Reviews

"Judicious, thorough, unstinting . . . Karen DeYoung's fine new biography, with its privileged glimpses into policy battles and high-level backbiting in the Bush administration, is sure to be one of this year's top newsmaking books."
--David Walton, "Dallas Morning News
"
"It becomes clear that Powell--who harbored serious doubts about the wisdom of invasion and who frequently found himself an outsider in an administration dominated by neo-conservative hawks--was prescient about a host of issues, from the difficulties of rebuilding a postwar Iraq to the need for higher troop levels and multilateral support."
--Michiko Kakutani, "The New York Times
"
"DeYoung . . . imbues this story with narrative tension and a steady accumulation of detail that shows exactly how [Powell] allowed himself to be used, mastered and then cast aside by his antagonists in the administration . . . A fascinating study in bureaucratic maneuvering, groupthink and subtle self-deception."
--George Packer, "Washington Post Book World
"
"The most explosive book of the fall. An early look reveals . . . new information about the White House's preparation for war, internecine conflicts within the war Cabinet, and--most surprising--Powell's account of his unceremonious exit from the administration."
--"Esquire
"
"DeYoung brings nuance and psychological depth to her analysis."
--Gary Kamiya, "Salon"
"The story of a good soldier sacrificed . . . An excellent study in leadership--and lack thereof."
--"Kirkus"
"Diligent, sympathetic, but not uncritical . . . It doesn't pull punches."
--Joseph Lelyveld, "New York Review of Books
"
"DeYoung comes into her own . .. discussing Powell's brief flirtation with presidential politics and the bureaucratic infighting that has characterized this Bush administration from the start . . . Sheds further light on a story whose broad outlines are well-known."
--Tim Rutten, The "Los Angeles Times
"
"A consistently interesting recollection of [Powell's] varied career, shot through with heavy doses of duty, honor, and rectitude."
--"The Atlantic Monthly
"
"DeYoung covers Powell's entire career in this nuanced, comprehensively researched first complete biography . . . DeYoung presents her subject as above all a soldier."
--"Publishers Weekly
"

"Judicious, thorough, unstinting . . . Karen DeYoung's fine new biography, with its privileged glimpses into policy battles and high-level backbiting in the Bush administration, is sure to be one of this year's top newsmaking books."
--David Walton, "Dallas Morning News
"
"It becomes clear that Powell--who harbored serious doubts about the wisdom of invasion and who frequently found himself an outsider in an administration dominated by neo-conservative hawks--was prescient about a host of issues, from the difficulties of rebuilding a postwar Iraq to the need for higher troop levels and multilateral support."
--Michiko Kakutani, "The New York Times
"
"DeYoung . . . imbues this story with narrative tension and a steady accumulation of detail that shows exactly how [Powell] allowed himself to be used, mastered and then cast aside by his antagonists in the administration . . . A fascinating study in bureaucratic maneuvering, groupthink and subtle self-deception."
--George Packer, "Washington Post Book World
"
"The most explosive book of the fall. An early look reveals . . . new information about the White House's preparation for war, internecine conflicts within the war Cabinet, and--most surprising--Powell's account of his unceremonious exit from the administration."
--"Esquire
"
"DeYoung brings nuance and psychological depth to her analysis."
--Gary Kamiya, "Salon"
"The story of a good soldier sacrificed . . . An excellent study in leadership--and lack thereof."
--"Kirkus"
"Diligent, sympathetic, but not uncritical . . . It doesn't pull punches."
--Joseph Lelyveld, "New York Review of Books
"
"DeYoung comes into her own . .. discussing Powell's brief flirtation with presidential politics and the bureaucratic infighting that has characterized this Bush administration from the start . . . Sheds further light on a story whose broad outlines are well-known."
--Tim Rutten, The "Los Angeles Times
"
"A consistently interesting recollection of [Powell's] varied career, shot through with heavy doses of duty, honor, and rectitude."
--"The Atlantic Monthly
"
"DeYoung covers Powell's entire career in this nuanced, comprehensively researched first complete biography . . . DeYoung presents her subject as above all a soldier."
--"Publishers Weekly
"