by Bolton, John
First published 2020
John Bolton served as National Security Advisor to President Trump for 453 days. He witnessed a president who prioritized reelection above national security concerns. Bolton documents how Trump treated foreign policy like real estate negotiations, focusing on personal relationships and television appearances rather than strategic interests. The book chronicles crises from Syria's chemical weapons attack on Douma to confrontations with North Korea's Kim Jong Un. Bolton describes Trump as suspicious of his own government and attracted to chaos. He argues the House impeachment inquiry missed broader patterns of misconduct beyond Ukraine. Bolton shows how Trump embraced adversaries while alienating allies, leaving America more vulnerable to threats from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. The author, who previously served Reagan and both Bush presidents, found this administration fundamentally different. Bolton captures the constant turmoil of Trump's White House, from Venezuela's upheaval to G7 summits to the proposed Taliban meeting at Camp David. He provides an insider's view of Washington politics with sharp observations about the personalities and conflicts that shaped critical decisions affecting American security.
Genres: history, political-science, politics, non-fiction, biography-memoir, 21st-century, current-affairs, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: insider-account, political-memoir
Setting: Syria, North Korea, Camp David
Period: 2017-2019
592 pages · Hardcover · Simon & Schuster