First published 2024
George Stephanopoulos opens the doors to the most secretive room in American government. The longtime ABC anchor and former Clinton advisor takes readers inside the White House Situation Room, where twelve presidents have faced their most critical moments. Created during the Kennedy administration, this basement command center has served as the nerve center for presidential crisis management across six decades. Stephanopoulos chronicles the high-stakes decisions that shaped global history, from close calls that nearly sparked disasters to split-second choices that averted catastrophe. He profiles both household names and unknown staffers who influenced world events from within these classified walls. The book spans a dozen presidential administrations, revealing how this single room became the epicenter of American power projection worldwide. Stephanopoulos provides readers unprecedented access to the space where presidents make decisions affecting billions of lives, combining his insider knowledge with extensive research to illuminate the human drama behind moments that changed history.
Genres: history, political-science, presidents, non-fiction, biography-memoir, 21st-century, current-affairs, american-history
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-events, insider-knowledge
Setting: White House, Situation Room
Period: Kennedy Administration, Six Decades
466 pages · Hardcover · Grand Central Publishing