War

by Bob Woodward, Robert Petkoff (Reading)

Runtime: 11 hours and 54 minutes

Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Bob Woodward tells the revelatory, behind-the-scenes story of three wars—Ukraine, the Middle East and the struggle for the American Presidency.

War is an intimate and sweeping account of one of the most tumultuous periods in presidential politics and American history.

We see President Joe Biden and his top advisers in tense conversations with Russian president Vladimir Putin, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. We also see Donald Trump, conducting a shadow presidency and seeking to regain political power.

With unrivaled, inside-the-room reporting, Woodward shows President Biden’s approach to managing the war in Ukraine, the most significant land war in Europe since World War II, and his tortured path to contain the bloody Middle East conflict between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas.

Woodward reveals the extraordinary complexity and consequence of wartime back-channel diplomacy and decision-making to deter the use of nuclear weapons and a rapid slide into World War III.

The raw cage-fight of politics accelerates as Americans prepare to vote in 2024, starting between President Biden and Trump, and ending with the unexpected elevation of Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for president.

War provides an unvarnished examination of the vice president as she tries to embrace the Biden legacy and policies while beginning to chart a path of her own as a presidential candidate.

Woodward’s reporting once again sets the standard for journalism at its most authoritative and illuminating.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, History, War, Audiobook, American History, Russia

12 pages, Audio CD

First published October 15, 2024

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Robert "Bob" Upshur Woodward is an assistant managing editor of The Washington Post. While an investigative reporter for that newspaper, Woodward, working with fellow reporter Carl Bernstein, helped uncover the Watergate scandal that led to U.S. President Richard Nixon's resignation. Woodward has written 12 best-selling non-fiction books and has twice contributed reporting to efforts that collectively earned the Post and its National Reporting staff a Pulitzer Prize.

Reviews

[Ярослава]

Розповідь про те, як "лідери вільного світу" приймали рішення, як реагувати на напад Росії на Україну. Скількись інсайдерських даних, воно наче й цікаво, але DNF на 50%, тому що в мене сил немає читати про те, як ці smug self-congratulatory fucks поплескують один одного по плечу і розказують, як вони ловкенько менеджерять ескалацію, подумаєш, помирає скількись-там українців, люди ж не помирають. У мене від цього читання напади гніву, я починаю бажати всім цим виблядкам піймати російську ракету самовдоволеним їблєтом і ховати своїх дітей. Це не корисно для мого ментального здоров'я, тому не дочитаю.

Купка цитат, щоб відчути емоції:

“You know we never should have let Putin just walk in there and take the Donbas in 2014. We did nothing,” Biden said. “We gave Putin a license to continue!”
Biden was very angry, a characteristic he avoided displaying in public.
“Well, I’m revoking his fucking license!” Biden said.

Ах які ми хоробрі, ах які ми воюваки. Хто, між іншим, був віцепрезидентом за Обами й виписав Путіну ліцензію продовжувати? Ах, власне кажучи, Баааайден? Якиииий дивовижний збіг, що він продовжує Путінову ліцензію зараз, попри гучні заяви.

“Chekhov’s gun” was National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan’s immediate thought as he reviewed overhead satellite photos that showed an unprecedented 110,000 Russian troops massing on the border of Ukraine.

"Вау, соу діп", - має подумати читач на думку автора. "Вау, пляма гівна на засраних від страху труселях може зробити кар'єру як національний радник з безпеки", - думаю я.
Чи от прекрасна сцена, коли адміністрація Байдена і Салліван особисто потрапляють під шквал критики за вивід військ з Афганістану і всі пов'язані з цим жертви:

“President Biden needs to fire his national security adviser and several other senior leaders who oversaw the botched execution of our withdrawal from Afghanistan,” Bruen said. Sullivan, who was accustomed to laudatory reviews of his competence and performance, was shell-shocked. “All of our nerves had been exposed to sunlight and frayed and raw and burned,” he said, especially his.

Ой бідосічка, звичайно, треба пожаліти цю мамину черешню зі слабкими нервами, а не тих, хто гинули через ці рішення, і не тих, хто стануть жертвами цієї катастрофи в майбутньому. (Я вже промовчу про те, звідки виріс Талібан і роль США в постачанні його безпосередніх попередників - підтримувати радикальних ісламістів проти СРСР для штатів було ок, а на повну підтримувати демократичну Україну проти росії це вже ескалація. Ок норм, зрозуміло, вибір союзників на 10 з 10.)

Окремо напади гніву, коли всі ці уроди вихваляються, як вони підштовхували Україну до боротьби з корупцією - от які ми білі люди, принесли тубільцям знання про демократію, there was never a call where [Biden] did not push the Ukrainians beyond their comfort zone on anti-corruption issues. Альо блядь, у вас бізнеси легально купують передвиборчі кампанії, у вас деган Маск винайшов підкуп виборців гречкою й обіцяє розіграти мільйон серед виборців Трампа, у вас демократичний транзит влади після виборів виглядає значно гірше, ніж у нас, і так далі, і таке інше.

Чи от шикарне лицемірство:

“[Putin] has us in a trap,” Johnson thought with frustration. Johnson couldn’t say [що Україні не світить НАТО] publicly because that would have contradicted NATO’s open-door policy and seemed like Putin had imposed a Russian veto on a sovereign country’s decision to apply for NATO membership.

А непублічно казати, значить, ОК? А ОК те, що кілька сторінок тому Бернз пише таке мемо як те, що потрібно враховувати при прийнятті рішень?

“Ukrainian entry into NATO is the brightest of all redlines for the Russian elite (not just Putin). In more than two and a half years of conversations with key Russian players, from knuckle-draggers in the dark recesses of the Kremlin to Putin’s sharpest liberal critics, I have yet to find anyone who views Ukraine in NATO as anything other than a direct challenge to Russian interests.”

А потім ще й як велике досягнення подається те, що донесли українцям, що підмоги чекати нізвідки:

“I felt like it was a relief and the right thing,” Finer said. “It made the Ukrainians realize that they were going to have to do this themselves,” he said, “with a ton of support but there was no cavalry coming to rescue them.”

Та да, уже весь світ бачить, що так званий західний світ - імпотенти їбані, і робить висновки. Маємо всі шанси дожити до нової війни між Кореями й захоплення Тайваню, а там уже, по ідеї, таки має прийти кавалерія США (хоча я вірю в те, що й тут відкрутяться). Хай насолоджуються третьою світовою війною, до якої підштовхували світ, як могли, розпалюючи апетити автократій. Сподіваюся прожити достатньо довго, аби побачити, як вони згорять. Але, коротше, читати цю книжку - це натурально селф-харм, тому dnf.

[Lorna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having been a longtime reader of books by Bob Woodward from back to the time of Watergate and the subsequent downfall of the Nixon presidency due to the investigative reporting of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. War was a truly riveting behind the scene's account of three wars that have been prominently on the world stage: the war in Ukraine following invasion by Putin’s Russian troops, the Middle East war in Gaza, and the struggle for the American presidency. This is a sweeping account of one of the most tumultuous periods in presidential politics and in American history. If you have kept up with the daily news about these wars and struggles, there are not a lot of surprises but one is able to see President Joseph Biden’s key advisers in a fuller light, such as Secretary of State Antony Blinken, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, CIA Director Bill Burns, Director of National Intelligence, Avril Haines, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Mark Milley. There are interactions between the president and his administration with Russian president Vladimir Putin, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian president Volodomyr Zelensky. We see the approach of President Biden in managing the war in Ukraine, the most significant land war in Europe since World War II. There is also inside reporting as we see President Biden trying to keep in check the bloody Middle East conflict between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas, as well as the involvement with Iran. Woodward reveals the complexity and consequence of wartime back-channel diplomacy to avert the use of nuclear weapons leading to a third world war. Woodward also reports about the raw politics as Donald Trump once more vies for the presidency, initially running against President Biden and then his opponent became Vice-President Kamala Harris. Woodward examines how with the nomination of Vice-President Harris, she tries to embrace the Biden legacy while trying to formulate her own path as she sought the presidency. But still, the fundamental verdict of War is that Donald Trump is the wrong man for the country and not fit to lead it as he details former cabinet members of the Trump administration, and many of the generals, having all come out against Trump citing that he was unfit to lead.

“Donald Trump is not only the wrong man for the presidency, he is unfit to lead the country. Trump was far worse than Richard Nixon, the provably criminal president. As I have pointed out, Trump governed by fear and rage. And indifference to the public and national interest.

Trump was the most reckless and impulsive president in American history and is demonstrating the very same character as a presidential candidate in 2024.”

The author Bob Woodward notes in his Epilogue that reporting on this book on President Biden has been a radically different reporting experience. Woodward states this book on Biden gave him a real-time, inside-the-room look at genuine good faith efforts by the president and his core national security team to wield the levers of executive power responsibly and in the national interest. At the center of good governance, as evidenced in this book, is teamwork. The legacy of the Biden presidency will be the core national security team that he built and kept in place bringing decades of experience. President Biden and his core team pursued an intelligence-driven foreign policy.

“As this book shows, there were failures and mistakes. The full story is, of course, not yet known. But based on the evidence available now, I believe President Biden and his team will be largely studied in history as an example of steady and purposeful leadership.”

[Maj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Practically inhaled this one. Started late Tuesday night and by Sunday evening I was finished. Engrossing, even if not the most elegant writing style. I guess I have to take the author's word for the veracity of the included information, and I'm assuming most of the quotes aren't exact and are the result of people wanting to look as well meaning and competent as possible.

But as a whole, it's a great, valuable recent history book (up to August 2024), mostly, but not only focusing on the US foreign policy and the Biden administration's efforts to stay out of wars and to prevent WW3. (And throughout also being occasionally contrasted with Trump's dangerous idiocy.)

People, Americans and non-Americans alike, love to shit on US foreign policy, convinced they'd do a better job. The country sure has made some awful choices throughout its history, but my general vibe of "wouldn't wanna be them" has definitely not been changed by reading this book. Statecraft is hard. Who'd have thunk?

(Also, how have US oficials managed to stop themselves from lunging at Netanyahu is beyond me.)

Definitely a book worth reading. Those who most should read it, the idiots calling Biden a war criminal, likely won't, but they really, really should.

[محمد القاسم · Rating 1 out of 5]

War; A book written by an author who is supposedly an investigative journalist, A profession that requires you - by nature - to be neutral, fact driven and representative & descriptive of events Only. Bob woodward butchered the basics of the profession he practiced - and still does- his entire life.

A book that can - without exxageration - be described as a 300 page long endorsement for Harris as president, War does not achieve any of its natural Objectives; it fails to offer Unique insights to people about U.S. governance, given that the book's entire narrative is basically the same as official white house breifings, it also fails in providing in depth - critical views about the shortcoming of U.S. foreign policy and sets its mission out from the beginning to portray Biden as a Marvel superhero compared to the villain that is Trump. It also has its fair share of cringy clichy hollywood like good guy portrayals of different biden admin. officials as well as biden himself.


Views on the Russia-Ukraine & Gaza-Israel wars:

This is the first bob woodward book i've ever read, it was however surprising to me that the journalist who uncovered the watergate scandal - which inclines a truth seeking character is at hand - can be so blind and shares the same self rightouesness as republican hawks when it comes to U.S. foreign policy interests. The author outrightly affirms U.S's right to intervene in foriegn countries and providing weapons to one party to slaughter the other all under the excuse of "fighting terrorism" and "fighting for the free world" failing to acknowledge that the tense state the world is in right now is because of U.S. interventionism in the first place. claiming that Hamas is an evil terrorist organization where - by secular liberal standards that the author adopts - a simple historical review of the situation for the past 75 years will show him that they are fighting an occupatio. Same is for russia, where russians are depicted as the evil villains trying to kill the good guys, while failing to take into account NATO's expansionism ever since its inception. Bob also - disgustingly and implicitly - sees the actions of the U.S. related to wars abroad as morally justified

The only reason i read this book is for the hope of it offering insights about certain aspects of the Hamas - Israel war. Unfortunately, All the useful information from this book can be gathered in less than a page.


A Complete waste of time.

[CoachJim · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Joe Biden is the first president in the 21st century who can say I don’t have American soldiers in war. … Yes, there are wars. We’re not fighting them.”
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan quoted in War by Bob Woodward (Page 367)

The title of this book should be Anti-War . This is a history of how President Biden and his core security team kept the peace for nearly four years. This team which was with him for his entire term used their decades of experience and an intelligence-driven foreign policy to keep U.S. troops out of war. He kept the country safe and the world from sliding into another World War.

As vice-president Biden had cut short a family vacation to rush back to Washington to plead with President Obama not to yield to military insistence and send another 30,000 troops to Afghanistan. He was now the fourth president of the United States with American troops there, but he kept his campaign promise to end this 20-year war. The U.S. mission there had become unclear. The chaos that followed the withdrawal was the result of a collapse by the Afghan government—a fact that just reinforces our mission there was a failure. People who had been calling for the end of the longest war now criticized Biden for withdrawing the troops. The real fault was the obsessive desire to see U.S. troops as a fix for a foreign country—ignoring the lessons learned in Vietnam.

When Russia threatened to manufacture an incident in the Ukraine that would allow them to justify the use of tactical nuclear weapons Biden’s diplomacy averted a disaster. An important section of this book reports on Putin’s idea of using tactical nuclear weapons and the negotiations that pushed him off that option. The world and our country were fortunate to have Joseph Biden at the helm during this period. It was his intrepid efforts that kept the world from experiencing any exchange of nuclear weapons.

The attack in October of 2023 by Hamas terrorists that slaughtered 1200 Israelis was a failure by Bibi Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minster, and his security team to keep their promise of “never again”. Given the promise by the U.S. to stand by Israel this threatened to drag the U.S. into the war. This was worsened by the response in Gaza by Israelis forces, and by its continued aggression against its Middle Eastern neighbors. Biden and his team again used diplomacy and its military presence to prevent a major war from breaking out in the Middle East.

Biden’s foreign policy kept U.S. ground troops out of a foreign war and the world from having another world war.. His legacy also includes successfully transitioning the country from the Covid pandemic to the best economic rebound of any country. He reengaged with our international allies. He passed an infrastructure bill—that other president had promised—which put millions of Americans to work repairing our roads instead of building military bases in foreign countries.

This was the legacy that the country rejected on November 6th of this year.

The full story is, of course, not yet known. But based on the evidence available now, I believe President Biden and this team will be largely studied in history as an example of steady and purposeful leadership.
Bob Woodward in War. (Page 370)

[Malia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is easily my favorite Bob Woodward book, largely because it does not focus on Trump as much as the others I have read by him, but rather on Biden. While I am glad that Biden made the decision to step aside for Kamala Harris, I do feel grateful to have had such a measured and capable president in these past tumultuous years. The world has seem much turmoil and much more was avoided by his diplomacy, for which we should all be thankful. There is no perfect politician, just like there is no perfect human being, but I do believe he tried his best in difficult circumstances and is a man of high moral standards and compassion. If you disagree, please either do so respectfully or not at all. I will not be engaging in political arguments. If however, you, like me, are interested in a thorough behind the scenes look at the past few years in the White House, I can highly recommend this book.

[Andrew Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s no secret what Bob Woodward thinks of Trump. In his summary at the end of The Trump Tapes: Bob Woodward's Twenty Interviews with President Donald Trump he opined that Trump is ‘not only the wrong man for the presidency, he is unfit to run the country’. In this, his latest book, he focuses on the Russia/Ukraine War, the Israel/Hamas War and, to a limited extent, the 2024 presidential election. He states that the information he shares here is based on hundreds of interviews with first hand participants and witnesses to meetings and conversations involving Trump, Biden, Putin, Netanyahu and (briefly) Harris. He doesn’t name his sources, but picking through the various discussions covered here the names that come up time and again are key high level players: Anthony Blinken, Lloyd Austin, Bill Burns, Jake Sullivan and Brett McGurk.

To an extent, what is covered is a replay of what we’ve all seen on our screens or gleaned from other news sources during the past two years – except this feels like the director’s cut, the unedited version. We’re not only reminded of the key moments, we also get an insight into what went on during the many inter-governmental discussions that took place both before and after many of these events. I found this to be interesting, and yet not hugely surprising. Biden – probably the main focus throughout – comes across as measured and thoughtful, for the most part. His mental and physical deterioration only really being talked about in the months leading up to his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race.

Headlines ‘leaked’ before the book was published focused on Trump’s rumoured phone calls with Putin, in the recent past. This is covered towards the end of the book, in the section which ends just short of the presidential vote itself. Did these conversations take place? Were they inappropriate or even illegal if they did? Difficult questions to answer without corroborating evidence. But Woodward definitely takes the opportunity to ‘put the boot in’ on Trump once more in his closing summary.

I found The Trump Tapes to be a more gripping journey than this account. There’s something here for those that like to delve into the diplomacy and the behind the scenes decision making and debates, but nothing that’s truly ground breaking. It’s a three star offering for me.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

History with the facts expertly reported.

[Vadym Didyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Перша й поки єдина книжка за місяць — «Війна» Боб Вудворд. Хотів прочитати її ще з моменту виходу англійською: і тема близька, і автор давно цікавий. Тож у відпустці нарешті дістався до неї у книгарні.

#прочитане

Текст захоплює з перших сторінок — це відчуття, ніби зазираєш за лаштунки великої політики. І водночас з’являється бажання туди більше не зазирати ніколи. Бо коли бачиш, як усе відбувається насправді, ілюзії про стратегів, професіоналів і «високі матерії» швидко розсіюються. Хоча після політики Трампа та його оточення ілюзій і так майже не лишилося. Про наших узагалі мовчу 🙈

Книжка написана динамічно, багато коротких розділів, швидкий ритм, чітка структура. Фокус — на двох ключових війнах після 2022 року: Україні та Ізраїлі. Автор показує, що їм передувало, як реагували за зачиненими дверима, куди не пускають журналістів. В цьому контексті згадуються й виведення американських військ з Афганістану, і перше президентство Трампа — як ланки одного ланцюга.

Ближче до фіналу читати стає важко. Бо розумієш, що за всіма цими пустими розмовами, паузами й затягуванням рішень — реальні втрати. Наші люди, які гинули й гинуть. А коли накладаєш це на теперішню ситуацію, вже після написання книжки, за другої каденції Трампа, то злість і роздратування лише посилюються.

Хочеться вірити, що для когось зі світових політиків ця книжка стане уроком. Що хтось зробить висновки, почне думати на кілька кроків уперед, зважувати слова, прогнозувати дії противника. Усвідомить, що «з великою силою приходить велика відповідальність.»

Найважче було абстрагуватися від того, що за цими сторінками, які охоплюють майже чотири роки подій, стоїть неймовірна кількість смертей.

Загалом праця Вудворда потужна. Якщо вам цікава велика політика без прикрас — дуже рекомендую. Принаймні, русню тут не облизують, а позиція автора виглядає достатньо чіткою й послідовною (гуглити глибше не став).

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an unexpected surprise for me as I was going into it was rather low expectations. The previous few Woodward books were so negative that I was expecting more of the same with War, but I found this to be more informative, though still with a few jabs here and there. I especially appreciated the sections on the recent conflicts in the Middle East as I still feel under informed on the subject.

[jihad · Rating 3 out of 5]

اعتقد أن الكتاب من الاهمية بمكان خاصة أنه يأتي متزامنا مع الاحداث التي تقع فعلا الان .
الكتاب يتبع نمط السرد (سرد الاخبار) دون التدخل أوالتحليل من قِبل الكاتب .
لم أتفق في كثير مما قراته خاصه عندما يتعلق الامر بالولايات المتحدة وشخصيات الولايات المتحدة فهو يتحدث بنبرة عاطفية شديدة ، بوب وودورد يظهر البراءة التامة لأميركا فيما تتخذه من قرارات ، وكأن الولايات المتحدة ليست مسؤلة عن أكبر عملية إباده في العصر الحديث والممول الرئيسي لها .
كما أنني أرى انحيازه للحزب الديمقراطي ، وهذا لا يجب أن يكون بإعتباره صحفي ، ينقل الحدث بحيادية .

[Mohamed al-Jamri · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a book of propaganda, Liberal Western propaganda. If you have been following the mainstream media for the past few years, you will find the same content here.

For instance, the author completely adopts the Western point of view when it comes to the Russian-Ukrainian war without any critical remarks; listening to Mershaimer after this crap is like a breath of fresh air. When it comes to Palestine it's even worse, he repeats the same propaganda about 7 October: the rapes etc, even after much of this was shown to be exaggerated or wholly fabricated.

What can you learn from it then? Well, it confirmed that "moderate" Arab regimes (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Jordan and Egypt) are against Hamas and encouraged the Israeli war, or at least that's what they told US officials. It reveals that in addition to Jordan, the Arab country that helped Israel to thwart the Iranian attack on Israel last April (2024) is Saudi Arabia. This is hardly surprising, although the details could be interesting. It also showed that MBS (crown prince of Saudi Arabia) uses burner phones to contact US officials such as Sullivan and Blinken. I would say that's pretty much what I learned from it.

Oh, and it reminded me how pathetic the Western propaganda has become in an age where there are many other sources of information. Makes me wonder just how much history I can trust, especially when there are few sources that recorded it.

[Sleepless Dreamer · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's November 2nd, 2024. The Taliban has recently banned women from praying too loudly. North Korean soldiers have joined the battlefields in Ukraine while Putin hosts a record-breaking BRICS conference, far from isolated. Iran and Israel exchange blows, causing chaos across the Middle East, the Houthis continue their maritime attacks and the war in Gaza drags on.

Yet, Woodward does not pause in his crusade to convince us that Biden's administration did a good job. Now, to be fair, I do not think the current state of affairs is entirely their fault. It seems clear to me that the world is more fragile and dangerous than it has been before. Nor am I tempted to support Trump. I can't say that Trump would do better and I certainly realize the risks of his presidency. However, I do not enjoy being fooled, encouraged into believing that this is a story of successful leadership.

War feels like a solid combination of historical fiction and journalist reporting. World leaders curse at each other as the tensions rise, crises are managed and WW3 haunts the White House. Woodward describes the Afghanistan pull-out, the intelligence regarding Russia's invasion, the nuclear risks, the Israel-Hamas war and Iran's interference. In between, Trump plays a background role. Everything is very well written, hats off for making politics so engaging.

Woodward tries to present this administration in the best light possible. Yet this entailed some level of sugarcoating. I'm willing to accept that the Afghanistan pull-out went badly due to faulty American intelligence, that Biden made the best decision with the information that he had. But what about Ukraine and the Middle East?

The attempt to present the American leaders often meant that other leaders were presently unfairly. The US is shown as entirely confident in their prediction that Russia would invade while Zelensky is shown as ignorant of the potential of war yet then nearly helpless, frightened. This seemingly omits his own agency. Particularly, the "I need ammunition, not a ride" conversation seems to highlight that the Americans didn't really have faith in Ukraine, even though apparently they were confident in predicting the invasion. This raises questions as to the preparation for the war. Putin is, of course, presented in a usual stereotypical manner, zero complexity.

And then we come to the Middle East. Now, it's undeniable that Netanyahu is a total asshole. Yet, when I read this, I found myself thinking about the American paradigms at play. "A ceasefire will be the solution for the regional tension", "A regional escalation can be avoided if Israel acts differently", etc. This book fails to mention that Hezbollah did shoot missiles into Israel on October 8th. Yet, there was that false alarm (and I remember that clearly cause our screens exploded with missile alerts, oops) but the average reader is left to think that Israel was hallucinating the risks of Hezbollah. Moreover, this book somehow doesn't mention the core argument of the Israeli concerns about Hezbollah- Hamas' attack showed that the strategy of "we don't hurt the terrorist organizations and they don't hurt us" doesn't work when they are so close to the border where civilians live. Is there room to criticize this thinking? Certainly yet Woodward somehow doesn't even mention this core Israeli frame of thought.

On the regional escalation, one cannot look at the events without thinking about Iran and the proxies. It's a careful balance- lean too much into the region and you forget the Palestinian just needs. Yet the Houthis, Hezbollah, Hamas, Iraqi militias and Iran are clearly connected and so, the regional escalation started on October 8th, regardless of Biden's "don't". It's been a regional escalation all along.

I do not want to complain too much. I felt that the biases of this book were clear but it also felt like an explanation about the American perspectives. I liked especially seeing the emphasis on team work in Biden's style. To sum up, I do recommend this book for a look at American policymaking, even with a bit of an attempt to dress it up.

What i'm taking with me
- I didn't get why Trump was randomly discussed? Like how was this relevant to the structure of the book?
- the transparent attempt to discuss the humanitarian situation in Gaza and then switch to how Harris is more public, like I can't not read this book as a bit of a campaign. Of course, it is not surprising to see Netanyahu lie, especially with regards to the drama of politics. It's infuriating that the humanitarian become political, yet I also can't help but think that the responses were unsurprising. this was not the way to achieve their goals.
- i said this often during the earlier months of the war- it was politically beneficial for Biden and Netanyahu to manufacture fights, their electorate liked seeing that the leaders were standing up to their beliefs.

[Bindesh Dahal · Rating 1 out of 5]

A shameless endorsement of appalling Biden-Harris Administration. Disgusting propaganda piece. Shilling for murderous Zionists and Ukrainian neo-Nazis. Bob Woodward is a disgrace.

[Amid عميد · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating this book five stars does not necessarily mean that I agree with everything in it. In fact, War is a highly biased work, leaning heavily in favor of the Biden administration's perspective. Bob Woodward paints Donald Trump as a figure of ridicule, demonizes Russia, and provides a narrative that justifies Israel's war crimes. The book often feels like a calculated political tool, especially considering its release just weeks before the American elections.

Despite its biases, I genuinely enjoyed reading it. Bob Woodward's engaging prose, humor, and vivid storytelling make it a compelling read. Beyond the politics, it offers valuable insight into how the Biden administration thinks, which is worth understanding, even if you disagree.

One of the moments that really caught my attention was Woodward's recounting of Tony Blinken's visits to the Middle East, where several Arab leaders reportedly expressed their desire for Israel to decisively defeat Hamas. They were said to be supportive of Israel but wary of the backlash from their own populations. While these statements are difficult to verify, the actions and policies of these leaders, along with state media narratives, seem to align closely with these supposed sentiments.

[Angie Boyter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been increasingly concerned about the international scene , especially the lack of attention to it in the election campaigns, and when this book came out I did the almost unprecedented step of buying it almost immediately and at full price.
It was worth it.
It is FULL of EXCELLENT information about the complexities of the Mideast and Ukrainian fronts, and I came away much better informed but even more worried.
Two criticisms:
I was shocked at the fairly poor proofreading for such a well-known author and a major publisher.
The beginning was a bit of a turnoff. It began with a critical portrayal of Donald Trump, a stance that I do not disagree with, but it made me fear the whole book would be that way. Never fear; it DID get to the main topic fairly quickly.

[Eugene · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s always valuable to read an in-depth analysis of current global events. Unfortunately, this book doesn’t offer that. Instead, it serves as an unabashed endorsement of Biden-Harris and a critique of Trump’s personality (but not his policies).

Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty to criticize about Trump, but the obsessive support for Biden-Harris, while the world is seemingly unraveling under their watch, undermines the author’s credibility as a journalist. You can’t excuse one leader’s failures as mere unfortunate coincidences while demonizing the other (e.g., both Trump and Biden mishandled classified documents, yet Trump’s actions were painted as malicious, while Biden’s were portrayed as innocent mistakes of a “well-meaning elderly man with poor memory,” carefully framed with selective citations).

There is such a thing as “Trumpism,” which often carries religious connotations. However, I don’t believe this “religion” has a holy book. But now, thanks to Bob Woodward, “Biden-Harrism” seems to have one.

[Chip · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bob Woodward's Trump Derangement Sydrome at is best. Cherry picks partial quotes from Trump to show his bias against Trump. Waits until chapter 69 to even suggest Biden's mental decline that the public has seen for years. Skips the drama and details we saw around Biden being pushed out of running for a second term and Harris' coronation as the nominee by the Party elite. If you enjoy historical fiction this is a good read. If you are looking for a fact-filled book, my opinion is to look elsewhere.

[محمود المسلمي · Rating 4 out of 5]

حسنا !!!
ما المدهش في هذا الكتاب ؟؟
ما الذي لم تكن تعرفه( خلال أكثر من عام علي حرب غزة ) و فضحه لك الكاتب ؟؟
هل كنا نحتاج لكاتب أمريكي لكي يكشف لنا تأمر و تواطؤ الممالك الصهيو-العربية؟
أو أن الأمريكان و حليفتهم اسرائيل لديهم قنوات اتصال خلفية مع إيران ؟
أنا لا أقلل من جهد بوب وودوارد
لكن حقا إذا لم نعد نملك القدرة علي الرؤية من ( الغربال ) لمدة سنة كاملة
نستحق بجدارة لقب العميان

[Carmel Hanes · Rating 4 out of 5]

We've lived through some scary times recently. A pandemic, natural disasters, and new wars that bring a sense of instability to the larger world. Sometimes we have to turn away for our own sanity, and shrink our focus to that which we believe we can control (like what will I eat for breakfast or watch on TV?). But when you have the courage to look up, to look more widely, there are things that can inform you more completely about what those scary things involve. This was such a book.

This closer look into the Biden/Harris administration as they were forced to reckon with two new wars breaking out in fragile areas was an education in the art of diplomacy, the tentative nature of alliances, the uneasy boundaries around defending one's own country without broadening a conflict or annihilating innocent civilians, the dance between optics and values, and how much time and effort compromise and resolution can take.

I found I was unaware of Harris' role in a number of troublesome situations or of her numerous contacts with foreign leaders at Biden's request, for which I fault the media. I learned that Biden, while imperfect, had compassion, reason, experience and caution as the foundation of his attempt to reign in the situations, which is no small feat given the stubbornness and certainty of some leaders and the cultural factors operating. And I learned that Trump was exactly who I've perceived him to be. I hate to think where we would be today had Trump been elected in 2020.

I listened to this on audio and my interest never waned. There's something to be said for consuming this kind of in-depth summary as you are living a situation, for it allows missing pieces to fill in and questions to be answered while things are fresh. Thank you Joe Biden. I think history will judge you kindly, even if every moment was not executed with perfection. Afghanistan was certainly not well done, but Woodward did not sugar-coat some of the missteps or failures, which I appreciate in a journalist.

4.5 stars

[Angus McKeogh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really informative. All about the United States’s handling of the Ukrainian and the Israeli wars. Warts and all as they say. A bit here and there about Trump but this is mainly about the Biden administration. Eye opening. Unlike Trump’s claims, not everything was or has been done perfectly.

[Lulwah Ayoub · Rating 1 out of 5]

A piece of propaganda that puts the nazis to shame. I’ve never read sth where i was sure that i was being lied to with every word.
He will have you believe that Biden was lucid and competent throughout his presidency. He even had him writing his own speeches. I kid you not, at some point he says it’s so weird how on tv he seems senile because at work he’s sharp as a tack. Even after Biden withdrew from the election due to his inability to be effective, Woodward claimed it made him an even stronger president because all his time was focused on governing. Biden was great at work, and only had dementia at night. He says this; I’m not exaggerating.
This whole book was a pathetic campaign for the Kamala Harris presidency and so not one truth was spoken. He even implied that Kamala was very close to ending the Israeli war.
In contrast of course, he portrays Trump as utterly incompetent in every situation, even in the hypothetical. “If trump had been president, Russia would have successfully invaded Ukraine.”
He repeats lies about the Israeli genocide that have already been debunked like the rapes and decapitated babies. Not only does he repeat them, he goes into more vivid descriptions than I’ve seen since October 7th. Even the Israelis didn’t use their imaginations this much.
This book is where journalism has gone to die. And this is keeping in mind the western coverage of the Gaza genocide thus far. War is the tombstone of journalism and Bob Woodward its gravedigger.

[Kylie Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly an amazing recent history book (up to August 2024). The writing style allows you to feel like a fly on the wall of American foreign affairs, catching you up on the wars of the past few years.

The Ukraine/Russian and Israel/Hamas/Gaza conflicts have had so many powers involved and timelines and narratives surrounding them, that each is forgotten by the public alternately as one narrative swallows the next in our age of social media news cycles.

As someone who was only informed at a high/distant level on these issues, who only knew only a few of the key players in events, this book expanded my knowledge, brought certain events back to the forefront of my mind, and provided a thorough recap. Quotes and interviews allow dialogue from leaders and decision makers themselves, and you have the feeling of being in the room as global war is barely averted time and again.

[uk · Rating 3 out of 5]

I see trees of green
red roses too
I see them bloom
for me and you
and I think to myself


THE BIG BOYS PLAY BULLSHIT BINGO


IDEOLOGY IS PARAMOUNT.
CREED. NATION. HATE.

EVERYBODY IS MAINLY MALE.
EVERYBODY IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.

AND BLOOD IS FLOWING IN RAGING CURRENTS.

THE WAY OF THE WORLD TILTS.
TOWARDS DISRUPTION, DESPAIR, DESTRUCTION, DARKNESS, DEATH.

EVERYBODY IS MAINLY MALE.
EVERYBODY IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.

CREED. NATION. HATE.
AND BLOOD IS FLOWING IN RAGING CURRENTS.

THE WAY OF THE WORLD.

THIS IS THE WAY THE WORLD ENDS.
THIS IS THE WAY THE WORLD ENDS.
THIS IS THE WAY THE WORLD ENDS.
NOT WITH A PERFORMANCE BONUS.
BUT WITH A SARDONIC SMILE OF MALEVOLENCE.

AND THE BIG BOYS SMILE.
AND PLAY BULLSHIT BINGO.


and I think to myself
what a wonderful world
yes, I think to myself
what a wonderful world

[Khalil · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was expecting a respected and well experienced investigative journalist like Bob Woodward to be more objective. however, regarding the parts about the war in Gaza, this book was full of American-zionist propaganda. The author repeated debunked claims, such as accusing Hamas of beheading babies and raping women, which were disproven within the first weeks after the events of October 7th. He also supported the claim that Yahya Sinwar was hiding in tunnels surrounded by prisoners, a lie that was exposed when Sinwar died in battle all by himself, fighting until the end.

If the author fell for propaganda and lies easily, that makes me doubt the credibility of the rest of the book.

[Nora|KnyguDama · Rating 4 out of 5]

Viena iš tų knygų, kur gali pagalvot - bus per sudėtinga, ne man, nesu TIEEEK įsigilinus, nesuprasiu. Tai jei taip pamanėt - būtent jums ir yra ši knyga. Autorius joje aptaria tris pagrindinius nūdienos konfliktus: ruzzijos išprovokuotą karą Ukrainoje, Palestinos ir Izraelio karą ir visą shit show Amerikos politikoje.

Bob Woodward pradeda nuo ankstyvųjų savo interviu su Trumpu ir jau supažindina skaitytojus su pono savimone, mąstymu, požiūriu į kitus ir politiką. Nesupraskit neteisingai: Bob rašo gan šališkai ir papasakoja apie teigiamas verslininko savybes, tačiau knygai ir pasauliui lendant giliau į rimtesnes temas - atskleidžia ir jo egocentrizmo targediją, ryškų polinkį i narcisizmą, bei norą per visų galvas užsidėt karūną. Deja, tokia tiesa.

Iš esmės, knyga labai detaliai (bet ne per sudėtingai) atpasakoja visų karų ir JAV Baltųjų rūmų konflikto eigą. Nuo pradžios iki pabaigos . Supažindina su dalyviais, telefoniniais pokalbiais, jaučiama grėsme ir pasidalina pirmomis siaubo minutėmis nuo putkos įsiveržimo į UA, iki hamas žudynių festivalyje. Parodo kaip kariaujamas karas ne fronte, o prie telefono, kai esi įtakingos valstybės atstovas ir turi įkalbėt kitą šalį nesiimt idiotiškų ir pražūtingų veiksmų (taip, kalbama apie putiniuką ir jo atominę, kuria taip grasino). Jaučiau tą atsakomybę skaitydama, nes nors ir ne emocingai, bet labai įtaigiai Woodward atpasakojo scenarijus.

Reikalinga knyga. Kaip vadovėlis apie šių dienų tragedijas ir patiko kaip logiškai ir faktais aprašomas diktatoriaus putinelioZZZZ (galėtų būt jo one.lt acc pavadinimas) Napoleono kompleksas. Labai geras skaitinys

[Hiba · Rating 1 out of 5]

ما الجديد؟!
كالعادة، يتم تصوير إسرائيل كضحية ومحاطة بالأعداء الذين نعتهم بوب بالارهابيين" حماس والحوثيين " وأن اسرائيل هي دولة الحق!! الشيء الذي يدعم البروباغندا والدعاية المروجة من طرف الاحتلال الصهيوني. ما هي القيمة المضافة في هذا الطرح؟ وما هو دور الكتاب إن لم يكن لتبرئة الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية من دعمها للإبادة الجماعية في غزة، ان لم تكن هي الداعم الرئيسي لإسرائيل من خلال الأسلحة والذخيرة والممولة الولى للكيان في اكبر عملية ابادة؟

وماذا عن تواطؤ الرؤساء العرب مع القضية ودعمهم لإسرائيل؟ هل ننتظر كاتبًا أمريكيًا ليشرح لنا ذلك؟ الكاتب يبدو عالقًا في 7 أكتوبر، ولكن ماذا عن ما قبل هذا التاريخ؟ ماذا عن العنف، الأسر، القتل، الاحتلال، والمجاعة التي يعاني منها الفلسطينيون منذ 1948 ووعد بلفور المشؤوم؟ وكيف يتم تصوير إسرائيل كالدولة الديمقراطية الوحيدة في الشرق الأوسط؟

قرأت الكتاب لأجد إجابات على تساؤلاتي، ولكن ولدت أسئلة أخرى مع الأسف.
《هذه وجهة نظر للفقرة التي تتطرق للقضية الفلسطينية.》

[Kevin Reep · Rating 2 out of 5]

I go to Mr Woodward for a strait shot, intimate, realistic perspective of the different challenges an executive faces in a 2ish year timeframe. I always appreciate how he saves his opinions to the end.

This book was a departure. The rapidity of topics and personalities featured for every notable moment made the book less serious and more sensational. His regular snapshots of opinions didn’t help. I don’t doubt the veracity of any detail in the book. I doubt its purpose. What was the goal? To persuade more people that Trump is erratic and self-serving? It won’t. To those who believe he is the messiah: this is another pharisaical work of persecution. To the never-trumpers: it’s another telling of what they already know. Woodward should have focused on the difficulties faced, triumphs achieved, and issues unresolved from the Biden administration.

It was entertaining though.

[Emmet Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It offers a great look at the national security decision making process, and you learn a lot about the people you probably have (and a few you probably haven’t) heard of as being key players in foreign policy.

My biggest gripe with it is that Woodward didn’t even try to maintain any sense of journalistic neutrality with this one. It’s totally a puff piece for the Biden administration - the epilogue is basically Woodward saying they’ve done everything perfectly and set the new standard for foreign policy execution. He takes a lot of cheap shots at Trump that, even when warranted on the merits, don’t have any necessary place within this book, let alone as a standalone chapter.

[Larry Bassett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that covers many of the issues during the Biden presidency. We are now within two months of the end of that presidency with Donald Trump. Once again in the wings. It is fascinating to listen to a book that is about such recent history with a good deal of inside information, which was obtained by a veteran reporter on “deep background”!