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35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outstanding biography of an outstanding American leader!, October 12, 2006
Washington Post reporter Karen DeYoung clearly finds the mark in her most auspicious biography of, in my opinion, America's finest leader in recent memory. Colin Powell truly is a great American and merits such a treatment of his life's story. I had the good fortune of speaking with him at some length one time on the telephone and found him to be a leader among leaders, in charge without being dictatorial, and utterly "cool." I trust that he will continue to inspire budding leaders of like integrity and ability to step forward and serve.
DeYoung captures the essence of Powell by delving deeply into his world. This she accomplished through a series of comprehensive interviews that offer a full picture of the man. Powell may have his shortcomings, but try and find another like him! DeYoung also succeeds, because of her skills and experiences as a Washington insider. She talks Powell's language of "intel-speak" and "Realpolitik." A pragmatist and not an ideologue, Powell always has been a good soldier. He is at once loyal in service, yet also unafraid to raise a flag as a referee might do at a sporting event. He kept administration extremists at arm's length and tried to exert a moderating influence over policies and events.
As good as he is, Powell is not Superman. In some ways, he fell short of steering administrations away from such pitfalls as the Iran-contra affair and the present quandary in Iraq. Even the euphoria of the 1991 liberation of Kuwait did not translate into a regime change in Iraq, because it would have fractured the coalition, turned the Muslim world against the US, and left America hard-pressed to win the peace amid sectarian violence and groping to come up with an exit strategy. Like today.
From the 1980s on, Powell has rubbed shoulders with the likes of Gorbachev, George W. Bush, and almost everyone of power in between. Most of them he influenced for the better. A few got the better of him. Powell's 2003 UN presentation on Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) in Iraq exposed some of his flaws, but we can be sure that Powell did his homework. Perhaps his priorities got discombobulated, since hindsight now tells us that North Korea is a WMD threat, Iran is well on the way, and Iraq was grossly exaggerated.
DeYoung presents all this and much more in a book that may well have a shot at a Pulitzer Prize or National Book Award. DeYoung gives us Powell's personal life as well, including a vignette about how relieved he and his family were when he finally let go of his quest for the presidency. Somewhat of an outsider, Powell was better suited to become an appointed Cabinet member and sounding board for a president open-minded enough to take advice from someone gutsy enough to disagree with him. And Powell is centrist enough to have served with such polar opposites as Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. DeYoung also reveals that Powell is pro-choice on abortion, a stance that I disagree with strongly. Overall, however, the Colin Powell that DeYoung presents is a person I admire and one who continues to do much good for his country. Even the dust cover shows him wearing a little red wagon lapel pin, the symbol of his brainchild project America's Promise, an effort to help American children to become competent and caring adults. Like Colin Powell! With a boost from this outstanding biography, may he continue to inspire new leaders to follow his example and help make this world a better place. Rev. Dennis J. Mercieri
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A good and informative read, November 12, 2006
Having read Powell's "My American Journey," I enjoyed contrasting the first 250 (or so) pages of this biography with his autobiography. With that in mind, Karen DeYoung does a good job addressing Colin Powell's early life as well as his military career outside of Washington. However, it's obvious that those topics are not her primary interests. Her writing is not bad as she covers these non-political topics, but the discussion ALMOST seems obligatory in nature.
Once Colin Powell's life starts revolving around Washington, though, the author's strengths really do come out and the book becomes a very good read.
Like many (all?) of the other reviewers, I am a fan of the book's subject, so I had a strong desire for this book to succeed from the moment I saw the title. However, that positive bias alone would not be enough to grant four stars. This is a quality book.
I do, though, strongly encourage people to read Powell's autobiography prior to reading this biography. The combination (in that order) will allow you to develop a much more informed picture of the man.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Colin Powell Portrayed Honestly and Extraordinarily Accurately!, November 2, 2006
There are two verses that appear to summarize the essence of Colin Powell, as portrayed by Karen DeYoung in her brilliant biography of this beloved American hero.:
" . . . soldiers didn't' quit when they disagreed with the decisions of their commanders . . . he would be a soldier until he drew his last breath."
"I've had tough days. I've had great days . . . There are days where things don't go so well and a position you might have been pushing isn't successful . . . That just comes with the business. And if that's going to put you into a blue funk, then you're in the wrong business . . . I've been shot at for real, as opposed to the way I get shot at now."
The reviews of excellence written about DeYoung's large-scale undertaking about this extraordinary man are accurate. The story of Powell's life from the time he was asked to resign by President Bush to his family ties in Jamaica, and his beginning in the United States Armed Forces and back again, to give a speech at the War College . . . and everything in between is simply brilliantly and fluidly portrayed.
DeYoung answers, as I needed answers, why this man of great integrity appeared to have lost his credibility during the sent off mission he was asked to extend himself to with respect the WMD issue during the Iraq War. DeYoung further answers a very important question of why Colin Powell, now going on age 69 (I didn't know that!) chose not to become involved with electoral politics. Nevertheless, here is Colin Powell, personally the one individual who could have brought this nation closer together in a way not seen since the times of President Lincoln. Missed opportunity or a soldier being a soldier? Perhaps a little of both. Somehow, I believe Colin Powell is far from done. Let's hope so.
In this superb journalistic work, Karen DeYoung does not back off the hard questions about Colin Powell, cross references and makes accessible her diligent research, and stylistically writes in a manner most every reader will appreciate. There is no meandering, no drifting, and no wondering: simply put, DeYoung has written an extraordinary book about an extraordinary man, who I like many hope he realizes that his duty to the public is far from over.
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