Review 71: State of Denial: Bush at War, Part III (Bob Woodward)

Woodward documents how, in his view, things went from promising to bad, and then bad to worse in the Iraq War. He actually starts before the War with key events that would later be critical blunders. The heroes of this story are the few figures who were willing to sound an alarm, especially those on the ground in Iraq. The villain is Sec. Def. Donald Rumsfeld. Woodward portrays him as power-hungry, unwilling to listen to counsel, and willful. A recipe for disaster. President Bush was at the disadvantage of having few people who would give him earnest counsel. Also, he was surrounded by a couple of key weak advisers who couldn't stand up to the domineering figures in his cabinet. This tale is a reminder that power corrupts more than individuals. This book is a must read for anyone who wants to understand how we got to where we are in Iraq.