Anatomy of Deceit: How the Bush Administration Used the Media to Sell the Iraq War and Out a Spy (Paperback)

by Marcy Wheeler (Author)
Key Phrases: yankee fan, uranium deal, sixteen words, Valerie Wilson, White House, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

What happens when Washington, D.C. pundits and journalists run in the same social circles as the powerful people they cover? When the President and his administration trade press access for loyalty? You get a complicit, uncritical press greasing the skids to a brutal war, conspiring to out a CIA agent, and muddying the waters of a grand jury investigation. In the fearful aftermath of 9/11, much of America’s pride — its free press — became an unquestioning propaganda arm.

Marcy Wheeler’s Anatomy of Deceit documents how the media promoted the Bush administration’s justification for war — that Iraq was on the verge of acquiring weapons of mass destruction — even though much of it was debunked. And it provides a play-by-play account of how Vice President Dick Cheney’s office first used the media to target a critic, former Ambassador Joe Wilson, and then to avoid criminal charges in the CIA leak case.

While the media was beating the drums of war and cozying up to the administration, citizen journalists were digging for the truth. Wheeler's compelling account tells the story, as it needs to be told — from outside the Beltway's cocktail circuit.

About the Author

Marcy Wheeler blogs under the name "emptywheel" at the political blog The Next Hurrah. Her PhD and academic background — relating to citizen journalism at times of heavy propaganda — brings a unique perspective to her blogging and the CIA leak case. Several of her posts have scooped the mainstream media's coverage of the Plame Affair, including her coverage of Scooter Libby's NIE leaks. She is a self-employed business consultant based in Ann Arbor, MI.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Vaster Books (January 25, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979176107
• ISBN-13: 978-0979176104
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #287,251 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

80 of 85 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Primer for Plamegate, February 1, 2007

By	Guynoir - See all my reviews

Concise, succinct,well-written summary of case leading to the Scooter Libby trial and perhaps beyond. I am recommending it to all my Republican friends. It won't drive them nuts with reams of the left wing propaganda they profess to hate so much, and it may even help them understand why some of us are so enraged and obsessed with the subject.

46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Anatomy of Deceit by Marcy Wheeler, February 7, 2007

By	Mary Fernandez "Rkymtnmary" (West Haven, CT) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Whether one is a "Plameaholic," or simply wishing to find that one source that will educate you with all you need to know to get up to speed on the Government vs. I.Lewis Libby case, aka "Shooter's Scooter," this book by Marcy Wheeler is mandatory. Factually accurate, well written and chock full of information that her writing style makes far more than palpable, Ms. Wheeler manages to capture the essence of the events exposing the dirty deeds of an administration obsessed with media manipulation to prevent exposure of their lies regarding the outting of a covert CIA agent, Valerie Plame. Well designed and perfect for slipping into purses or briefcases, this book is destined to become a definitive reference tool both now and in the future and I can easily see it becoming part of any political science major's course reading list. The only issue I had with the book is that it came to an end and I hope in the future, we will be hearing much more from this brilliant and outstanding writer. The time for truth in printed word is LONG overdue and "Anatomy of Deceit" can now set the standard. I highly recommend it.

41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More than PlameGate, March 18, 2007

By	R. E Westgard "Viking" (Bay Lake & St Paul, MN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

While the emphasis is on the Valerie Plame outing, there is more on the failure of the mainstream press. Bush news conferences mingle Saddam and alQaida numerous times with no questions from a mesmerized press.
Claims about the ease of supporting a post war Iraq with its oil revenues go unchallenged. The myth of the so-called liberal main stream press is torpedoed.