First published 2022
William Barr opens his memoir by examining how chance brought him to serve as attorney general under George H.W. Bush, while a deliberate choice led him back to the same role under Donald Trump thirty years later. Barr takes readers inside critical moments from both tenures, revealing how each president approached power and justice differently. During his first stint, he navigated the LA riots, the Pan Am 103 investigation, and Iran Contra aftermath. His return under Trump thrust him into Russiagate investigations, COVID response decisions, civil unrest management, presidential impeachments, and 2020 election disputes. Barr describes the relentless pressure he faced and the behind-the-scenes deliberations that shaped major government responses. The book reveals how two vastly different commanders in chief handled crises and wielded executive authority during pivotal moments in American history.
Genres: history, political-science, non-fiction, biography-memoir, 21st-century, government, current-affairs, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: unreliable-narrator
Period: 1990s, 2010s
608 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow