March 2003: The United States invades Iraq.
October 2006: The world finds out why.
What was really behind the U.S.-led invasio... read full description
October 2006: The world finds out why.
What was really behind the U.S.-led invasio... read full description
reviews
Apr 09, 2010
I already have a Working Theory about how the hell we got dragged in to this one. It's controversial! Because - for example - I don't think Bush or Blair lied! Which is one thing everyone says they did. I explained this elsewhere but I'll recycle it here again. The year is 2002, the scene is Somewhere in Washington. The President speaks:
Bush : "We need to find out about Iraq - what's Saddam up to? I know, we'll ask the CIA."
CIA : "The Prez wants to know ab More...
Bush : "We need to find out about Iraq - what's Saddam up to? I know, we'll ask the CIA."
CIA : "The Prez wants to know ab More...
3 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Feb 04, 2010
Steven
rated it: 
This is another book in a long series on the march toward war in Iraq. It is one of the better of these volumes.
One key passage lays out the message of this book (page 410): "What had gone wrong? Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Rice and other administration officials had set themselves up by using the most dramatic and forceful rhetoric in persuading the nation that was necessary. They had approached the invasion of Iraq as though it were a political campaign. They pushed as More...
One key passage lays out the message of this book (page 410): "What had gone wrong? Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Rice and other administration officials had set themselves up by using the most dramatic and forceful rhetoric in persuading the nation that was necessary. They had approached the invasion of Iraq as though it were a political campaign. They pushed as More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Apr 30, 2009
Christopher
rated it: 
Hubris is the best book on how the Bush Administration brought us to war in Iraq. Its also exceptional at describing the intelligence "failure" and the entire sordid Valerie Plame affair. The book is written by Michael Isikoff, the Newsweek reporter who broke the Monica Lewinski scandal, so you understand right away that he has no partisan axe to grind. The book is a very hard look at how Bush had a clear determination to invade Iraq; how they built a case on flimsy evidence, fears,
More...
Mar 09, 2009
Terry
rated it:
Treating very recent history is difficult because a writer is much more emotionally invested. Here Isikoff uses the journalistic accounts and government reports to uncover the truly sinister actions of the Bush administration to manufacture a case for war against Iraq despite the compelling evidence against it.
I grew more and more angry as I read. It could have been a new section of Barbara Tuchman's "March of Folly".
I grew more and more angry as I read. It could have been a new section of Barbara Tuchman's "March of Folly".
Aug 05, 2011
A chronological retelling of the campaign by the Bush administration to sell the war in Iraq to the American people. It does contain an interesting perspective on the Valerie Plame Wilson affair, since David Corn was one of the journalists involved in outing her and in giving the story "legs". The whole thing started with assumptions making their way into official notes and high ranking officials spreading gossip. As is usual in Washington, the whole mess exploded when people scrambled
More...
Sep 26, 2009
Eric
rated it:
A fine, reasonably balanced (fans of the Bush administration won't think so) look at how we got to where we're at now.[return][return]The picture ain't pretty--politicians of both parties, intelligence workers and reporters all come off very badly.[return][return]Patriotism is apparently not just the last resort of the scoundrel, but makes scoundrels of us all--or many of us at any rate.
Mar 24, 2011
Exhaustively researched and yet intensely readable. Well, the end kinda lagged a bit but mostly a truly fascinating and frightening account of an amazing combination of arrogance, incompetence, and sheer nuttiness that led us into the Iraq war. There were plenty of things I knew about but even more I didn't and it was all worth reading. However, by the time it got to the Libby trail and the leaks, I was getting worn out with who had spoken to whom about what and started to loose some of the thre
More...
Nov 23, 2011
Jerry
rated it: 
Hmmm. This is a book that is difficult for to review. It may be because I am really not sure that it adds to the sum of our knowledge about this sad, disgraceful episode in history. We know that Bush and Blair lied to the public and then attempted to cover it up. At the very least they were not as rigorous in investigating the intelligence as they should have been. This book really just tells us the factual story of the lead up to the war, and then the unraveling of situation as no WMDs were fou
More...
Mar 04, 2011
Kristiana
rated it:
While a little depressing, Hubris was a really fast read. It's almost 19 hours long, but it really flew by. It reads kind of like a suspense novel with so much deceit and backstabbing.
Mar 03, 2011
Larry
rated it:
A very irritating book. Irritating because of its content, not for any other reason. Well researched and written. We were lied to and led into a war we should never have fought.
Aug 05, 2011
Daryl
rated it:
the bush/cheney/rumsfeld/rice/wolfowitz/perle crowd should be tried as war criminals, manipulators of fears and distorters of truth.
Oct 09, 2007
Frank
rated it:
A bit tedious, and there's way too much ink spent on the Valerie Plame affair, but still a useful primer on how a majority of the American populace (me included) was duped into supporting the military intervention in Iraq. From the dubious rationale for the invasion (aluminum tubes + yellowcake from Niger = mushroom clouds!) to the early days of the botched occupation, the authors provide staggering detail from government officials and other witnesses that reveal an administration all too gung-h
More...
Oct 26, 2007
Marcel
rated it:
This is an amazing expose of the events and decisions following 9/11 that ended with the invasion of Iraq. I read this book because it was written by not one, but two investigative journalists of opposing political viewpoints. The authors researched and wrote in a cooperative effort to get at the unbiased truth. And the truth is extremely enlightening and amazing. In fact, after reading this book you will be very mad at the men and women who now run this country.
A very well-writt More...
A very well-writt More...
Jun 17, 2009
Cynthia
rated it:
Disturbing. More disturbing. Proof that 'where there's a will, there's a way'. Damn.
Jan 06, 2010
Darrell
rated it:
I don't care what side of the political aisle one might be in. You have to read this book. Our government lied to us in so many ways it will startle you. We cant allow any administration to have this much control of the entire system. George Bush was technically King for 8 years
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Apr 30, 2007
stephanie
rated it:
I read this book because my boss wrote it (David Corn). I think it started to lag in the second half-- just got too nitty-gritty, I guess-- but it's worth reading if you want to understand as best as anyone can how we ended up at war in Iraq. It's pretty crazy; you really can't make this stuff up. A good example of muckraking. A lot of the questions that democratic congressmen have just started to ask are already answered-- in this book. Needless to say, given I am such a slow reader, this book
More...
Mar 14, 2008
Jack
rated it:
An excellent chronicle in absolute terms, although after Woodward's plan of attack a lot of it feels familiar (except for this book's in-depth discussion of the valerie plame affair, with which woodward was loosely involved). And I've read enough on Iraq lately that it becomes hard to keep everything straight. I think I'm going to take a break from this topic for a while so my blood pressure can recover. Although it was fun to read the book's rather blunt condemnations of judith miller.
More...
Sep 28, 2010
Juli
rated it:
Looking for validation of how angry you are at the Bush White House... STILL. This'll get your dander up.
Jan 12, 2008
Peterod0922
rated it:
A strong account of the idiocy which has led us into the Iraq war. It does stay pretty much to the narrative of what the two authower were able to uncover on their own, and doesn't make too many leaps with the evidence into motives. However the evidence they are able to uncover is damning enough. If you are looking for the deeper reasons of "why", there are probably other books which would be of more interest (e.g Greg Palast's work).
Dec 05, 2007
Sam
rated it:
This book presents overwhelming evidence that the Bush and Cheney decided to go to war in Iraq a long time ago, even before 9/11, and details exactly how they strong-armed intelligence officials into delivering any scraps that could be distorted into evidence in favor of the predetermined decision to invade. They lied, they covered up their lies, they got away with it, and it is happening again.
Sep 28, 2010
Rae
rated it:
This book has a definite liberal bias, but all in all it's a good summary of how the American people got snookered, if you will, into the second Iraq war. And now, after the fact, what's done is done and it is what it is. It is insightful to know how we got where we are, though.
Dec 16, 2007
David
rated it:
This is a great and very detailed account of the intelligence failures of the Bush Administration leading up to the war as well as a step by step time line of where, when and how. I don't think anyone reading this book can ignore the complete and udder arrogance this administration processes, and well as their complete failure and attempts to hide that failure.
Dec 16, 2009
chris
rated it: 
I thought it was a good read, but it may not be for everyone. I found myself daydreaming through parts only to have to re-read the section. The author pieces together information that I have heard from separate sources into one book. If you know the key players then you may really enjoy the book, but there may be others out there that do a better job.
Dec 30, 2010
Elizabeth
rated it:
Excellent and a must-read about the Bush years. The best source on why the outing of NOC (non official cover) CIA officers is a crime--hence, the outing of Valerie Plane Wilson (ref. movie and book, Fair Game).
I wrote a full review earlier but once again Goodreads "lost it.
I wrote a full review earlier but once again Goodreads "lost it.
Jan 07, 2008
Scott
rated it:
Seems like a number of books I read have to do with "what happened." (I have a bunch of engineering disaster books I have yet to add here.) I think my curiosity in that way led to reading this. It has a ton of detail, maybe too much for those not riveted by the subject, but it was strange and scary trip I found mesmerizing.
Sep 12, 2009
Barbara
rated it:
Thoroughly intrigued by this book. Felt it was presented in a balanced way. Really shows how determined and short sighted the Bush Administration was in the advancement of the Iraq war. It was like they had blinders on. Boy they really screwed things up and too bad over 4000 of our young people had to pay the price.
