Known and Unknown
A Memoir
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Known and Unknown
Narrated by:
Donald Rumsfeld
Buy Now for £18.99
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Narrated by:
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Donald Rumsfeld
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By:
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Donald Rumsfeld
About this listen
With the same directness that defined his career in public service, Rumsfeld's memoir is filled with previously undisclosed details and insights about the Bush administration, 9/11, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. It also features Rumsfeld's unique and often surprising observations on eight decades of history.
Rumsfeld addresses the challenges and controversies of his illustrious career, from the unseating of the entrenched House Republican leader in 1965, to helping the Ford administration steer the country away from Watergate and Vietnam, to the war in Iraq, to confronting abuse at Abu Ghraib. Along the way, he offers his plainspoken, first-hand views and often humorous and surprising anecdotes about some of the world's best-known figures, ranging from Elvis Presley to George W. Bush.
Both a fascinating narrative and an unprecedented glimpse into history,Known and Unknown captures the legacy of one of the most influential men in public service.
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Critic reviews
"It is a terrific book...Let me tell you something, it is absolutely fascinating. He's very blunt in talking about people and issues and so forth, you'll really enjoy it, in my humble opinion."—Mark Levin, author of Unfreedom of the Press and American Marxism
"I would heartily recommend it. I don't think anybody could go buy a book written by anybody who has been more intimately involved, closer to power, for as many years, has been through as much, has known all of the power players as you have. It is amazing."—Rush Limbaugh, late host of The Rush Limbaugh Show
"Readers might be appreciative to find themselves in possession of a serious memoir, more in keeping with the older Washington tradition of Dean Acheson or Henry Kissinger. As might the historians."—Kimberly Strassel, colummnist at Wall Street Journal
"The battle is joined. After a long silence, Donald Rumsfeld opened both barrels Tuesday, releasing his memoir, Known and Unknown . Early leaks of the book's defiant take on his life, times, and conduct of the Iraq War drew howls from some of the targets of his score-settling...But Rumsfeld battles on, taking his unapologetic account to the public."—John Barry, journalist at Newsweek and The Daily Beast
"The book places the reader in Rumsfeld's chair and is a serious stab at telling the history of a consequential period in America through the eyes of one of its most consequential players. It will be an important addition to the history of our time."—Peter Baker, chief White House correspondent at New York Times
"[Rumsfeld] describes the highs and lows of a long and dramatic career and discloses some behind the scenes details that may shock you."—Sean Hannity, host at Fox News
"Known and Unknown is a meaty, well-written book that will be a primary source for historians...this power memoir deserves to be read with the care that went into writing it."—Christopher Buckley, author of Make Russia Great Again and Thank You For Smoking
"'Dismissive' is a word often used to describe Rumsfeld, but 'dismissive' perfectly describes his critics, who are unwilling or unable to re-examine their own assumptions in the light of new or overlooked information and fresh perspective provided by Rumsfeld, in his exceedingly well-documented work. With its hundreds of annotations and supplementary documents, Known and Unknown is a significant contribution to the historical record. It is, as Rumsfeld once noted about similar memoirs, 'only from one perspective,' but it's a unique and valuable perspective, a serious work that deserves consideration by any serious student of recent history."—Jamie McIntyre, former CNN Pentagon correspondent
"I would heartily recommend it. I don't think anybody could go buy a book written by anybody who has been more intimately involved, closer to power, for as many years, has been through as much, has known all of the power players as you have. It is amazing."—Rush Limbaugh, late host of The Rush Limbaugh Show
"Readers might be appreciative to find themselves in possession of a serious memoir, more in keeping with the older Washington tradition of Dean Acheson or Henry Kissinger. As might the historians."—Kimberly Strassel, colummnist at Wall Street Journal
"The battle is joined. After a long silence, Donald Rumsfeld opened both barrels Tuesday, releasing his memoir, Known and Unknown . Early leaks of the book's defiant take on his life, times, and conduct of the Iraq War drew howls from some of the targets of his score-settling...But Rumsfeld battles on, taking his unapologetic account to the public."—John Barry, journalist at Newsweek and The Daily Beast
"The book places the reader in Rumsfeld's chair and is a serious stab at telling the history of a consequential period in America through the eyes of one of its most consequential players. It will be an important addition to the history of our time."—Peter Baker, chief White House correspondent at New York Times
"[Rumsfeld] describes the highs and lows of a long and dramatic career and discloses some behind the scenes details that may shock you."—Sean Hannity, host at Fox News
"Known and Unknown is a meaty, well-written book that will be a primary source for historians...this power memoir deserves to be read with the care that went into writing it."—Christopher Buckley, author of Make Russia Great Again and Thank You For Smoking
"'Dismissive' is a word often used to describe Rumsfeld, but 'dismissive' perfectly describes his critics, who are unwilling or unable to re-examine their own assumptions in the light of new or overlooked information and fresh perspective provided by Rumsfeld, in his exceedingly well-documented work. With its hundreds of annotations and supplementary documents, Known and Unknown is a significant contribution to the historical record. It is, as Rumsfeld once noted about similar memoirs, 'only from one perspective,' but it's a unique and valuable perspective, a serious work that deserves consideration by any serious student of recent history."—Jamie McIntyre, former CNN Pentagon correspondent
Outstanding Account
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Beginning in the 1980s as Middle East envoy to President Reagan, then moving back to his early years in Chicago and his first years in Congress, Rumsfeld takes us through a remarkable career and a chronicle of his times. Among many things he counts as voting for the Civil Rights Act the proudest vote he cast in Congress, and recalls his early years in the Nixon Administration when he hired a young aspiring Academic by the name of Dick Cheney to be his assistant.
The highs of the book include the tumultuous years of the Ford Administration as Ford’s Whitehouse Chief of Staff and later Defense Secretary, and his crucial and unforgettable second tenure in the Pentagon.
Rumsfeld does not shy away from discussing the controversial aspects of his tenure, including Gitmo and enhanced interrogation. The do-gooders would do well to read this book and examine the arguments, rather than the armchair sniping that took place throughout the years.
A few interesting revelations were the detrimental effects of human rights focus in Foreign Policy, which essentially cost the US the crucial base in Uzbekistan, who later joined Russia’s Collective Security Treaty Organization, and the damaging use of Lawfare as a tool of policy.
Never has it become clear to this reader at least of what a difficult war America was waging, a war wherein the US was heavily restrained by its own laws, rules of engagement and adherence to human rights against an enemy that had no regard whatsoever for any of these principles, and at any opportunity used these against the US.
In all, Rumsfeld did one of the toughest jobs conceivable at a crucial juncture, a job that earned him an unfair amount of scorn. Well, Rumsfeld gave his point of view and set the record straight.
I am well aware that a positive review of this book, and my review is wholly positive, is likely to attract derision, even trolling, but that’s ok. If I wasn’t ok with giving the thumbs up to this book, then I wouldn’t have learned anything from it, which is that you have to stand on principle and ruffle a few feathers.
Rumsfeld’s career and life is something that this leader will learn from, and many others should.
An outstanding account of an outstanding career
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A riveting listen indeed.
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