The War Within

In his fourth, and most disturbing, analysis of the Bush presidency, Bob Woodward looks at the years 2006 to 2008, during which the nation's chief executive hunkers down with a failing strategy in Iraq. This time around things get positively King Lear-ish as a fawning national security advisor and a yes-woman secretary of state enable an unblinking, righteously guided president, who, by his own admission, is uninterested in diplomacy and obsessed with enemy body counts. Narrator Boyd Gaines, who has read the past three Woodward books, captures the essence of each of the players' voices without using mimicry--right down to Bush's mispronunciation of "nuclear." The result is one of those exceptional author-reader combinations that makes you wish the series wouldn't end. On the other hand . . . R.W.S. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

Starred review from February 1, 2009
This is Pulitzer® Prize-winning reporter Woodward's fourth national best sellerfollowing State of Denial (2006)on the Bush administration and its handling of the war in Iraq. In it, he provides a thorough and detailed description of the consequences of this war and of the decisions made by its various strategists. Solidly researched and benefiting from insider access, this title will be an essential resource for historians for decades to come, whether or not they agree with Woodward's conclusions (his portrayal of the Bush administration is quite critical). Tony® Award-winning actor Boyd Gaines keeps listeners engrossed as he expertly individualizes the various voices.Mary Knapp, Madison P.L., WI

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