What do you think?
Rate this book
War by Other Means: A General in the Trump White House
General Keith Kellogg saw it all. The only national security advisor to work side by side with both President Trump and Vice President Pence, he was their confidant as they made their most momentous decisions. No one knows better than he that the hysterical accusations of the administration’s partisan detractors were unconnected to reality. Demolishing baseless caricatures of Donald Trump, General Kellogg provides one of the few reliable accounts of the administration from the earliest days of the 2016 campaign to the end of the president’s term. Kellogg How Trump’s “America First” policies strengthened the nation after Obama’s eight-year apology tour Why the president’s tough approach to China worked—and why future administrations must continue to take the China threat seriously How withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal and the strike on General Soleimani slowed the spread of radical Islamist terror Why Democrats’ appeasement policies are courting disaster for America and the world The radicals attacking President Trump’s legacy are sacrificing sound policy to politics. Kellogg’s account is an urgently needed reminder that politics is “war by other means.” Our enemies never forget that, and Americans forget it to their peril.
- GenresPoliticsNonfiction
220 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 19, 2021
54 people are currently reading
116 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
April 3, 2024
A superb book with insight into recent history.
October 23, 2021
A must read book of two parts. General Kellogg describes his military career then describes his time working closely with first candidate Trump then President Trump. Starting his exemplary career as an airborne Ranger Lieutenant in Vietnam with the 101 Airborne, later the 82 Airborne leadership and finishing as a Lieutenant General he was one of those chosen to set the future course of our US Army. In part two he lays out the events of the Trump Presidency with excellent insight revealing Russia, Russia, Russia, Stopping endless war, Defeating ISIS, Ground-breaking advances in Foreign Policy and National Security, Energy independence and the robust Trump economy, two impeachments and the Mueller probe, Wuhan and Corona virus, and the End Game with January 6. Gen. Kellogg worked at the President's shoulder as an advisor. I enjoyed the insight into how President Trump solved so many problems for the America he loves. General Kellogg believes in the President and has walked every step of the path with him. This book is the best ever even-handed documentary of the behind the scenes working of one of our most successful Presidents.
October 24, 2024
General Kellogg served as President Trump's National Security Advisor. He's one of the good guys, of which there are very few in Washington. President Trump had his full support during his tenure, unlike the deep state snakes General Mark Milley, John Brennan, General John Kelly and Mark Esper. They all contribute to the mess that is Washington DC, and hopefully one day they will all slither away.
June 30, 2022
This is the second book I've read from someone who worked in the Trump administration. While it was very positive perspective on 45, it didn't have as many stories as Bill Barr's book. Overall I enjoyed it and appreciated the author's perspective on many issues things. I'd give it somewhere between 3.5 to 4 stars.
A couple of quotes -
"In meetings, he [Trump] asked many questions, and he probed every answer he was given. He always challenged the room. He forced people to refine their recommendations by seeing how they stood up against alternative premises. If you were not comfortable with this sort of Socratic conversation, you were in the wrong room. He was demanding and decisive - but he did not micromanage those charged with executing his plans."
"We sometimes forget that Winston Churchill was, in his day, distrusted by the political establishment, regarded as outrageously frank, belligerent in rhetoric, stubborn and defending unpopular positions he believed in, and unafraid of criticism. I know many will scoff at the comparison, but I do believe there are strong parallels between Trump and Churchill. Churchill said of this about loyalty: 'When we are debating an issue, loyalty means giving me your honest opinion, whether you think I will like it or not. But once a decision is made, debate ends. Loyal then means executing the decision as if it were your own.' Trump believed that. He was ill served by political appointees who did not."
A couple of quotes -
"In meetings, he [Trump] asked many questions, and he probed every answer he was given. He always challenged the room. He forced people to refine their recommendations by seeing how they stood up against alternative premises. If you were not comfortable with this sort of Socratic conversation, you were in the wrong room. He was demanding and decisive - but he did not micromanage those charged with executing his plans."
"We sometimes forget that Winston Churchill was, in his day, distrusted by the political establishment, regarded as outrageously frank, belligerent in rhetoric, stubborn and defending unpopular positions he believed in, and unafraid of criticism. I know many will scoff at the comparison, but I do believe there are strong parallels between Trump and Churchill. Churchill said of this about loyalty: 'When we are debating an issue, loyalty means giving me your honest opinion, whether you think I will like it or not. But once a decision is made, debate ends. Loyal then means executing the decision as if it were your own.' Trump believed that. He was ill served by political appointees who did not."
November 23, 2021
Every American Should Read This Book
Every American should read this book, especially those that don’t like Donald Trump. Mr Kellogg does a fantastic job of providing insight as to the true nature of Donald Trump. He first establishes his credibility by writing about his exemplary military service. He then goes on to write about his experience in the Trump administration. If people only knew all this before the 2020 election.
Every American should read this book, especially those that don’t like Donald Trump. Mr Kellogg does a fantastic job of providing insight as to the true nature of Donald Trump. He first establishes his credibility by writing about his exemplary military service. He then goes on to write about his experience in the Trump administration. If people only knew all this before the 2020 election.
April 27, 2022
Inspiring read by one of our best patriots
Outstanding and well written by one of our nation's best. General Kellogg accurately described the events in these tumultuous times with great feeling and compassion. He is a national hero in the finest sense. Thank you for your service!
Outstanding and well written by one of our nation's best. General Kellogg accurately described the events in these tumultuous times with great feeling and compassion. He is a national hero in the finest sense. Thank you for your service!
October 21, 2021
Hard facts
Good to read some truth from someone with first hand knowledge instead of hate mongering propaganda hounds. And I agree - the hardest battles are yet to come. I too am ready.
Good to read some truth from someone with first hand knowledge instead of hate mongering propaganda hounds. And I agree - the hardest battles are yet to come. I too am ready.
November 22, 2021
Many books from White House veterans tend to be more on the dishy and salacious side, because sizzle sells. The tone can vary widely, and the only way to approach a complete picture is to go full Rashomon and see where accounts intersect. Most people ain't got time for that, which is why we're still reading Dueling Histories about events from Caesar's Rome to America's founding.
General Kellogg's account struck me as a slightly different take, more no-nonsense and focused on what he saw as successes and (non)scandals during his service in the Trump years. Yes, he names names and casts blame here and there, but it's a mostly upbeat narrative. His time with Trump ends as it began, in sync with Trump's vision for America.
As a reader, I came in with few expectations but some hopes. My opinions of Trump are unlikely to satisfy anyone; I neither hate nor love him. Much of his public persona appalled me, but I was pleasantly surprised by the job he did. Trump is both a showman and a businessman; in the 1980s and 1990s we saw more of the latter, when he was taken more seriously on policy. So I was hoping for a take that focused more on what Trump was doing than whose feelings he offended in the process.
I learned from this book that General Kellog grew up in my hometown; I was familiar with the name, if not the man. I recognized the Long Beach he describes as that of my own childhood. He was off to a good start. He then gets into his military career, which is interesting, before getting to the part most people care about that takes up most of the (shortish) book. Gen. Kellogg doesn't waste a lot of time on unnecessary words.
Kellogg saw Trump during the primaries, liked what he saw, and worked to get in. He liked that Trump wasn't an establishment Republican, and Kellogg bristles whenever the Trump team gets invaded by establishment regulars. He finds Trump's bluntness both refreshing and strategic, so he spends very little time on whose feelings were hurt. Kellogg is committed to looking at Trump's term as he measured up to his America First platform. It's a perspective that most overlook, but it's also a limited perspective. Given the results of the last election - votes for Trump were at historic highs, obliterating Obama's record-setting 2008 vote total, but votes against him were even higher - it's a mistake to ignore or discount the opposition. In our partisan environment pretty much everyone will be hated-by-default by roughly half the country once their affiliation is known, but Trump - by also alienating many traditional Republicans - made his job that much harder, especially on election day.
Kellogg doesn't spend much time at all on 2020, except to note that by January 6, however much he questioned the results, the window for contesting it was (likely) closed. He does defend Trump over the events of January 6, and takes a dim view of the second impeachment (as he did the first, which he also covers). He's not a historian so he doesn't do a deep dive on the events; his account is more a first-person witness to what he saw and didn't see, and why he feels his testimony is sufficient. I wouldn't consider his the final word, but I do consider his accounts credible and an important perspective to consider.
Gen. Kellogg talks about moments he considers important accomplishments of the Trump years: defeating ISIS, beginning the end of our presence in Afghanistan, actually improving our relationship with Iran by taking out Qasem Soleimani (the Chicago Way - you kill our soldiers, we kill your mastermind), his actions in response to COVID-19, responding to biological attacks in Syria, holding NATO to its commitments, and so on. Not everyone will accept that these and others Kellogg lists as accomplishments, but to Kellogg these were actions that made him proud to work with and for Team Trump. To Gen. Kellogg, all of these were promises kept in putting America First.
I found this book worth reading. I may not agree with everything, but I appreciate the author's perspective. I appreciate history and find this book a contribution to the record a lot more than so much of what passes for political memoirs these days. Its focus on policy over personality is refreshing. There may be a place for books that stoke emotional flames, whether cheerleading for those you like or cathartic hate-reading that lets you yell back at the book ("Liar! you suck!") - naturally, you buy the feel-good cheerleader books and borrow the hate-read hack books from the library or wait for them to hit the remainders pile - but for true understanding, they're kinda useless. Give me a sober account 90% of the time. (I do acknowledge that if you hate Trump and thought one or both impeachments were righteous and fully justified, this book will likely enrage you.)
So, in sum: Intentionally limited in scope and not close to a comprehensive account of Trump's term, but still a valuable perspective from a supportive insider who stayed to the end. A worthwhile contribution to considering the Trump years. The more unsavory but still "yugely" consequential political side of things will have to be found elsewhere.
General Kellogg's account struck me as a slightly different take, more no-nonsense and focused on what he saw as successes and (non)scandals during his service in the Trump years. Yes, he names names and casts blame here and there, but it's a mostly upbeat narrative. His time with Trump ends as it began, in sync with Trump's vision for America.
As a reader, I came in with few expectations but some hopes. My opinions of Trump are unlikely to satisfy anyone; I neither hate nor love him. Much of his public persona appalled me, but I was pleasantly surprised by the job he did. Trump is both a showman and a businessman; in the 1980s and 1990s we saw more of the latter, when he was taken more seriously on policy. So I was hoping for a take that focused more on what Trump was doing than whose feelings he offended in the process.
I learned from this book that General Kellog grew up in my hometown; I was familiar with the name, if not the man. I recognized the Long Beach he describes as that of my own childhood. He was off to a good start. He then gets into his military career, which is interesting, before getting to the part most people care about that takes up most of the (shortish) book. Gen. Kellogg doesn't waste a lot of time on unnecessary words.
Kellogg saw Trump during the primaries, liked what he saw, and worked to get in. He liked that Trump wasn't an establishment Republican, and Kellogg bristles whenever the Trump team gets invaded by establishment regulars. He finds Trump's bluntness both refreshing and strategic, so he spends very little time on whose feelings were hurt. Kellogg is committed to looking at Trump's term as he measured up to his America First platform. It's a perspective that most overlook, but it's also a limited perspective. Given the results of the last election - votes for Trump were at historic highs, obliterating Obama's record-setting 2008 vote total, but votes against him were even higher - it's a mistake to ignore or discount the opposition. In our partisan environment pretty much everyone will be hated-by-default by roughly half the country once their affiliation is known, but Trump - by also alienating many traditional Republicans - made his job that much harder, especially on election day.
Kellogg doesn't spend much time at all on 2020, except to note that by January 6, however much he questioned the results, the window for contesting it was (likely) closed. He does defend Trump over the events of January 6, and takes a dim view of the second impeachment (as he did the first, which he also covers). He's not a historian so he doesn't do a deep dive on the events; his account is more a first-person witness to what he saw and didn't see, and why he feels his testimony is sufficient. I wouldn't consider his the final word, but I do consider his accounts credible and an important perspective to consider.
Gen. Kellogg talks about moments he considers important accomplishments of the Trump years: defeating ISIS, beginning the end of our presence in Afghanistan, actually improving our relationship with Iran by taking out Qasem Soleimani (the Chicago Way - you kill our soldiers, we kill your mastermind), his actions in response to COVID-19, responding to biological attacks in Syria, holding NATO to its commitments, and so on. Not everyone will accept that these and others Kellogg lists as accomplishments, but to Kellogg these were actions that made him proud to work with and for Team Trump. To Gen. Kellogg, all of these were promises kept in putting America First.
I found this book worth reading. I may not agree with everything, but I appreciate the author's perspective. I appreciate history and find this book a contribution to the record a lot more than so much of what passes for political memoirs these days. Its focus on policy over personality is refreshing. There may be a place for books that stoke emotional flames, whether cheerleading for those you like or cathartic hate-reading that lets you yell back at the book ("Liar! you suck!") - naturally, you buy the feel-good cheerleader books and borrow the hate-read hack books from the library or wait for them to hit the remainders pile - but for true understanding, they're kinda useless. Give me a sober account 90% of the time. (I do acknowledge that if you hate Trump and thought one or both impeachments were righteous and fully justified, this book will likely enrage you.)
So, in sum: Intentionally limited in scope and not close to a comprehensive account of Trump's term, but still a valuable perspective from a supportive insider who stayed to the end. A worthwhile contribution to considering the Trump years. The more unsavory but still "yugely" consequential political side of things will have to be found elsewhere.
October 27, 2021
a General on Leadership
General Kellogg gives a view of his own history in the military and shares his views on leadership and his love for America. He follows with his role in the Trump administration and his opinion of President Trump's political goals and accomplishments as well as his style of leadership in facing down a hostile press and opposition. He finishes with an account of the Trump admistration's accomplishments. The book is well written and interesting and will be of interest to those open to hearing his side of the story.
General Kellogg gives a view of his own history in the military and shares his views on leadership and his love for America. He follows with his role in the Trump administration and his opinion of President Trump's political goals and accomplishments as well as his style of leadership in facing down a hostile press and opposition. He finishes with an account of the Trump admistration's accomplishments. The book is well written and interesting and will be of interest to those open to hearing his side of the story.
February 5, 2022
If you want to know from someone who was there.
The impressive military career and foreign experience of General Kellogg establishes credentials few authors would have. He provided exemplary service to a President I greatly admire. This book is precisely what I wanted in order to know about so many events in Donald J Trumps's term of office that were caustically disputed between left-leaning and right-leaning news sources. Highly recommended to anyone left uncertain about those times and, the results we are seeing today in 2022.
The impressive military career and foreign experience of General Kellogg establishes credentials few authors would have. He provided exemplary service to a President I greatly admire. This book is precisely what I wanted in order to know about so many events in Donald J Trumps's term of office that were caustically disputed between left-leaning and right-leaning news sources. Highly recommended to anyone left uncertain about those times and, the results we are seeing today in 2022.
August 8, 2024
While I thank Gen Kellogg for his service, any integrity or honor or even baseline intelligence is negated by serving a traitorous insurrectionst whose daddy bought him a fake medical note so he could lie on his deferment and dodge the draft, and then go on to compare dating in the 1980s with serving in Vietnam.
Kellogg makes a mockery of his rank and the people who served under him by propping up an authoritarian who shat on the Constitution of the United States and even put the Vice President of the United States in very real harm in an attempt to thwart the will of the American people. And four years after the insurrection, Kellogg continues to prop up and defend the most cowardly and venal person to ever get near the Oval Office. Shame, shame, SHAME.
Congratulations on cementing your legacy as a Rommel instead of as an Eisenhower, general. Hope whatever financial gain you received in return was worth it.
Kellogg makes a mockery of his rank and the people who served under him by propping up an authoritarian who shat on the Constitution of the United States and even put the Vice President of the United States in very real harm in an attempt to thwart the will of the American people. And four years after the insurrection, Kellogg continues to prop up and defend the most cowardly and venal person to ever get near the Oval Office. Shame, shame, SHAME.
Congratulations on cementing your legacy as a Rommel instead of as an Eisenhower, general. Hope whatever financial gain you received in return was worth it.
February 4, 2025
My main motivation to read this was to better understand Kellogg's worldview having been selected as the 'special envoy' for Ukraine & Russia by the current President. It's with a sense of relief to discover that he's not one of the crazy MAGA people, but just your boiler-plate god'n'country conservative who was somehow conned into supporting Trump despite outwardly appearing to be a reasonable person. Luckily, he was a very early supporter and thus will hopefully be a sane and trusted voice in the room on upcoming negotiations (from the vantage point in Feb'25). While I have no hope that Ukraine will be treated in a fair manner with Trump and Putin in the room, one can only hope that having someone with a shred of decency like Kellogg there will help avert the worst outcomes for the country.
October 28, 2021
Unique professional revelation of the challenges faced and accomplishments achieved by President Trump and his administration
General Kellogg provides an excellent description of the incredible accomplishments achieved by President Trump in the face of unfettered hatred from the combined forces of far (& not so far) left politicians, establishment Republicans, major media and other culture influencers.
General Kellogg provides an excellent description of the incredible accomplishments achieved by President Trump in the face of unfettered hatred from the combined forces of far (& not so far) left politicians, establishment Republicans, major media and other culture influencers.
December 24, 2021
From a great general
I have read a lot of books in this last year or so and this has got to be one of the best. Everyone should read this. I am proud to stand with our 45th President as was General Kellogg
I have read a lot of books in this last year or so and this has got to be one of the best. Everyone should read this. I am proud to stand with our 45th President as was General Kellogg
November 7, 2021
Excellent and Factual
A true fair and balanced account of inside the Trump administration. The media has played us all. A great read.
A true fair and balanced account of inside the Trump administration. The media has played us all. A great read.
July 19, 2022
This is an interesting read on Trump's presidency.
July 21, 2023
If only we had a few more like him instead of what we've got.
November 19, 2023
Excellent book! I highly recommend it. It was an easy read.
September 30, 2025
The genius of Trump and MAGA!
October 21, 2021
Excellent Read
I would highly recommend this book - fascinating insights into our military from the Vietnam war to present day, then a bird's eye view of the Trump administration. The author's love for our country, as well as for truth and honor, made this book a memorable read. Many thanks, Genera Kellogg, for your service to our country.
I would highly recommend this book - fascinating insights into our military from the Vietnam war to present day, then a bird's eye view of the Trump administration. The author's love for our country, as well as for truth and honor, made this book a memorable read. Many thanks, Genera Kellogg, for your service to our country.
October 22, 2021
BEST BOOK I HAVE READ THIS YEAR
General Kellogg is a proud American who served his nation in war and peace. In the military and politics.
He served our nation, our President and Vice President honorably and with distinction.
The book’s last chapter is a wonderful declaration of patriotism and love for our nation.
General Kellogg is a proud American who served his nation in war and peace. In the military and politics.
He served our nation, our President and Vice President honorably and with distinction.
The book’s last chapter is a wonderful declaration of patriotism and love for our nation.
October 22, 2021
Good Read
Despite the insane resistance to Trump's amazing dedication, hard work, and honesty to and for the American people, the nasty bureaucrats,liars, and cheaters, "won," which is America's loss. History will vindicate Trump and excoriated those who worked AGAINST America by obstructing him.
Despite the insane resistance to Trump's amazing dedication, hard work, and honesty to and for the American people, the nasty bureaucrats,liars, and cheaters, "won," which is America's loss. History will vindicate Trump and excoriated those who worked AGAINST America by obstructing him.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews