Customer Reviews

Fighting Back: The War on Terrorism from Inside the Bush White House

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

The most important insights from Mr. Sammon relate to the uninformed infantilism of the main-stream media and the abject cynical view of America and its institutions that drive Democratic consultants. Although much of what he writes about President Bush already has been revealed in September 11 anniversary interviews, this book presents more fully and naturally his emotional character and strength but more importantly his decency and class.

Partisan Democrats and pundits will definitely not like this book because their motivation, to gleefully hope for Bush to fail, is there for the reader to see, not from Mr. Sammon's view but from their own words. That they always place their political party above the country, even in a time of crisis, is clearly there for all to read.

Mr. Sammon has captured the media from the vantage point of the viewer. I remembered clearly the press briefings he described; his assessments of them were like reading my thoughts at the time, only censored.

Like the President's prime audience, this book is not directed to the Washington elite, but over their heads: to the people.

Sammon does an excellent job of putting you right THERE. From the morning of the attacks right through to near present. You get the sense that Bush really cares about doing what is best for the country, not just what the latest polls tell him is "best". I only thank God that he is in the White House directing the shots versus the alternative. We'd be ruled by the Taliban by now.

I purchased my copy of the book this past weekend. Frankly, I don't know how "A Reader from California," or "A Reader from Patriot, USA" could speak with any authority on this book, panning it as they did in their reviews, since they posted their comments prior to the book's availability in the bookstores. Clearly, they haven't read it, and based on the tone of their comments, they have no intention of reading it. But those interested in the history that is being written about our current crisis will find the book a fair and balanced treatment of this President's response.

Sammon's descriptions are a view "from the inside" of the Bush White House on the morning of, and immediately following, the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Clearly, those who resent the fact that George W. Bush is President, or who resent the fact that Bush grew in the estimation of the vast majority of Americans as the right leader for our nation at its time of extreme crisis, will not like this book, because it records the details of decision-making which initiated the nation's war on terror. Sammon is evenhanded in his treatment of Bush -- he neither glorifies him and his Administration, nor does he trash President Bush in an unwarranted way.

The pictures and the public story of 9/11 are well-known to all. What this book provides is a first look into the decision making of those in White House who had to actually craft a national policy and response to those who have protected the terror networks. Greatness in leadership is seen in how leaders respond and make decisions in times of great crises. This book is one of the first attempts to record the decision-making following 9/11.

The first book on President Bush's response to September 11th is a compelling read. Reporter Bill Sammon, who has first-class connections inside the Bush White House, uses first person interviews with president Bush and others in the administration to give their take on the war against Al-Quaeda. Straighforward and just-the-facts, Sammon avoids the polemics and cheap shots that litter many books on the Bush adminsitration.

First off, I want to make it clear I am reviewing this book, not the character George Bush is painted. There are some negative reviews out due to the fact the author has praised president Bush. But that is not what this book is about. This is a minute by minute accurate historical account from the morning of September 11 2001. I will remain neutral on the opinions of our presidents actions, I will only review the central theme of this book.
Fighting back does not seem to fit the theme, the book should be titled more on the lines of Chronology of this time frame from 911 to near present. The book can only be the best on the market as this author had it straight from the president in personal conversation, with other advisors, including military leaders. All in all Mr Sammon got all of this information from the sources, not close to the sources, but the real account. Unless Bill is lieing, this book tells it like it is, and in reality none of it comes to real surprise as the information concurs with past press releases. However what makes this book better,,, it goes into those intrinsic details we never hear on CNN.

As for the way the book is written and assembled, it's fitting the genres of the best seller lists, no doubt about that. I enjoyed reading this as I was looking for many unanswered "Why's". There here, since Bill did in fact get his poop straight from the horse's mouth. If this interested you a very fine book which takes a look at the USA's next moves, where this book leaves off, read Karl Maddox's SB: 1 or God, we do go to war with Saddam, and the conflict is realistically covered.

I just read this last night - couldn't put it down.
Sammon has an eye for detail and human interaction.
He is easy to read. This is not a work for the ages;
I doubt it will end up on any college history studies
reading list 20 years from now. But here and now,
it provides a delightfully clear and immediate picture
of some of the key events of this last year.

The book has about 7 chapters, each one focused on
the events of a particular point in time. There's
Bush the evening before the attack. There's Osama
as seen in a couple of videos. There's Bush the
day of the attack, from the point he is told. There's
the retired fireman who stood by Bush when he visited
Ground Zero. There's some Democrat politicos such as
the Rajun Cajun in a couple hour meeting discussing
how the latest polls show weaknesses in Bush -- interrupted
at the end by a cell phone call announcing a plane has
hit the World Trade Center.

A few hits are taken on a couple of reporters from the
liberal media and such. But unlike many books on my
reading shelf, this one is mostly upbeat.

The book is clearly impressed with Bush. If you are amongst
the 20% of this nation that hates him, don't get this book.

There was some doubt when G-W was nominated in my mind on what type of a President he would be. Now there is no doubt that he has all it takes to be one of our best. Most great leaders are such in tough times, and it is a matter of "fate" "timing" or just plane luck that the world puts them in a postion to tap into the deepest of their own charicter. President Bush had the charicter needed to do the job that needs to be done when 9-11 happend on his watch over our nation.

After reading this book, I would like to meet him, thank him, and help him with a few weakneses that if eliminated will set him in stone on Mt Rushmore...

At last we have a president we can respect! He surrounds himself with capable people and he tries to get politicians to put the country first instead of putting their own selfish needs first. This book shows the character of a great man. Yes, he has a speech problem. Well that's better than some of the problems some leaders have! I'd rather have a sincere person as president than a slick talker! I really enjoyed seeing more about how well he works with people. He has even gotten politicians from opposing parties to work together for the good of our country. Read this book unless you are afraid of developing a new respect for our president.

This is another in a long line of conservative books that have reached #1 on the NYT best seeller list. Sammon has gotten the true feelings of the president from inside the White House.

The book is informative, energetic and seems to extract the true personal feelings of a man who is deliberate and single minded in his pursuit of doing what is right and good for America. It is indeed refreshing to see a president who puts the well being of the country and its citizenry before political considerations. Sammons has exactly captured this aspect of the man.

While it is true "Fighting Back" is an introspective look behind the scenes of George W. Bush's presidency during some of the darkest days of his administration, it also gives great insight into the way Democratic strategists have tried to undermine every breath he takes. Bush has been "Fighting Back" ever since Al Gore called him back on the cell phone election night and started trying to create votes that weren't there in his unsuccessful bid to steal the election from Bush.
You should be sickened, when reading this, at the way these strategists twist the truth and try to politicize everything to their own gain. (as we saw recently at the Wellstone memorial when they turned it into a Democratic convention!)
There is a whole chapter on the inner workings of James Carville et.al that was eye opening to this now former Democrat!