Reviews (87)

Somewhat Unfulfilled Promise
I purchased this book for recreational reading -if that tells you anything about what I consider to be fun - shortly after it was published, expecting to read an insider's account of paramilitary forces in Afghanistan and how they interacted with military Special Operations Forces, and in that Berntsen did not disappoint.This book is a fairly quick read and as a first person accounting it makes for some interesting background and fills in some gaps in my understanding of the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, especially on the political aspects of how the CIA was willing, on one hand, to provide so much autonomy to a field operative, but yet could not seem to engage in a truly cooperative venture between the agency and military SOFs.
You have to read between the lines
The jacket cover for Gary Berntsen's "Jawbreaker" claims this is "The book the CIA doesn't want you to read!" I find that a little hard to believe since the CIA has already apparently had their chance at redacting sensitive information leaving wide swaths of black ink on about 75% of the pages. Sometimes one black line apparently stands for several pages of redaction while at other times a small rectangle of black eliminates a single word that obviously wasn't very important to the story. The book's subtitle is "The attack on Bin Laden and al-Qaeda: a personal account the CIA's key field commander". That's another good hint that the CIA isn't too upset about the book being published. I personally think they rather enjoy seeing a successful book which details a CIA mission that was exciting, action-packed, and 99% successful. Only at the very end of the book do we find that second guessing on the part of the White House or Pentagon may have cost us the opportunity to kill Bin Laden at the end of the Afghan war.
A Sandwich with no Meat
Gary Berntsen's book "Jawbreaker" is interesting reading, but it makes one feel as if one is eating a sandwich with no meat and the sandwich is wrapped with cellophane of red tape.The author was drastically limited in writing a complete story by the CIA censors.The CIA censors "redacted" a great amount of detail.As a result, the book falls into the category of being a summarized report rather than a story.Special Forces, CIA and FBI personnel with their experience in intelligence work would understand "Jawbreaker" better than the common everyday-person.Agency and SF personnel would be able to, imaginarily, fill in the blanks.
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Subjects:  1. Government - U.S. Government    2. Intelligence Operations    3. Political Freedom & Security - Intelligence    4. Political Freedom & Security - International Secur    5. Political Freedom & Security - Terrorism    6. Political Science    7. Political Terrorism    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Politics/International Relations    10. Prevention    11. Sociology    12. Terrorism    13. War on Terrorism, 2001-    14. History / Modern / 21st Century   

Reviews (2)

Negotiation versus Regime Change
Scott Ritter provides chapter and verse on how conflict with the Axis of Evil nations could have been avoided with direct negotiation.The mullahs of Iran sought to negotiate with everything on the table, including nuclear weapons and a treaty with Israel. North Korea still wants direct negotiations.So did Saddam. We don't negotiate with regimes we want to remove.Bush prefers to "take them out" no matter how many americans die.

Could have, would have, shoud have...
This could have been one of the most important books of the year. Scott Ritter provides important, but tangential, information related to Israel's influence over U.S. foreign policy, the history of the IAEA in Iran, and the theory of regime change as the real reason for U.S. "concern" over Iran's nuclear weapons infrastructure.
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Subjects:  1. Government - U.S. Government    2. History    3. History: American    4. Political Freedom & Security - International Secur    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Public Policy - General    7. United States - 21st Century    8. Asian / Middle Eastern history: from c 1900 -    9. History / United States / 21st Century    10. International relations    11. Iran    12. USA   

Reviews (12)

Interesting history...
This was an interesting read.Napolitano is a Fox News Contributor who is an advocate of interpreting via natural law and reading the Constitution literally for it's intended meaning.As a result, the Fox News bashers will tend to ignore the book but it's worthy of their attention too because the leftwing liberal idea of reinterpeting the Constitution for today is what lead to legislation like the Patriot Act.In an unbiased way (politically), his criticisms of the current administration are well-balanced with a good explanation and examples of abuse.I've traditionally been a supporter of the Republicans and the Patriot act but the Judge's book have made me rethink the Patriot Act.I was also surprised at how far back in time some of the interpretation contraversies go, some dating back to Hamilton and Jefferson themselves.

Outstanding work by Judge Napolitano
I have never written a review for Amazon but this book was so good that I felt compelled to go through the process.
For Freedom loving Americans
Judge Napolitano commicated what I been seeing happen. He has the legal background to explain how the Federal Government has sized power that was never intended for them to have. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Constitutional history    2. Constitutions    3. Executive power    4. General    5. Government - General    6. Government - Legislative Branch    7. Government - U.S. Government    8. History    9. Political Freedom & Security - General    10. Political Science    11. Politics / Current Events    12. Politics/International Relations    13. Popular works    14. Separation of powers    15. U.S. Constitutional History    16. United States    17. Political Science / General   

Reviews (7)

"Civic-ness" and Democracy
In the early 1970s, political power was decentralized in Italy.The power once held by the central government in Rome was reallocated to the newly created regional governments. Constitutionally, the regions possessed similar political institutions.However, the regions varied socially, economically and in political context.Putnam, seeing a ready laboratory for social science, chose to study the role of environmental factors on institutional performance in the new regional governments.Institutions serve as Putnam's independent variable, while a number of environmental factors act as the dependent variables.As such three main research questions emerged; 1) how does institutional change affect identity, power, and strategy of the regional political actors, 2) how is institutional performance a function of history, and lastly 3) which features of social context most powerfully affect institutional performance (8).
A Classic Text of Modern Political Science
Robert Putnam's work has become a Political Science classic.His work is part of new area of research -- civic participation.During the past decade, this area has exploded from obscurity twenty years ago to being one of the most popular fields today.Putnam's works have had a profound impact on many other areas in the Political Science world, from local governance to international political theory.Regardless of whether you agree with his theories, if you are at all interested in Political Science, it is a must read.Moreover, either "Marking Democracy Work" or "Bowling Alone" are becoming standard texts used in most 100 & 200 level undergraduate courses.

trite conclusions, flawed methodology... but engaging prose
It's unfortunate that given the opportunity and resources to study the birth and development of regional government in Italy over the course of twenty years, the best conclusions Putnam was able to draw from his observations are hackneyed paraphrases from Tocqueville. Most of his most careful fieldwork yields results that are stultifyingly obvious; and it's hard not to think that his questions and indicators were not deliberately chosen to demonstrate foregone conclusions. Probably most irritating to me is Putnam's irresponsible use of history as a tool for proving continuities that are largely imaginary.Read more

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - Cultural    2. Government - U.S. Government    3. History & Theory - General    4. Political Science    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Politics/International Relations    7. Central government    8. Italy    9. Local government    10. Political Science / History & Theory    11. Political Science and International Relations    12. Political science & theory    13. Political structures: democracy    14. Sociology    15. c 1970 to c 1980    16. c 1980 to c 1990   

Editorial Review

Bill Gertz, who covers national security for the Read more

Reviews (113)

Lackluster but marginally revealing...
This is a Washington Times correspondant's look at Clinton Administration boon-doggles from overtures to the Red Chinese to foolish nuclear aid programs to North Korea. Succinctly stated Gertz indicts the former Clinton administration for it's blind eyeon vital national security issues. Though, at times it seems trifling and it seems Gertz is fishing for intrigue. Since the highlight of the book is a spying Russian naval vessel blinding an American with a laser, I was kind of bored. But I still found some of the content redeeming.

Pretty Pernicious stuff
I am beginning to hate to read these books about President Clinton because it seems that everything he did as the President was to line his pockets. Accurate portrayal of a moral relativist former President.
Bill Gertz is probably the foremost authority in the United States on American-Chinese relations. During the Clinton years Gertz kept America informed, through his brilliant articles in The Washington Times, regarding the Administration's ill-advised "policy of engagement" with China, a policy which, at the end of Clinton's eight years in office, had served to permit China to aid rogue nations in the proliferation of nuclear weapons, and to improve its arsenal of ICBMs, many of which were aimed at us, while aiding Mr. Clinton's Hollywood contributors and several unscrupulous high-tech corporations as they developed markets in China for their products.Read more

Subjects:  1. 1946-    2. 1993-2001    3. 20th century    4. Clinton, Bill,    5. Foreign relations    6. General    7. Government - U.S. Government    8. History    9. International Relations - General    10. National Security Issues    11. National security    12. Political Science    13. Politics / Current Events    14. Politics/International Relations    15. U.S. Foreign Relations    16. United States    17. Arms negotiation & control    18. Central government policies    19. Clinton, Bill    20. Political Science / General    21. USA   

Reviews (926)

A Great Bathroom Book
Before I begin, I must state, that I have read this book... unlike many Amazon 'reviewers.'
Though not in complete agreement, I nodded A LOT!
I bought this book after seeing Mr. Goldberg on the Today show.I was not sure what I would think after reading his book and was surprised to find that while reading, I was nodding more than shaking my head.I liked Mr. Goldberg's style of writing - similar to how I reactively think - but I did find him a bit repetitive.He also made a lot of sweeping generalizations that made me roll my eyes and skip ahead a couple paragraphs.
Unenjoyable
This hardcore conservative did not enjoy this book.The book is filled with a wealth of eye-opening information on significant people that I did not know but should (like Hugo Chavez's new best friend, Noam Chomsky), but the reading is so laborious and draining that I cannot recommend it.It has none of the light-hearted fun that we often get from Rush Limbaugh.Rather, it brought to mind the dark experience of listening alone to Michael Savage in a bad mood after dark.The cheeky title is misleading - this was a joyless book to read. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Conservatism    2. Government - U.S. Government    3. Liberalism    4. Mass Communication Media And Politics    5. Mass Media - General    6. Mass media    7. Media Studies    8. Political Ideologies - Conservatism & Liberalism    9. Political Science    10. Political aspects    11. Political culture    12. Politics / Current Events    13. Politics/International Relations    14. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    15. Popular Culture - General    16. Sociology    17. United States    18. Biography: general    19. Social Science / Popular Culture    20. Social theory   

Editorial Review

This forceful, sarcastic, and often hilarious book offers tips on arguing with liberals, which include the following: don't be defensive, always outrage the enemy, and never apologize to, compliment, or show graciousness to a Democrat. Welcome to the world according to Ann Coulter. Ever combative, Coulter is unafraid to court controversy or confront her detractors head-on, whether they are mainstream journalists and talk-show hosts who have misquoted her without apology or "weak and frightened conservatives" craving liberal approval. Though the writing is often over-the-top, the book if full of one-liners that will delight conservatives, such as "the best way to convert liberals is to have them move out of their parents' home, get a job, and start paying taxes." But there is more here than just insults and countless jabs at Bill Clinton, and even her most devoted readers will find much new material in the book. Largely a collection of her syndicated columns from the past decade, Read more

Reviews (683)

I am absolutely baffled by you all,

A women of many tactics
Sometimes she raves and sometimes she rants, the really interesting parts are when she tries to do both at the same time.
Not Like Seeing Her In Person
Having seen Ann Coulter once it is rather hard to catagorize this book, especially in view of how she acts in person and her "vocabulary" off camera. Since I generally review military books I will try to stick with that topic.
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Subjects:  1. 1989-    2. Government - U.S. Government    3. Liberalism    4. Mass media    5. Political Ideologies - Conservatism & Liberalism    6. Political Process - Political Parties    7. Political Science    8. Political aspects    9. Politics / Current Events    10. Politics and government    11. Politics/International Relations    12. United States    13. Political Science / Political Parties   

Reviews (287)

Laura can have an opinion - Entertainers can't!
Ingraham is an elite herself.Her opinion is valid, why?Because she is not a entertainer?Does she mention that the 'great' Ronald Reagan was an entertainer?So you can be an entertainer with a legitimate view, but you should have the same view as Laura!Subverting America?Doesn't every American have the right to speak, the duty to speak, their mind?I'd tell Laura to shut up and write, but that wouldn't be polite now would it?Of course being polite/charitable isn't a concern of the right wing.

Solid Republican conservatism
Ingraham rails against elitism in six separate areas: politics, media, arts andentertainment, ivory tower (academia), business, and international organizations.For the most part, she makes her points with solid references, especially to the liberal Hollywood actors and actresses who seem to think that because we pay to watch them play dress-up, they are entitled to tell us who to vote for.It's a relevant and eye-opening book about the state of America today and why changes need to be made.

Solid conservative writing
Shut Up and Sing by Laura Ingraham is an insightful look into not only the liberal elite but how conservatives view them.Ingraham's book is similar to Ann Coulter's Slander and Women Who Make the World Worse by Kate O'Beirne, but better in that she explains things with so much more detail.It does seem that the same stories about unhinged liberals seem to circulate from book to book.I've read the same crazy stories in all three of these books, plus a few that were in Michael Savage's The Enemy Within.I would have to place this book near the top of the heap of this kind of writing.Ingraham doesn't engage in name-calling and backs up her writing with lots of source material.Her voice in writing is straight-forward without the histrionics that make up so much conservative writing.My one complaint is that she seems to see Communism everywhere.Maybe I'm naive, but I thought that The Red Scare was over.Not according to Ingraham, and she doesn't come off as a quack, she's got the sources to back herself up.Scary reading. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Elite (Social sciences)    2. Essays    3. Government - U.S. Government    4. In mass media    5. Mass Communication Media And Politics    6. Media Studies    7. Political Ideologies - Conservatism & Liberalism    8. Political Process - Leadership    9. Political Science    10. Politics / Current Events    11. Politics and government    12. Politics/International Relations    13. Social conditions    14. U.S. - Contemporary Politics    15. United States    16. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    17. Social Science / General    18. USA   

Reviews (209)

(very) good questions...
Having never really questioned the official account of 9/11 until recently (this fifth anniversary seems to generate a bit more buzz than usual) I was only curious to read what one of the most prominent 9/11 "alternative analysts" had to say. Well, after reading this, I am not sure what to believe anymore, but I sure know what to NOT believe: any single word of the official account.
Outstanding organization of salient anamolies
Griffin takes a very objective stance presenting engaging reasons for demanding further investigation into the 911 tragedies.
Not much else. but ...
Don't usually write reviews, especially highly rated material, such as New Pearl Harbor by DRG, and I have little to add beyond
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Subjects:  1. 2001-    2. Government - U.S. Government    3. Governmental investigations    4. Political Freedom & Security - Terrorism    5. Political Process - Leadership    6. Political Science    7. Political Terrorism    8. Political aspects    9. Politics / Current Events    10. Politics and government    11. Politics/International Relations    12. Responsibility    13. September 11 Terrorist Attacks    14. September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001    15. U.S. - Contemporary Politics    16. United States    17. United States - 21st Century   

Reviews (25)

The Devils Highway
Not being a avid reader ,if a book doesn't interest me in the first few pages I put it away. This certainly was not such a book. Written by a Mexican American I expected the story to be slanted toward anti immigration only to find a balanced view of the Border situation from the prospective of those desperate to make a better life for their familys, to the Border Patrol and the almost impossible job before them. Two things that stand out are the compassion of the Border Patrol and how the immigrants are so often preyed upon by their own people. A must read before making a judgement about our border situation and the people who live {and die} there.

Misplaced Sympathy for an Invading Army
It seems like this book has appeal for the come one, come all immigration proponents and multiculturalism fanatics.I take no joy in hearing the stories of human suffering, whether it be south of the border or elsewhere, but there is a heavy cost for allowing millions of mexicans into America.Many locales with large illegal immigrant populations have seen a sharp increase in violent crime and gang activity.
He may as well have been...
Jonathan Miles of MEN'S JOURNAL wrote this of Urrea's sublime tribute to the immigrant's journey, "A tour de force account of an adventure unlike the ones you're used to reading."And it's true.What makes THE DEVIL'S HIGHWAY shine is Urrea's ability to lend his novelist's eye to a story more true than most of us would like to imagine.For whatever side you hold in the Border debate, Urrea will make you believe in the people who walk. Even if he doesn't pull you toward empathy for those taking this journey, he will at least illuminate for you what happens to a group of men who feel like crossing the infamous Devil's Highway is the only option.From their first step into the desert to their rescue just short of the U.S. border, you will not want to put this book down.Urrea takes the magnifying glass that is the Border Control Issue and focuses that hot sun down to a small group later called the Wellton 26.Literally. Every step through this Pulitzer Prized Finalist will force you onto the desert with these men : walking with these men, following with these men, thirsting with these men, and dying with these men. Urrea has made me want to keep going.Luckily, in the rear of the book, he's given me more with suggested readings to further my lusty desire to ingest all I can about this issue. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crimes against    2. Emigration & Immigration    3. Emigration And Immigration    4. Ethnic Studies - Hispanic American Studies    5. Government - U.S. Government    6. Hispanic American Sociology    7. Human smuggling    8. Illegal aliens    9. Mexican-American Border Region    10. Social Science    11. Social conditions    12. Sociology    13. True Crime    14. Crime & criminology    15. Current Events / General    16. Immigration & emigration    17. Mexico    18. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    19. USA   

Reviews (11)

Jesus is not dead..
Robin Meyers has put into words my innermost feelings on the direction of our country, war, and religion.He is bold, direct, and gives meaning to issues confronting our destiny.The Christian right has taken my Jesus from me.To the point I resent seeing a fish decal on a car trunk.As a liberal preacher, Robin Meyers hasput Christ back as a humanitarian where peace and love is the essence of life.
Reclaiming progressive "Christian values"
Dr. Meyers provides a clarion call for the many millions of Americans who are weary of the judgmental, narrow, rigid, and essentially anti-Christian religious leaders and movements who seem to have assumed control of American policy and culture. This well-written, scrupulously documented manifesto provides positive steps for taking action and reclaiming the values Christ taught. Highly recommended.

Good ethics - good politics - but not the Christianity I know
At first I was impressed by this book - but later quite disillusioned. I have been troubled for some time because I find the views and methods of the "christian right" to be quite out of keeping with my understanding of the Bible. As I read Robin Meyers book I found myself in close agreement with the ethical and political message he had to out across. But as the book progressed I realized that the Christianity I am following is a different religion from that taught by Rev.Meyers.
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Subjects:  1. Christianity    2. Christianity - Christian Life - Political Issues    3. Conservatism    4. Fundamentalism    5. Government - U.S. Government    6. Political Ideologies - Conservatism & Liberalism    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Religion    9. Religion, Politics & State    10. Religious aspects    11. United States    12. Christian social thought & activity    13. Conservatism & right-of-centre democratic ideologies    14. Religion / Church & State   

Reviews (90)

Great read, tells it like it is....
Which is why libs hate it. They don't want the truth to be told because if it ever was (which is to say if CNN and other lib talkers told the whole story), nobody would even think about voting for them.
Polemic, not scholarship
This is not a work of scholarship, not a work that examines its sources or parses ideologies for truth.This book certainly does not focus on truth.
Liberal, reform, intelligence impotency
Robert Patterson wants a commitment to national security; believes the democrats can not be trusted to handle national security, saying the liberals have weakness on national security issues.Patterson blisters the liberal indicting, "liberals have done everything to ensure America's military defeat".Patterson blames Clinton force reductions, as the primary reason for dismantling America's military might.
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Subjects:  1. 1993-2001    2. 2001-    3. Government - U.S. Government    4. History & Theory - General    5. National security    6. Political    7. Political Freedom & Security - General    8. Political Ideologies - Conservatism & Liberalism    9. Political Science    10. Politics / Current Events    11. Politics and government    12. Politics/International Relations    13. United States    14. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    15. Political Science / General    16. Political science & theory    17. Social & political philosophy   

Reviews (129)

Thank You!
Thanks so much for this book about Jesse Jackson. Jesse Jackson is for himself. He has exploited Black people and used them for his own good. Where ever there is a cause he's present. Not so much for the sake of those involved, but more or less for his own benefit. It's ashame that he has to speak for the common good of man for a fee. Before he speaks he wants to come to a payment agreement. He uses Black people. A Black problem is his gain. Black people please get hip. Jesse Jackson is a pimp in the worse way. He pimps and profits from Black problems.
A Great Book about a complete Fraud!
I've always had a thought about "REVERAND" Jackson, and this book proves it! Jesse jackson isn't black -He's just a white man that's so full of s**t tha his body long ago lost the ability to absorb it!

Mr Jackson is what Fela Kuti would call a pen robber
If the Abacha/Nigeria/Abiola story revealed in this book is fact, Mr. Jackson should be jailed for the part he played in Abiola's death. Concerning the son, if a congressman earning $26,000 owns 5 cars worth $300,000 it proves the truism that the apple does not fall far from the tree.
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Subjects:  1. 1941-    2. African American civil rights    3. African American civil rights workers    4. African American politicians    5. Biography    6. Biography & Autobiography    7. Biography/Autobiography    8. Civil rights workers    9. Conspiracy & Scandal Investigations    10. Ethics    11. Government - U.S. Government    12. Jackson, Jesse,    13. People of Color    14. Political    15. Political Freedom & Security - Civil Rights    16. Politics / Current Events    17. U.S. - Political And Civil Rights Of Blacks    18. United States    19. Jackson, Jesse    20. Non-Classifiable   

Reviews (147)

"The End of the World" story has been a best seller for thousands of years...
Another left-wing, hippie idiot who dropped out of any sort of real career in 1975 has to sustain himself by writing this anti-technology dystopic rubbish.I'm sure that he has plenty of ideological fellow travelers in Hollywood with whom he should team up to make another version of "12 Monkeys" or "The Fight Club."This is just left-wing, nihilist, anti-human rubbish motivated by a hatred of humanity and mans' productive capacity.
end to the fossil fuel feast
About a month ago i finished this book, The Long Emergency, but James Howard Kunstler. I had read him before in Home from Nowhere: he is a very articulate voice about sprawl with great recognition of not just its environmental impacts but also its spiritual and community impacts.