Presidents Of War

Joseph C. Goulden, a veteran journalist and author of Korea: The Untold Story of the War and Truth Is the First Casualty, on the Tonkin resolution, offers a good review in the Washington Times of Michael Beschloss’ Presidents Of War.

A distinguished historian who has written 10 outstanding books perhaps can be excused for a single outrageous sentence that leaves a reader shaking his head in disbelief.

Michael Beschloss makes just such a misstep in his otherwise magnificent account of how American presidents went to war over the centuries. He writes that the way the nation entered World War II “did so much to elevate [President] Roosevelt’s standing that it increased the temptation for later Presidents to elevate their reputation by seeking foreign conflict.”

Pardon my dissenting blink. As Washington correspondent for The Philadelphia Inquirer 1967-68, I witnessed Lyndon Johnson’s open agony on a daily basis as he fought a war that essentially destroyed his presidency. And I thought of the frustrations endured by President Truman by waging the Korean conflict into which he was abruptly thrust. Neither man felt that war “elevated” their reputations, to be sure.

That quibble aside, Mr. Beschloss offers fascinating insight about how presidents have dealt with what is surely their most demanding responsibility: That of asking Congress to put the nation into war.

The men who created the United States wisely decided that such a decision should not be left to the president alone. Memories of European wars commenced by unrestricted monarchs haunted the Founding Fathers. In their view, “war would be a last resort under the political system they had invented.”

You can read the rest of the review via the below link:

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/jan/1/book-review-presidents-of-war-by-michael-beschloss/ 

My Piece On Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld Discussing The Iraq War And 9/11 At The National Constitiuion Center In Philadelphia

A while back I ventured to the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia to hear former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld discuss his memoir, Known and Unknown.

The center was the site selected by Donald Rumsfeld to be his kick off for his national book tour. I covered the event for Counterterrorism magazine.

Althought the book covered Rumsfeld's long life and government career, historian Michael Beschloss based most of his questions on the Iraq War and 9/11.

You can read my magazine piece below:

Note: You can click on the above to enlarge.

Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld Kicks Off Book Tour At National Constitution Center In Philadelphia

Donald Rumsfeld began his national book tour to promote his new book, Known and Unknown (Sentinel), at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia last night.

I covered the event for Counterterrorism magazine and along with more than 700 people in the audience I watched the exchange between historian Michael Beschloss and Rumsfeld.

(Beschloss is on the left and Rumsfeld is on the right in the above Zimbio photo).

Donald Rumsfeld, 78, who served as the youngest Secretary of Defense under President Gerald Ford, and later served as the oldest Secretary of Defense under President George W. Bush, was "on watch" at the Pentagon during the 9/11 terrorist attack and the subsequent launching of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

I thought Rumsfeld was engaging, forthright and humorous.

Unfortunately, I thought Michael Beschloss asked the sort of softball questions one would expect from CNN's Larry King.

I received a review copy of Known and Unknown today and I look forward to reading it.

I'll post my Counterterrorism piece here when it comes out.