Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House

By Michael Wolff

I must confess that when I finally got to read this book it felt somewhat out of date. My sister and I have a tradition of getting each other a some strange book that we would not otherwise buy. Here was her choice for last Christmas, for me. It's taken me all this time to get to.

Having read it now I have a deeper appreciate of how hard it might be for all those working in the White House right now. it all seems so unpredictable. The rules of decorum seem to have shifted, it certainly reads as if there is a lack of a compass in the White House right now...

Having said that, all I know of White House politics is from The West Wing, Madame Secretary and Designated Survivor and I know some would just call that a bunch of idealistic, left-wing clap trap.

Synopsis

Almost everyone in the Trump campaign thought of themselves as clear-eyed and realistic. The unspoken agreement among them: not only would Donald Trump not be president, he should probably not be. Conveniently, the former conviction meant nobosy had to deal with the latter issue.
As the campaign can to an end, Trump himself was sanguine. His longtime friend Roger Ailes liked to say that if you wanted a career in television, first run for president. Now Trump, encouraged by Ailes, was floating rumors about a Trump network. It was a great future.
He would come out of this campaign, Trump assured Ailes, with a far more powerful brand and untold opportunities. "This is bigger than I ever dreamed of." he told Ailes in a conversation a week before the election. "I don't think about losing because it isn't losing. We've totally won." What's more, he was already laying down his public response to losing the election: It was stolen!
Donald Trump and his timy band of campaign warriors were ready to lose with fire and fury. They were not ready to win.

Author

Michael Wolff is an American author, essayist, journalist, and a columnist and contributor to USA Today, The Hollywood Reporter, and the UK edition of GQ. Wikipedia

 

By the same author

• White Kids (1979)
• Where We Stand (1996)
• Autumn of the Moguls: My Misadventures with the Titans, Poseurs, and Money Guys Who Mastered and Messed Up Big Media (2003)
• The Man Who Owns the News: Inside the Secret World of Rupert Murdoch (2008)
• Rupert Murdoch: The Master Mogul of Fleet Street: 24 Tales from the Pages of Vanity Fair (2011)
• Television Is the New Television: The Unexpected Triumph of Old Media In the Digital Age (2015)
• Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House (2018)

 

 

The Thirty-nine steps

By John Buchan

This week's reading challenge was to tackle a classic. 'Classic' is defined as a book more than 50 years old. I think it safe to say 1915 is more than 50 years old. I loved this book, though the language in it is quick tricky to follow in places, especially as Buchan attempts to write in a Scottish accent.
I often feel I was born in the wrong era, I think I would have liked to have 'had dinner at the club' or 'sat in the reading room with the paper'. It's certainly a romantic notion of mine.

I much prefer Buchan's writing to Joesph Conrad's Secret Agent. It has a better momentum to it. But don't know if that is more to do with the authors' writing style or the reader's lack of book-learning.

Synopsis

When Richard Hannay returns from a long stay in Africa, he becomes caught up in a sensational plot to precipitate a pan-European war.
After the discovery of a corpse in his flat, Hannay flees the attentions of both the conspirators and the forces of the law, and the pursuit turns into a thrilling manhunt.
Set against the hot summer which precedes the outbreak of the First World War. The Thirty-nine Steps is one of the finest and most highly admired thrillers ever written.

Author 

After a brief legal career, Buchan simultaneously began his writing career and his political and diplomatic careers, serving as a private secretary to the colonial administrator of various colonies in southern Africa. He eventually wrote propaganda for the British war effort in the First World War. Buchan was in 1927 elected Member of Parliament for the Combined Scottish Universities.

(Wikipedia)

Other novels

Prester John (1910)
The 39 Steps - Richard Hannay, #1 (1915)
Greenmantle - Richard Hannay #2 (1916)
Mr. Standfast - Richard Hannay #3 (1919)
The Three Hostages - Richard Hannay #4 (1924)
The Island of Sheep - Richard Hannay #5 (1936)

The Complete Idiot's Guide to U.S. History

By Kenneth Hite and Shepherd Hendrix

I've really enjoyed this graphic novel explaining, in really simple terms, American History. I've been sharing it with my boy and it's been very accessible to him. It's opened up a dialogue about American History as he asks me about the Boston Tea Party, American Independence, The Civil War, Civil Rights and so on. Its been a start for us both, simply getting the events that we know about in chronological order has been so helpful.

Synopisis
You're no idiot, of course. You know there are exciting, meaty stories buried in American history books. But with most history tomes, it's hard to stay awake long enough to get to the good stuff.
Get a better picture of the events that made history! This book shows you action and explains what it means. In it, you get:

• Captivating stories of the people and events that shaped our nation. 
• Vivid depictions of how Americans won independence and sovereignty from sea to shining sea. 
• Enlightening explanations of domestic struggles over abolition, worker's rights, racism and minority rights. 
• Compelling examinations of America's role in international affairs, from total war to peaceful diplomacy.

Authors

Kenneth Hite
Award winning author with an academic background in history, has designed, written adn co-authored more than 70 role-playing games and supplements including Star Trek: The Next Generation RPG, Lord of the Rings RPG, and Call of Cthulhu d20.

Shepherd Hendrix
In 1991 Hendrix began as a professional comic book artist. The illurstrator of Stagger Lee, Swamp Thing, Tarzan, and many other comics. He took on other creative roles such as storyboard artist, background designer, and concept artist. His animation credits include work on the Extreme Ghostbuster TV series. 

 

Hit and Run

By Nicky Hager and John Stephenson

This book has hit the headlines this week in New Zealand. Its calling for an independent inquiry into what some may call a war crime.

'Investigative Journalism' is not a priority in New Zealand. The media, it seems is more of a echo chamber for government and big business. It seems that the press only goes so far when 'calling power to account'. I believe it is their principle role in a democracy. Its why I watch Q&A or The Nation. Why I listen to John Campbell and Duncan Garner when I can on the radio. There is only a handful reporters, let alone news outlets that take this role seriously.

Nicky Hager and John Stephenson have done that here, which is why I sent $30 on the book. Not only to read for myself of issues at hand but feel like I am paying them to do such work on my behalf.

Synopsis

In August 2010, a New Zealand soldier died in a roadside bomb blast in Afghanistan. In retaliation, the New Zealand SAS led a raid on two isolated villages in search of the fighters they suspected were responsible.
They all knew the rules. Prior to firing weapons, their freshly issued orders said, 'the commander approving the strike must determine that no civilians are present.' If they could not assess whether civilians were present, firing was prohibited. But it all went horribly wrong.

Great summary of events described in the book found here.

Authors

Nicky Hager is a New Zealand investigative journalist. He has produced six books since 1996, covering topics such as intelligence networks, environmental issues and politics.

 Jon Stephenson is an Auckland-based investigative journalist with extensive experience reporting conflict and trauma.

My opinion:

Despite Nicky Hager's reputation as having a flare for the dramatic I am of the opinion that the New Zealand government need to initiate an independent inquiry.

These are serious allegations that Hager and Stephenson are making and they are being refuted in the strongest possible terms by Tim Keating and others from the Defense Force, someone is not being truthful.

If Tim Keating is correct about the NZ SAS forces working in another village that night, elsewhere, then I am sure an independent inquiry will bring that to light and the Defense Force will be vindicated.

However, having read the book, at this point I found myself convinced by Jon Stephenson's version of events.

I was shocked and saddened to think that my government would condone such actions and respond in such a questionable when these allegations have come to light.

I believe the New Zealand public needs to be convinced that this mess is brought to a fair and satisfactory conclusion and I don't see us being satisfied by the Prime Minister merely saying that he is happy with the Defense Force saying they were simply not involved.

Finally, I am concerned that if the New Zealand public allow the government to sweep this under the carpet our integrity and standing as a nation may well be compromised.

Let's have an independent inquiry which can sift the truth from the lies.

 

How do you feel about the allegations made in the Hit & Run book reported this week in NZ media this week? 

 

Other books by this author: 

Hit & Run: The New Zealand SAS in Afghanistan and the meaning of honour (2017)
Dirty Politics: How Attack Politics is Poisoning New Zealand's Political Environment  (2014)
Other People's Wars: New Zealand in Afghanistan, Iraq and the war on terror (2011)
The Hollow Men: A Study in the Politics of Deception (2006)
Seeds of Distrust: the story of a GE cover-up (2002)
Secrets and Lies: The Anatomy of an Anti-Environmental PR Campaign (2002)
Secret Power: New Zealand's Role in the International Spy Network (1996)