations in a 27-country region, from the Horn of Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, to South and Central Asia, covering much of the Middle...
had all assured him that increasing troop levels would not help the situation. Rumsfeld points out that he signed off on General David Petraeus
David Petraeus
David Howell Petraeus is the current Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, sworn in on September 6, 2011. Prior to his assuming the directorship of the CIA, Petraeus was a four-star general serving over 37 years in the United States Army. His last assignments in the Army were as commander...
' appointment before his departure.
He concludes the book by arguing that President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
has largely "kept in place the most contentious and widely derided Bush administration policies" such as holding people in Guantanamo Bay, charging internees in military commissions rather than civilian courts, and continuing drone attacks abroad.
Reviews
Military historian Victor Davis HansonVictor Davis Hanson
Victor Davis Hanson is an American military historian, columnist, political essayist and former classics professor, notable as a scholar of ancient warfare. He has been a commentator on modern warfare and contemporary politics for National Review and other media outlets...
wrote in City Journal that Rumsfeld "is as candid and unapologetic in retirement as he was in government and corporate service". He generally praised Rumsfeld's depiction of the Bush years while also asking why Rumsfeld was unwilling to change strategy after 2003
2003 in Iraq
Events in the year 2003 in Iraq.-Incumbents:* President - Saddam Hussein until April 9* Prime Minister – Saddam Hussein until April 9Transitional government:* Head of State -** Government Administrator – Jay Montgomery Garner , L...
as the Iraqi insurgency
Iraqi insurgency
The Iraqi Resistance is composed of a diverse mix of militias, foreign fighters, all-Iraqi units or mixtures opposing the United States-led multinational force in Iraq and the post-2003 Iraqi government...
expanded. Hanson also remarked that "[w]ith the publication of Known and Unknown, the onus shifts back onto Rumsfeld’s critics to prove him wrong or disingenuous".
Journalist Justin Webb
Justin Webb
Justin Oliver Webb is a British journalist who has worked for the BBC since 1984. Since August 2009, he has presented on the Today programme.-Early life:...
commented for The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
that "Rumsfeld comes out fighting", and Webb criticized Rumsfeld for ignoring issues such as internees "wrongly imprisoned" in Guantánamo. Webb concluded:
The Economist
The Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
referred to the memoir as "a fascinating history" and "a good read" as well as "interesting and even enjoyable". The news-magazine also stated that Rumsfeld, predictably, avoided self-criticism. "The quagmires in Iraq and Afghanistan, it appears, were everyone’s fault but his", commented the review.
In The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
, journalist Marcus Baram stated that Rumsfeld blamed "almost everyone else for mistakes that were made" and ends in a "self-satisfying" way. He also wrote, "Notably missing from the book is any mention of Pat Tillman
Pat Tillman
Corporal Patrick Daniel "Pat" Tillman Jr. was an American football player who left his professional career and enlisted in the United States Army in June 2002 in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks. He joined the Army Rangers and served several tours in combat before he died in the...
, the football star turned soldier whose death by friendly fire was covered up by the Pentagon."
Author and history professor Andrew Bacevich
Andrew Bacevich
Andrew J. Bacevich, Sr. is a professor of international relations at Boston University and a retired career officer in the United States Army...
panned the book in The Financial Times, writing:
Jonathan Powell, who served as chief of staff
Chief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
to British Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
at the same time as Rumsfeld's tenure under Bush, disparaged the memoir in The New Statesman
New Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
. He remarked that Rumsfeld reminded him of a reactionary Bourbon monarch
House of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...
after the French restoration
Bourbon Restoration
The Bourbon Restoration is the name given to the period following the successive events of the French Revolution , the end of the First Republic , and then the forcible end of the First French Empire under Napoleon – when a coalition of European powers restored by arms the monarchy to the...
. Powell also asserted that Rumsfeld made "no revelations of importance" and wrote with a "relentless desire always to be right" that is "deeply off-putting". Powell wrote (quoting Talleyrand) that Rumsfeld "learned nothing and forgotten nothing".
See also
- Electoral history of Donald RumsfeldElectoral history of Donald RumsfeldElectoral history of Donald RumsfeldIllinois' 13th congressional district, 1962 :*Donald Rumsfeld - 47,037 *Marion E. Burks - 19,037 *Raymond Albert Morley - 2,187 *Edward L. Gordy...
- Foreign policy of the George W. Bush administrationForeign policy of the George W. Bush administrationDuring his campaign for election as President of the United States, George W. Bush's foreign policy platform included support for a stronger economic and political relationship with Latin America, especially Mexico, and a reduction of involvement in "nation building" and other small-scale military...
- Guantanamo Bay detention camp
- Baghdad Central Prison
- List of autobiographies
Related memoirs
- A JourneyA JourneyA Journey is a memoir written by Tony Blair, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom between 1997 and 2007. Published on 1 September 2010, it is an account of how he became leader of the Labour Party in 1994 and transformed the party into "New Labour"; the party held power for a record three...
by Tony BlairTony BlairAnthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007... - At the Center of the Storm: My Years at the CIAAt the Center of the Storm: My Years at the CIAAt the Center of the Storm: My Years at the CIA is a memoir co-written by former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency George Tenet with Bill Harlow, former CIA Director of Public Affairs...
by George TenetGeorge TenetGeorge John Tenet was the Director of Central Intelligence for the United States Central Intelligence Agency, and is Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy at Georgetown University.... - Decision PointsDecision PointsDecision Points is a memoir by former U.S. President George W. Bush. It was released on November 9, 2010, and the release was accompanied by national television appearances and a national tour. The book surpassed sales of two million copies less than two months after its release.-Content:Bush's...
by George W. BushGeorge W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000.... - In My Time: A Personal and Political MemoirIn My Time: A Personal and Political MemoirIn My Time: A Personal and Political Memoir is a memoir written by former Vice President of the United States Dick Cheney with Elizabeth Cheney. The book was released on August 30, 2011 and outlines Cheney's version of 9/11, the War on Terrorism, the 2001 War in Afghanistan, the run-up to the 2003...
by Dick CheneyDick CheneyRichard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush.... - Spoken from the HeartSpoken from the HeartSpoken from the Heart is a memoir by former United States First Lady Laura Bush....
by Laura BushLaura BushLaura Lane Welch Bush is the wife of the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush. She was the First Lady of the United States from January 20, 2001, to January 20, 2009. She has held a love of books and reading since childhood and her life and education have reflected that interest...