I’m reading 3 books right now; Conspiracy by Peter Strzok, Taking America Back For God by Andrew L. Whitehead and Samuel L. Perry, and Rage by Bob Woodward. I ordered Rage a week ago and it magically appeared on my Kindle overnight.
Conspiracy reads like a novel. It’s a well written account of Strzok’s time in FBI Counter Intelligence. He describes the behind the scenes debate that he and team had on whether to open an investigation of the President. As a group, they resisted starting such an an inquiry. However, the evidence gathered in probes of Trump associates was compelling and they were left with no choice but to go forward. President Trump was clearly compromised and, thus, a danger to the security of the United States. Strzok is candid about his feelings and thoughts.
In my frenzy for books, I also got Interview of Peter Strzok: Committee On The Judiciary, U.S. House Of Representatives which was part of the Hillary Clinton email hearings. The interview covers the role that Strzok played in the investigation and why Clinton was not found to have committed a crime. Because, I was more interested in Conspiracy, I skimmed the interview, looking for highlights. The interview is a treasure trove of information about Clinton’s handling of her emails, how the FBI conducted its investigation, the Republican’s tactics, and the intricate procedures of House proceedings. It’s a good reference.
Taking America Back For God is a compelling exploration of a segment of the Nationalist movement in America. Comprised of people from various backgrounds and with a variety of nationalist ideologies, this is a fascinating and disturbing world where the word Christian plays an important role that is more politically based than faith. Many but not all Evangelicals are a part of this crusade to create a white authoritarian nation. This book is chilling and yet mesmerizing.
Rage is off to a good start. If you’ve read any of Bob Woodward’s previous books it is clear that he is a meticulous reporter who substantiates his information. In his previous book about Trump, Fear, he delves into Trump’s first years as president and the machinations around the decision making. It is in this book that Trump lays it all bare when he said, “Real power is – I don’t even want to use the word – fear.” After the release of Fear, Trump was livid, until he talked with his staffers who told him that, indeed, the book was accurate and fair. That is the reason that Trump decided to talk with Woodward, 19 times for a total of about 9 hours.
Does anyone remember, All The President’s Men and The Final Days? Both were written with Carl Bernstein and both set a high standard for investigative reporting. Rage is another example of this kind of authoritative reporting.
About The Man Who Would Be King
I have been playing with some of my programs, learning bits and pieces through experimentation. The image above, is the result. I’ve got a variety of graphics and photo programs that I use to create images. I’m slowly learning the strengths of each and the effects they provide. I’m happiest when I’m learning new things. Often at the end of the day, I surprise myself with what my muses have urged me to do.
Attribution:
The Coronavirus crown is from a CDC image that is Public Domain.
Trump is based on a photo by an unknown photographer. I’ve modified re-interpreted it under Fair Use.
This content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license. Les Phillips, Les-Phillips.com