Customer Reviews

Dereliction of Duty: Eyewitness Account of How Bill Clinton Compromised America's National Security

5 star:		(227)
4 star:		(53)
3 star:		(38)
2 star:		(31)
1 star:		(148)

 

 

If you are curious about this book, then do one thing: review all of the following 35 reviews for it. You will quickly notice that the reviews give the book either five stars or one star (there are two with three stars, but they are the exceptions). Those who give the book five stars discuss the content of the book while those who give it one star disparage the author. A few of them also call the book a pack of lies, but don't give examples, except for one. A reader from St. Paul Minnesota said: "Unlike what Mr. Patterson here says, the President doesn't carry around the launch codes. One of his aides does that, in a briefcase. So if the codes were lost, it wasn't President Clinton that lost them. This is just one of the many untruths to be found in this book."

The BBC press on April 26, 1999, published an article entitled "World: Americas Clinton drops nuclear football." It details how President Clinton did in fact leave behind the nuclear football--as well as the aide it was attached to. "A Reader" is clearly not apprised of the facts, and his opinioon may be discounted as uninformed.

Also, reviewer Edwin Carr from Boston on March 21 said: "a distinguished officer like himself, who took the same oath that I did, to protect and serve an American President and maintain his confidences and protect the job and position of the President of the United States, could fail the oath he swore to protect. Buzz should be ashamed that he has betrayed the confidence of all of us who were privileged to serve a President. He betrayed his leader, who he chose to serve. He betrayed his country for divulging secrets he swore to protect."

Mr. Carr should be reminded that the consitutional oath he refers to is an oath to the people of the United States and not to one specific leader. Only leaders like Saddam require an oath to a specific leader, and that it is Clinton who betrayed his country and HIS oath. Patterson is merely giving details.

In conclusion, I would suggest you do yourself a favor: buy this book and use the web to verify the allegations contained in it. You will quickly learn that for what can be verified, the writer is right on the money.

A huge military operation, tensed and poised to launch air strikes on Iraq needed a nod from the president before dawn broke and the window of opportunity closed. But the Commander-in-Chief didn't want to be bothered to take the call. He was busy watching a golf tournament with his friend. His response more than once was "I'll get back to him later."

The situation room was crowded as America's counterterror network had Osama bin Laden in its gun sights and was begging the White House for permission to strike, but the president had managed to "disappear" for a while and could not be located to give the order. The results of that missed opportunity fell to his wife's senatorial state.

Once the president, as he was leaving for a round of golf, lost the secret nuclear codes for the 24/7 nuclear football that the military aide carrried for him. The SECOND time he lost them, they were never found.

Hillary banned military uniforms from the White House. After it was observed that it didn't go over well politically, they were grudgingly approved for wear ONLY at official functions.

When the red carpet was rolled out for our president and each individual staff member at a sleepover stop in Holland, they left with all of the liquor and stole the crystal as a special PR "thank you" to the gracious hosts.

On the very frequently used Air Force One, our Commander-in-Chief committed a crime that, had he actually been SERVING in the armed forces would have put him in prison.

President #42 was so concerned about the tornado torn state of FL that when he was being flown over it to see the damage, he simply could not take time out from his card game to actually look up to peer out the window, except for a brief second when the press helicopter flew by for a photo op.

These are tidbits from the book and what was apparently an 8 year long party at the White House that still needs a mop up from the current administration.

The apolitical Lt. Col. Robert "Buzz" Patterson may think his long and distinguished military career was his greatest service to this country, but it wasn't. Writing this book in an effort to wake up a sleeping America is his most courageous and heroic contribution. It's not the truth that sets anyone free, it's KNOWING the truth that does. Many "salutes" to this USAF retiree.

Why did he write this book? In his words, "We must never allow the purveyors of such dangerous military policy and irresponsible foreign policy claim the power of the presidency again."

Yes, there are also interesting insights into VP Al Gore, and on the real person in charge (Hillary) of this Peter Pan presdident that are not to be missed.

Definitely buy this explosive book and hang onto it like it was the nuclear football for future reference, unless of course you'd like to pass it to your fellow Americans who'd like to avoid another national disaster,too.

Excellent book that has clearly hit raw nerves among the "vast left-wing conspiracy" as seen from the comments of the 1-star reviewers.

Lt-Col Patterson has done a great job of presenting his criticisms in an interesting and yet matter-of-fact, non-sensational manner. Not for him the hyped-up rhetoric so often used by partisan commentators (e.g. the 1-star reviewers) to disguise the lack of substance in what they have to say.

To the 1-star reviewers who criticise the author's claims as being unsubstantiated, you should consider that the author, if he is making up stories, risks being publicly discredited or sued. None of the 1-star reviews that I have read directly refute any of the incidents described by the author. Have Americans become so polarised and partisan that they have lost all sense of objectivity? (One reveiwer even said that Clinton managed to thwart all terrorist attacks during his presidency. Duh! Did you read the book? Do Riyadh, Al Khobar, Tanzania, Kenya, the USS Cole ring any bells? You cannot be objective if you don't rely on facts).

The 1-star reviewers who remark that the book is irrelevant because Clinton is no longer president appear to have lost the plot. Do you not think that the Clintons will try to get back to the White House (so that they can sell more nights in the Lincoln bedroom)? This is what makes the book so important.

The bottomline? It does not matter what the author's motives are. If what he says is true, it is a serious indictment of the Clintons' suitability to be leaders. Don't shoot the messenger; listen to the message even if it is painful to your ears.

This book is sure to be loudly denounced and vehemently derided, but coming, as it does, from a member of Clinton's own military security detail, it will most likely never be debunked.

Lieutenant Colonel Robert "Buzz" Patterson penned "Dereliction of Duty" after his retirement because he would never have been able to publish this kind of information while working for the government.

"Dereliction of Duty" is a gripping, yet horrifying read that'll have you realizing how lucky the U.S. was during the eight year Clinton/Gore Administration. One of the most damning charges is that Clinton once lost the "nuclear football," the suitcase that carries this country's nuclear launch codes. Clinton's response, according to Patterson, was a cavalier, "I'll track'em down guys."

You'll also read about the time in 1998 that Clinton blew off his National Security Advisor so he could finish a round of golf, while stealth-bombers, engines running, their pilots in the cockpits, sat on a Mid-East tarmac until the cover of darkness was lost and a vital mission against Saddam Hussein was called off.

Patterson also gives an entirely new look at the "Black Hawk Down" story, with Clinton denying the troops the weaponry they requested, then sending them into harm's way and ultimately blaming the disaster on his Secretary of Defense.

"Dereliction of Duty" is a searing indictment of the Clinton administration from an insider's view.

This book deserves to be read by every American!

As a close relative of Buzz Patterson, I can tell you all that Buzz Patterson has more honor, integrity, and virtue than Bill Clinton ever dreamed to be able to pretend to have. His book verifies many, many other accounts of eye witnesses that were unfortunate enough to have crossed paths with the Clintons during his administration. The sad part is that his most ardent supporters STILL cannot accept the absolute fact that this man was able to fool and manipute them with such skill and cunning as to blame all of his bad judgments on someone else, whether real or fictional. This book gives nothing but the facts, and if you would rather believe in fairy tales than the facts, then truly America is in great danger of going the way of Rome. I applaud, wholeheartedly, the courage in which Buzz has written this book, and hope that it will serve as a wake-up call to America to be ever so careful in the leaders that we choose, whether Democrat, Republican, or Independant, for their character flaws may prove too great for even a great nation to bear.

Buzz deserves a medal for this book alone.
Thanks, Buzz!

This author provides yet another indictment of the Clinton Administration. However, unlike some books, this was written by one who observed first hand much of that which he relates to the reader. The writer details a lack of action by the President in some critical situations. It is somewhat frightening in retrospect as you think of what the consequences could have been. The author emphasizes the lack of respect that the President displayed to the military and his apparent lack of concern for maintaining a strong military preparedness.
I found it to be easy reading and to me a confirmation of the concerns expressed in other books about this President and his administration.

My son worked in the Clinton White House (one level above an intern.) Although I'm still a Democrat, I was shocked to hear the slipshod behavior in the White House about security concerns. What mattered was civil rights, raising money, and getting elected. The US Defense establishment was treated almost as an enemy! On reflection, I suppose that is to be expected from a passionate anti-Vietnam war protester.

I was moved to write this review after reading the "1-Star" reviews of the book. Having read the book, I can only conclude that those reviews were politically motivated.

My son and I have read the book and we agree that it is a fair, accurate presentation, not surprising to us, but probably eye-opening to the general public, especially Clinton supporters.

Reviewers and detractors of this book can't address the book itself, apparently its indisputable. Instead, they strain to draw a Clinton vs. Bush analogy with Iraq.

Let's check the record: America is attacked in NY in 1993 and 6 times subsequently by Islamic terrorists (or fascists, your call). In response, Clinton attacks Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, Rwanda, Kosovo, and Sudan.

Bush has 8 months in office, America is attacked on 9/11, and Bush goes after the perpetrators. First, Afghanistan. And then, Iraq....with the overwhelming majority of BOTH SIDES of the Congress and 70+% of the US public.

Reviewer "Fishkus" contends that Bush has equally gutted military morale with fruitless engagements as Patterson contends Clinton did. Take a look at military morale...re-enlistments have never been higher and recruiting across all services not only meets goals but EXCEEDS them. Not exactly the poor morale we experienced under Clinton...and yes, we are actually engaging an enemy who seeks to attack if not destroy the US.

The analogies don't play, no matter how hard the Left want them to. This is our war, we voted for it, our president took the initiative, and now we have a whole boatload of Monday morning quarterbacks.

Read "Dereliction of Duty" to understand how we all got here. Its disturbing, it'll anger you, but enlighten you at the same time.

I certainly don't think this is the forum to discuss personal political beliefs as some reviewers have chosen. As I was never a fan of Clinton's, I tried my best to read this book as objectively as I could. While I was appalled to see the examples of how Clinton disrespected the position we elected him to (especially through his treatment of our brave men and women in the military at home and abroad) I was disappointed with how the author attacked the Clinton's personally. As much as Buzz Paterson said it was NOT a personal attack and that there was a much greater underlying meaning that would surface as a result of relaying these examples, it did not come across completely in that way to me. Half of me chalked that up to his understandable passion for the welfare of our military personnel, but the other half thought it was in borderline poor taste.
The 4 stars comes from averaging a 5 on content with a 3 on the manner it was conveyed.

I have read this book and also unlimited access by former FBI agent Gary Aldridge.
I have been in the military and I have been a law enforcement officer. I understand how these two feel.
When you take into account these two authors had no motives except to let the public know what goes on behind the scene in the White House, forget partisanship, it is apparent that these two were fed up the Clintons turning the White House into camp runamok.
Ask your self did Dee Dee Myers not have a security clearance until two years into Clinton's presidency? Did Clinton lie under oath? Did he get disbarred in Arkansas because he lied under oath? Does Hillary Clinton tell staff to have the workers clear the hall until she passes by? These are but a few of the questions higlighted. All the answers to these questions are yes and they shed a bright light on the Clinton's from two insiders points of view. They told the truth, everything can be researched because I have and these two tell it like it is.
Read both books and in Unlimited Access pay close attention to the Christmas decorations to the White House Christmas tree. What did they allow to be on the tree? I know, and you should too.
The Clintons have no character and these two exposed them for the fools they are.
Trust me, Monica was just side note in this pathetic presidency.