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State of Denial (Abridged): Bush at War, Part III Audiobook
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Publisher Description
THE DETAILED, INSIDE STORY OF A WAR-TORN WHITE HOUSE
Bob Woodward examines how the Bush administration avoided telling the truth about Iraq to the public, to the Congress, and often to themselves in State of Denial. Woodward's third book on President Bush is a sweeping narrative from the first days George W. Bush thought seriously about running for president, through the recruitment of his national security team, the war in Afghanistan, the invasion and occupation of Iraq, and the struggle for political survival in the second term.
State of Denial answers the core questions: What happened after the invasion of Iraq? Why? How does Bush make decisions and manage the war that he chose to define his presidency? And, is there an achievable plan for victory? After more than three decades of reporting on national security decision making, including his two #1 national bestsellers on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Bush at War and Plan of Attack, Woodward provides the fullest account, and explanation, of the road Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice and the White House staff have walked.
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"a great book for those interested in the planning or lack of planning for the war. there is plenty of embarrasment to go around epecially for Colin Powell. Bush's tendency to surrond himself with yes people kind of reminds me of the lackies that surrounded Hitler!"
— Tim (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“State of Denial feels all the more outraged for its measured, nonpartisan tones and relentless reporting. It is nothing less than a watershed...The full story of the Iraq War will be told by historians...This book...will be at the top of their shelves as they proceed to the altar of judgement.”
— Washington Post Book World -
“Serious, densely, even exhaustively reported, and a real contribution to history...This is a primer on how the executive branch works, or rather doesn’t work, in the early years of the twenty-first century.”
— Wall Street Journal -
“State of Denial is brimming with vivid details about White House meetings, critical phone calls, intelligence reports, and military affairs...Impressively detailed and eye-opening revelations about the Bush administration’s handling of the Iraq War and its aftermath.”
— Boston Globe -
“Woodward’s book is packed with details about the gulf between the information the administration had and the picture it presented.”
— USA Today -
“If there ever was a crystalline indictment of a president’s wartime decisions, this is it. In the third volume exploring the political carnage and bureaucratic infighting prompted by the September 11 attacks, legendary investigative journalist Woodward dissects the Bush administration’s conduct of the war in Iraq. The picture isn’t a pretty one, and Woodward’s disarming, matter-of-fact prose makes his page-turning account more powerful still...If journalism is the first page of history, then Woodward’s opus will be required reading for any would-be historians of the time.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“A weighty text is well executed in audiobook format with this production. Woodward’s crisp writing is perfect for an audiobook, with its brisk sentences and newspaper-style ‘5-cent words.’ Boyd Gaines reads with assuredness at a perfect pace. Gaines further aids the production by seamlessly and consistently switching voices when quoting conversations between the main actors. He captures the speaking tone and style of President Bush, Vice President Cheney, former Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, and various other high officials. Woodward’s searing tale of hubris and ineptitude is deftly and nimbly translated to audiobook...Abridgment is careful, and context is well preserved. The result is an attention-grabbing production.”
— AudioFile
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
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A #1 USA Today bestseller
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Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award
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A 2007 AudioFile Best Audiobook of the Year
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One of the 2006 New York Times Book Review 100 Notable Books for Nonfiction
State of Denial Listener Reviews
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" Extremely well-reported. Tough for me to get over the name of the author. "
— Tim, 2/7/2014 -
" Woodward once again shows why he is the best in his field. The insight he provides into the Bush administrations handling of post-war Iraq is remarkable. "
— Mike, 2/2/2014 -
" The third installment of the seemingly neverending series of books by Bob Woodward on the Bush II Administration. Whilst the second book was fairly complementary towards SecDef Rumsfeld, this current edition wasn't. Highlighting the increasing divisions between defence (or 'defense' for our US cousins) and Rumsfeld, Rumsfeld and Rice, Rumsfeld and the NSC ... well Rumsfeld and everyone really. This book wasn't the best written of the three first books, in fact it was rubbish. It felt clunky in parts and rushed in others. At least the 'Jerry Springer' moment at the end of the book wasn't as long or as boring, as in Book II. "
— Taruia, 1/27/2014 -
" Shocking. Depressing. Illuminating. "
— Dana, 1/23/2014 -
" For the nonfiction-loving sadomasochists, this book details every fuck-up of the Bush administration. Written by the guy that uncovered Watergate (Bob Woodward) and absolutely depressing to read. My brother bought this book for me because he likes journalistic writing. I needed a nonfiction book like this to shove me headfirst back into fiction immediately after finishing. Real life is too much for me to handle. "
— Andrew, 1/14/2014 -
" A powerful work that illustrates the complexity of the American government and the baffling decision-making that occurs associated with the Iraq War. "
— Kevin, 1/11/2014 -
" fascinating critical view of the inner workings of the current administration. really eye-opening. "
— Harry, 1/4/2014 -
" This book by veteran reporter Bob Woodward has gotten rave reviews. It seemed too self-referential to me. I stopped reading around chapter 7. "
— Frederick, 1/4/2014 -
" Verbose. He said she said type of book. "
— Gary, 12/15/2013 -
" bush and rumsfeld were (even) worse than you imagined "
— Lawrence, 12/12/2013 -
" An incisive and disturbing look at a Bush White House that was filled w/yes men and others filled w/great purpose, bad ideas, and heads as thick as bricks "
— Dev, 12/4/2013 -
" As it turns out, this book was a frustratingly accurate portrayel of Bush and his national security team. Boring as hell though! "
— Aaron, 12/2/2013 -
" Not as good as Woodwards' other books on Bush, but still a great read and insight into the Executive branch of government. His access to sources is still unparalled from what I can tell. "
— Deborah, 7/1/2013 -
" Very in depth. At times it was hard to keep track of everything going on but if you are persistent you will be able to follow along. The book will really inform you on all of the issues related to the Iraq War and the Bush Administration. "
— Jeff, 6/9/2013 -
" Disturbing in so many, many ways. This administration and this war have been run by a bunch of total fuckups. "
— Medeyle, 5/19/2013 -
" The Bush Administration is arrogant, evil, and will burn in hell--all of them. "
— Lisa, 3/30/2013 -
" The book reads like a journalistic take on a political hit job, with bits of decent information thrown in. Hard to take it fully seriously, when some pieces of information are knowingly exaggerated or distorted to make a point. "
— Michael, 10/11/2012 -
" I guess this book was well-written, but I feel as though my objectivity was skewed by what seems to be a horrendous lack of communication. This is why I generally find politics frustrating. Rrrr... "
— Meghan, 8/27/2012 -
" Part three of a Bush at War. Not as good as Part 1, about the same as Part 2. "
— ERNEST, 6/3/2012 -
" I would have finished reading this but I ran out of toilet paper in my bathroom. "
— William, 4/18/2012 -
" A complete look at Bush W - from his childhood through presidencies. And of course, the lies of his administration - to the people, to Congress, and the world. "
— Jo, 1/22/2012 -
" Yeah, yeah, the Bush administration is evil... get it? "
— Dennis, 10/17/2011 -
" A fascinating inside account of the planning for the 2003 Iraq War. If anyone doubts that Bush was a the worst president since Nixon, this book is overwhelming evidence. "
— Isaac, 6/29/2011 -
" bush and rumsfeld were (even) worse than you imagined "
— Lawrence, 4/12/2011 -
" Another great addition to Woodward's coverage of the Bush administration. Does a wonderful job of illustrating how messed up things really were... "
— Mike, 3/25/2011 -
" This is compiled from news reports and takes alot of effort to glean anything that is helpful. It is biased against Bush - the slant is so obvious that no thinking reader can take away anything useful. "
— Dave, 8/1/2010 -
" Like watching a plane fly into the side of a mountain. "
— Jonathan, 6/21/2010 -
" A helpful read to understand the Bush presidency told from the perspective of one who is not sympathetic, yet is also a good enough reporter to attain a level of objectivity. "
— Jackson, 4/18/2010 -
" One of the best books I've ever read. One of a three part series on the Bush Administration. The sections on cherry picking and fabricating intelligence are chilling. "
— James, 1/13/2010 -
" Interesting . . . but I wonder if Big Bob will dissect the Obama administration in the same fashion. "
— Formerlythere, 1/13/2010 -
" As it turns out, this book was a frustratingly accurate portrayel of Bush and his national security team. Boring as hell though! "
— Aaron, 1/9/2010 -
" A complete look at Bush W - from his childhood through presidencies. And of course, the lies of his administration - to the people, to Congress, and the world. "
— Jo, 1/6/2010
About Bob Woodward
Bob Woodward is an associate editor at the Washington Post where he has worked for forty-nine years and reported on every American president from Nixon to Trump. He has shared in two Pulitzer Prizes, first for the Post’s coverage of the Watergate scandal with Carl Bernstein, and second twenty years later as the lead Post reporter for coverage of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
About Boyd Gaines
Boyd Gaines is an Earphones Award–winning narrator and an actor whose many film credits include Second Best, I’m Not Rappaport, Heartbreak Ridge, Fame, and Porky’s. He’s won two Tony Awards for performances in the The Heidi Chronicles and the musical She Loves Me. On television he has appeared in A Woman Called Jackie, A Son’s Promise, and in the popular series One Day at a Time.