An outstanding account of an outstanding career

The longest, and perhaps the best, of the memoirs of the former Bush Administration members, Known and Unknown is a very thoughtful recollection of a dazzling lifetime of public service.
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.

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Stuff Happens

I don't agree with everything Rumsfeld did during his time as secretary of defence. But it was interesting to hear from the man himself regarding his career before and during the Iraq War. I do like the fact you can read his memorandums through The Rumsfeld Papers website along with this audiobook, which is greatly appreciated. This is worth a listen too, like him or not.

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A riveting listen indeed.

An erudite narrative rich in detail, information and the methodology behind diplomacy at the highest level. Rumsfeld’s narration is also excellent and captivating from the start. For me personally, having studied history, philosophy and political science, I could not have asked for a more enjoyable listen; I learnt a lot.

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Outstanding Account

The breath of his story is an amazing post ww2 history, anyone who is interested in the cold war and the start of the war on terror

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