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Biography & Autobiography. Politics. Nonfiction. HTML:The transition from President Donald J. Trump to President Joseph R. Biden Jr. stands as one of the most dangerous periods in American history. But as # 1 internationally bestselling author Bob Woodward and acclaimed reporter Robert Costa reveal for the first time, it was far more than just a domestic political crisis. Woodward and Costa interviewed more than 200 people at the center of the turmoil, resulting in more than 6,000 pages of transcripts�??and a spellbinding and definitive portrait of a nation on the brink. This classic study of Washington takes readers deep inside the Trump White House, the Biden White House, the 2020 campaign, and the Pentagon and Congress, with vivid, eyewitness accounts of what really happened. Peril is supplemented throughout with never-before-seen material from secret orders, transcripts of confidential calls, diaries, emails, meeting notes and other personal and government records, making for an unparalleled history. It is also the first inside look at Biden's presidency as he faces the challenges of a lifetime: the continuing deadly pandemic and millions of Americans facing soul-crushing economic pain, all the while navigating a bitter and disabling partisan divide, a world rife with threats, and the hovering, dark shadow of the former president. "We have much to do in this winter of peril," Biden declared at his inauguration, an event marked by a nerve-wracking security alert and the threat of domestic terrorism. Peril is the extraordinary story of the end of one presidency and the beginning of another, and represents the culmination of Bob Woodward's news-making trilogy on the Trump presidency, along with Fear and Rage. And it is the beginning of a collaboration with fellow Washington Post reporter Robert Costa that will remind readers of Woodward's coverage, with Carl Bernstein, of President Richard M. Nixon's final da… (more)
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1.) To hype a new release, publishers send copies of the book to the news media one week prior to the official publication date.
2.) The news media quickly skim the
3.) Then, in Woodward’s case with Peril, the reader has to plow through about 140 pages of background material to get to some of these now-over-hyped scenes. Yes, yes, some of the pages in a Prologue cover a phone call with the Chinese, and others question Trump’s stability, and the nuclear codes process, but the content is not exactly the “meat” that we readers had been seeking.
4.) We finally get to the key scenes of January 6, and – not surprisingly but still disappointedly -there is nothing new about The Speech, the violence at the Capitol, the TV watching at the White House. Granted, there are some details about Trump-Pence conversations I don’t think I had heard before, and some other small potatoes but nothing shattering or the details would have been all over CNN, FOX etc.
5.) And it’s over. There are still 160 pages to go, and that last third or so is filled with the Rescue Plan (but not much on Covid), Afghanistan, and anecdotes like the Trump-Obama exchange on their way to the ’16 inauguration, and mention of Manchin’s houseboat …..(yawn)
I’ve always found Woodward books to be very readable, well-paced, with interesting (but dated) material and lots of dialog and near-dialog.; he is a very good story-teller. “Peril” will be a good book for a college kid in the 2040’s trying to get a pulse on this moment in time.
But I’m out. Finished. “Peril” was too much like reading yesterdays’ newspapers…..No more Woodward books for me.
Peril describes in great detail the events surrounding the not-so-peaceful transfer of power from the Trump Administration to the Biden Administration. Woodward and Costa assert that Trump would do almost anything to remain in power, the Constitution be damned. The one hero of their narrative is General Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who steadfastly remained calm and in control of the military while Trump explored every possible method to overturn the clear results of the 2020 presidential election. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper also performed well, but he was fired immediately after the election and was unable to exert his influence for as long a time as Milley.
This book provided several startling revelations about how close Trump came to succeeding. Since it has been reviewed by numerous others in great detail, any summary recapitulation of its contents by me would add little to a relatively vast literature. I would, however, emphasize the importance of the authors’ warnings and admonitions. They conclude their analysis with a personal interview with Trump, which he allowed in an effort to tell his side of the story. Their reaction:
“…we…saw darkness. He could be petty. Cruel. Bored by American history and dismissive of governing traditions that has long guided elected leaders. Could Trump work his will again? Were there any limits to what he and his supporters might do to put him back in power? Peril remains.”
(JAB)
Is like to see analysis of that and it's
What sustains it. We used to believe that modern media would homogenize public opinion.
A great look into history as it is happening and three involved individuals.
Like the previous volumes, this does sometimes feel disjointed, perhaps even a little disorganized. But it's a pretty fast read, anyway, at least for as long as you can stomach the subject matter. (I admit, there were times when I couldn't quite face picking it up again, for reasons that had nothing to do with the writing.)