* President Trump should
be a little more cautious about calling the book “Fear” a “total fraud” because
Woodward vindicates the President in some instances as well as puts him in a
favorable light in others. Twitter President Trump is the real Trump. That’s
what makes the dialogue and book so believable. People in the President’s
circle are as we have seen them in real life. Woodward does an excellent job of
presenting their narrative. The President’s own book “Trump, the Art of the
Deal” also serves to validate the portrayal in Woodard’s book.
*When I first started
reading “Fear,Trump in the White House” I thought oh boy this is going to be a
slog of a read. While I don’t consider it a “page turner” it is a good read. I
could put it down, come back to it and become immediately engrossed. There’s
drama in the writing but it’s provided by those who Woodward is quoting that
were there at the time. If you have watched President Trump talk, read his
tweets or watched video of his rallies, you should find that what you are
reading is an echo of that. Woodward does an excellent job of filling us in as
about the reality of Trump’s Presidency.
*Bob Woodward starts off
providing a behind the scenes look at how the Donald Trump campaign won the
election. If Trump supporters would read this with an open mind I think that
they might acknowledge that Woodward presents how Trump won in a favorable
light. Steve Bannon was almost singular in his unwavering belief that Trump
would win. Woodward does a good job of presenting the gritty side of a
campaign. The side where people talk like real people and make those not so
pretty decisions and have coarse conversations.
*I’m going to quote a
line from the back of the book that for me kind of sums up an oft-repeated
theme throughout the book. “I wish I could persuade you,” Dowd said. “Don’t
testify. It’s either that or an orange jump suit. If it’s decision time, you’re
going to go forward, I can’t be with you.” Dowd is the President’s friend and
was his lawyer up until the point that he resigned.
*Woodward provides a LOT
of sources. Pages 362 to 420 are source notes.
*I want to note that I am
curious about all of the half inch spaces between paragraphs that are scattered
throughout the book. I’m not going to bother counting them all but I’m going to
guess that they add up to a number of pages.
*In closing I think that
if you enjoy reading about history in the making you’ll find this book useful.