Yes, it's for a homework assignment, but no, suggesting books for me to read is not "doing my homework for me." It's actually for our "term" paper for my grad seminar on the second half of American history. It's all political history, in fact, a rather highly structured approach that looks at the Left and the Right (and third party actors) and how they interact. Not that I might writing political history, but the structure is a little more confining than I usually like.
Anyway, we have to pick a book that discusses an aspect of politics during the two Bush administrations (George W. Bush first and second terms), and write a pretty easy sounding 10 page paper on it. The emphasis is that it needs to be written by a political figure either inside the Bush White House, or by someone on the other side, it doesn't have to be a Right-wing take.
I'm really not sure what's even out there. She wants us to sort of capitalize on our lingering feelings from the era, which makes me want to use something like Ari Fleisher's book, since he drove me crazy for several years before Scott what's-his-name and Dana Perino. I'm also considering The Commission, but I feel like I'd be cheating because I already read it for another class. It's an outstanding rage-inducing book that I think most people here would really appreciate (I almost said "enjoy," but it's not really a feel good book).
If anyone has read anything in particular fitting this criteria, I'd be glad for the suggestion.
Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :
Rice just wrote a book, as did GW. Then there's "The War Within," by Bob Woodward, which I haven't actually read, but Woodward is usually good.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
Woodward was one of the first names I looked for. He's written several books about the Bush Administration.
I forgot all about Rice though. I'll have to check that out. Did Colin Powell write one as well?
Posted by SenojRetep (Member # 8614) on :
Ron Suskind had three books in 2004, 2006 and 2008 about the Bush administration. The books are all foreign policy centric, and I would classify as highly critical of the Administration's policies. I haven't read the first two, but for me "The Way of the World" (which I read last year) very much captured the zeitgeist of the US political world pre-financial crash 2008.
Suskind has also written a book about the Obama Administration called "Confidence Men", largely about how this administration has dealt with the fallout of the financial crisis. Again, I would characterize it as quite critical.
Tom Ricks' book Fiasco was another highly acclaimed book about dysfunction in the Bush Administration's foreign policy team. Another possibility is Richard Clarke's book Against All Enemies. Clarke was Bush's original chief of counter-terrorism, but fell out with the Administration in the run-up to the Iraq War.
Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :
quote:Originally posted by Lyrhawn: Woodward was one of the first names I looked for. He's written several books about the Bush Administration.
I forgot all about Rice though. I'll have to check that out. Did Colin Powell write one as well?
He wrote a memoir, but I don't recall one specific to his tenure at the white house. Cheney wrote one, but from what I've read of the reviews and some of the commentary from others, including Powell, it's of questionable value.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
Poorly written, or just a total snow job?
If it's the former, I'll avoid it. If it's the latter, I'm compelled to investigate.
Posted by Samprimary (Member # 8561) on :
quote:Originally posted by Lyrhawn: Poorly written, or just a total snow job?
If it's the former, I'll avoid it. If it's the latter, I'm compelled to investigate.
I don't know how much unbiased information could possibly be in it, but George Bush's autobiography Decision Points was certainly interesting.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
It doesn't need to be unbiased (I'm not even sure if "unbiased" exists anymore). Finding the bias and unraveling the puzzle is half the fun.
I'll have to see if someone already snagged it. I know someone in the class already grabbed Cheney's book. I'm leaning towards Suskind.
Posted by Dan_Frank (Member # 8488) on :
quote:Originally posted by Lyrhawn: It doesn't need to be unbiased (I'm not even sure if "unbiased" exists anymore). Finding the bias and unraveling the puzzle is half the fun.
"Anymore?"
Hah.
The only unbiased histories are so because they lasted so long that nobody questions their bias (or even remembers what the opposing bias might have been).
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
I should have said I'm not even sure I believe anymore that "unbiased" exists. I used to.
Those were kinder, gentler times.
Posted by ZachC (Member # 12709) on :
Cynical much? I think many authors are purely objective and honest in writing. Or they at least strive to be.
[ January 24, 2012, 08:33 PM: Message edited by: ZachC ]
Posted by Dan_Frank (Member # 8488) on :
I agree people strive to be. I disagree that they succeed.
Also, I think this is the first time I've been called cynical in a really long time. Heh. Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
It's not cynical, it's realistic.
No matter who you are, you've internalized a great deal of your preconceptions about the world, and have a built-in lens through which you view things. Strive though you might to play devil's advocate with yourself, and to overcome this limitation, you're still going to write things from your own point of view and bias. Great writers recognize their bias and attempt to address it in some way, but most simply pay lip service to objectivity by pretending they are just representing "the facts" as they are, with no spin.
So no one enters into writing, especially political or historical writing, without bias, but that's alright. Expecting perfect objectivity is an unrealistic, and unfair expectation.
Posted by Dan_Frank (Member # 8488) on :
Well said.
Posted by ZachC (Member # 12709) on :
Well, I guess I'm a stickler for the straight and narrow. Though, now that I think about it, I concede your point.
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