Worthy Fights

November 1, 2014
Former Secretary of Defense and CIA Director Panetta tells all-well, some-about his life in politics."I have talked at length in these pages about wars," writes the author toward the end. Indeed he has: His time in politics has run from Saigon to Syria, while his recent responsibilities have embraced such diverse matters as helping handle the return of American POW Bowe Bergdahl-a deal, Panetta writes, that he disapproved of-and weathering the David Petraeus affair. The memoir begins along familiar, formulaic lines: son of hardworking immigrants, drawn to office by a sense of "duty to country and a conviction that government could play a constructive role in the life of its citizens," paying dues under the tough tutelage of Tip O'Neill and Jim Wright, and so on. Panetta is gentle on most of the politicians who have crossed his path, though it's clear he reserves considerable disdain for former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and his "divisive tactics." It is also clear that the author was at odds with President Barack Obama at many points. Though mildly framed ("achievements cannot allow leaders to become complacent"), his criticism has a bite. Many of the sharpest divergences turn on the question of leaving Iraq: "It was no secret that I had fought to keep it from ending this way," he writes, and he pursued doing so "with reservations." Still, Panetta's criticisms are mild in the context of his overall defense of his former boss: As he writes, he finds it "amusing" that Obama is seen as an ideologue instead of as a "realist and pragmatist" who has overcome unnecessarily staunch opposition to "make important progress in many areas, from fighting terrorism to righting the economy." Predictable passages aside, Panetta offers a valuable portrait of how things get done in Washington-cautiously, like this memoir, and with exquisite calculation.

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December 1, 2014

It's hard to find an American public official, appointed or elected, who has had a more distinguished record of public service over the past five decades than Panetta. Here, with author and Los Angeles Times editor-at-large Newton (Justice for All; Eisenhower), he offers an insider's perspective that is suffused with insight, intelligence, and integrity. Panetta, the son of Italian immigrants, presents himself quite convincingly as an American patriot committed to the nation's fundamental principles. He concedes that he's neither a scholar nor a theorist; rather, he's an effective, engaging manager of offices and agencies. Panetta served as the director of the Central Intelligence Agency from 2009 to 2011 and secretary of defense from 2011 to 2013. The prose in this enlightening work is often a bit wooden but what comes through clearly is the author's love for his country, and his unflagging efforts to help prod it in the right direction and protect it. As a contemporary political memoir, the book reflects what is often the case: criticize an incumbent president (Barack Obama) and go a bit softer on potential presidential candidates (Hillary Clinton). VERDICT Anyone who wants to read about a career in public service and experience at the upper echelons of national politics should reason this account of a principled, pragmatic, politician with energy, talent, humor, and relish for the necessary, well-timed profane look into life in the arena. [See Prepub Alert, 5/4/14.]--Stephen Kent Shaw, Northwest Nazarene Coll., Nampa, ID

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2014

After a career in the U.S. House of Representatives, Panetta served as director of the Office of Management and Budget (1993-94) and President Bill Clinton's chief of staff (1994-97), then returned to government as CIA director (2009-11) and secretary of defense (2011-13). Not just an autobiography, then, but an overview of U.S. government in the past decades.

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.