This is a penetrating portrait of Donald Rumsfeld by a respected journalist who has covered him closely and knows him well.This thoughtful, insightful, deeply-reported book is the first substantive biography of the man at the heart of the greatest American policy disaster since Vietnam.The story of Donald Rumsfeld is an exceptional personal drama that has had profound consequences for America and the world. Rumsfeld came to the job with a stunning resume. Once a young congressional hotshot, he had served with skill and creativity at the top levels of the Nixon and Ford administrations, and then gone on to score big in the corporate world as a rescuer of troubled firms. With a reputation as an agent of change, he took charge of the Pentagon - the government's biggest bureaucracy - determined to shake up the place and transform it for 21st century warfare. But searing criticism of his handling of the Iraq conflict came to overshadow other initiatives, and his tough management style alienated potential allies in Congress and many on the Pentagon staff.He is far from alone to blame for the administration's failings in Iraq - indeed; he frequently fumed in private about how others in the government had neglected to do their parts. But the certitude and bravado he displayed in public became a symbol of what went wrong with the Bush administration's plan to oust Saddam Hussein and establish a pro-Western democratic regime in Iraq - and made Rumsfeld such a political lightning rod that he was compelled to step down before the end of President Bush's second term.Rumsfeld is complex, and many of the conflicting traits evident in his tenure as secretary can be seen earlier in his life. He could be brilliant and engaging, charming and generous, highly ethical and deeply committed to public service. But he also could be obsessive and inflexible, gruff and dismissive, impatient and calculating.Graham does not have an ideological or political agenda. His reputation for fairness and thoroughness allows him to see Rumsfeld in the most comprehensive context and to provide a broad perspective on Rumsfeld's significant role in American history. Having conducted hundreds of interviews and searched through archives, Graham explains many of the twists and turns that have marked Rumsfeld's roller coaster ride.
