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The Room Where It Happened
The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir | John Bolton
14 posts | 13 read | 2 reading | 4 to read
John Bolton served as National Security Advisor to President Donald Trump for 519 days. A seasoned public servant who had previously worked for Presidents Reagan, Bush #41, and Bush #43, Bolton brought to the administration thirty years of experience in international issues and a reputation for tough, blunt talk. In his memoir, he offers a substantive and factual account of his time in the room where it happened.
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kricheal
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I believe it will be many many years before we truly know the full scope during Trump's term.

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Leftcoastzen
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Pickpick

Bolton has had political appointments through several administrations so this book is a more measured look at the Trump Admin.I‘m no fan of Bolton , too hawkish & has an imperialist attitude towards other countries.But wow ,does he take good notes & he has a better sense of humor than I thought.Short version, Trump spends too much time looking at policy through how it makes him look politically,he burns thru good advisors that aren‘t sycophants.

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KS1805
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Pickpick

We should all be very afraid of what is coming. This is a stirring look into the mind of Trump written by someone who isn‘t exactly moral himself. Frightening but necessary.

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Marla
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Not even two full days of listening and already over half the book done. Fascinating book!

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TuesdayReviews
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My 2-year-old is getting a little light reading in with dinner.

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itsjustme40something
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I'm always down to read a book so fiercely debated

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TimSpalding
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Quite a read. I get people want to keep their hands clean, but I don't care about giving Bolton $0.50, and if classics taught me anything, it‘s how to read an author you neither like nor trust.

What's in it? Well, the president's fecklessness, narcissism and disloyalty were not news to me. But I'm always interested in seeing how the sausage is made or, here, made and then thrown out the window or hidden under the couch.

Apologies for the photo.

TimSpalding The whole reaction to the book continues to haunt me. I don't think Bolton will “earn out,“ but if he does, do we care? Should we really not read things that cast important light on public policy because we dislike the author? (Should Bolton have testified? I have to agree with him partially—he should have been subpoenaed. And, he's right, it wouldn't have made a difference.) 4y
TimSpalding Complaining about the money reminds of people who complain that the Mueller probe cost $32m dollars. A million for Bolton or 32m for an investigation are nothing sums against the importance of the topic. The other complaint is more worrying—that reading a “bad“ author is an act of support for the author and implies some sort of moral contamination that renders the reader objectionable as well. 4y
TimSpalding This sentiment is on the rise today. It occasions in me the darkest thoughts about the state of contemporary intellectual culture. I understand it with fiction well enough, but it's bonkers applied to the memoir of a high public official. Being able to learn from something, whether or not you agree with it or like the author, is a foundational intellectual skill, not a character flaw. (edited) 4y
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vivastory I think that readers are just tired of the fact that there's now an industry of former Trump officials (some as in the case of Bolton very recent WH employees) who are profiting off of Trump's behavior. With people like Bolton, as Colbert pointed out to him repeatedly in his recent interview, Trump was a known factor when he went to go work for him. So, for him to then leave & then publish a book acting surprise about his former supervisor's 4y
vivastory (cont.) behavior is (again in Colbert's words) “naive“. I do agree that Republicans would not have let him testify in the Senate hearing. They didn't let any other witnesses testify. There's no reason to think that they would let him testify. If he had they would have found a way to completely discredit him. 4y
callielafleur There fact that he is going to make so much money off this book is disgusting, and the fact that it won't move the needle at all on any repercussions to dear leader is upsetting. Basically at that point it's only good is titillation. Surely the publishing industry could use its power elsewhere. 4y
TimSpalding I don't know. I think the steady drip-drip-drip of such books has an effect. Bolton's book generated quite a few negative news stories, and added confirmation to some important details of Trump's unfitness. I'm sure it's tipped some people away from voting for Trump—no idea on how many. As for the publishing industry and power, publishing is neither a monopoly nor a broadcast medium, so I don't see how such power is supposed work here. 4y
Marla I‘m listening to it now and I‘m already halfway through and it hasn‘t even been 2 days. My husband was sitting in the room and said the book is very fascinating. I like hearing behind the closed door views and going ons. 4y
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Crinoline_Laphroaig
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Me every time I see this book. 🤬

KarouBlue Bwahahaha. That‘s classic! 🙃🙃🙃🙃 4y
40 likes2 comments
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BookNightOwl
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Mehso-so

A lot of inside information on relations with other countries. I found this book slow and somewhat rather boring not because it might have been but more that I dont know all the political going on with other countries. I did learn a lot about our country leader at this time and how he makes radical decision because he feels like it will make him look good. Even if those decisions are deals with terriost.

TimSpalding I found the foreign-relations details the most appealing. I mean, I didn't learn much about Trump's unfitness that I didn't know already. But I've never been a fly on the wall for conversations with Erdogan and etc. Nice to know how the sausage is… well, spoiled. :) 4y
skewermann @BookNightOwl you'll have to try my scorching exposé of the Chump administration, “Dire and Puny“ 😉
(not to be confused with “Fire and Fury“ which has a similar-sounding title)

https://www.amazon.com/Dire-Puny-Outside-Chumps-Blackened/dp/0648437906
2y
57 likes2 comments
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goodbyefrancie
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So far:
Look how smart I am.
I saved this thing.
He wouldn't listen.
I'm so smart.
Look what I did.

Holy crap, this dude's ego is huge. Still 17 hours left. 🙄

#Overdrive

vivastory After watching his interview on Colbert I have no use for him 4y
goodbyefrancie @vivastory I haven't seen the interview yet, but Bolton has always been a slimeball. 4y
vivastory This is the truth 4y
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Kaylamburson 17 hours?? How many hours did it start with?! 4y
GingerAntics I saw his interview on Colbert. He‘s just another politician. He said he thought the impeachment trial was too narrow so he refused to participate, even though he was the person who witnessed the quid pro quo that all the republicans were asking for. What a smarmy little jerk. He‘s more like Trump than he realises. He also believes Trump‘s actions with Ukraine are just the same as when the Democrats wanted him out of office. 🤦🏼‍♀️🤬🙄 4y
GingerAntics @vivastory I just watched that interview this afternoon. Oh my god, I‘m right there with you. I wasn‘t about to buy his book anyway, but now I just want his 15 minutes of fame to end as soon as possible so he can go away. Ugh. 4y
SamAnne Ugh. 4y
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goodbyefrancie
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Listening to this on #Overdrive because I refuse to buy it. This guy has always been shitty, but keeping his mouth shut so he could cash in instead of standing up and having even a shred of morality makes him even nastier. The guy's no better than his former boss.

GingerAntics Totally agree!!! 4y
BarbaraTheBibliophage Yeah, I refuse to buy it too. 4y
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PurpleTulipGirl I‘m only a few pages in, but he‘s totally coming across as a smug jerk. Not that I‘m surprised. 4y
GloVerdino My husband bought it because he‘s obsessed with politics, but he‘s not a reader. Is it bad that I‘m just happy he actually wants to read a book?! 4y
goodbyefrancie @PurpleTulipGirl He definitely things a lot of himself. He's a worm. 4y
goodbyefrancie @GloVerdino I get it. I read a lot of political and history books, but this guy will not get a dime from me. 4y
SamAnne Agreed. Kind of want to listen but won‘t pay a dime to do so. (edited) 4y
reluctantangeleno The best thing I've heard about his book is the New York Times referring to him in their book review as "an unlikely hybrid of Ned Flanders and Yosemite Sam". Lololololol 4y
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dariazeoli
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https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/18/us/politics/john-bolton-memoir-takeaways.html

“It‘s not my fault! Let me explain why in my book, on sale at your local bookseller.”

I‘m disgusted with the wide berth given to POTUS by everyone who‘s in a position to change things. And I‘m appalled that anyone continues to support him.

Time to fill in my primary ballot. You know, the one that Trump thinks will be fraudulent because MAIL.

AmyG Money...and power. It‘s all they care about. I won‘t give this man a dime of my money. 4y
vivastory I think he's going to be on Colbert next week, it'll be an interesting interview. 4y
35 likes2 comments
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TieDyeDude
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Can we boycott Bolton's book. He wasn't willing to speak out against Trump until he could make money off it. There will be plenty of articles and reviews. If you must read it, borrow from your local library. Don't reward him for his opportunistic silence.

Mariposa_Bookworm Plus he robbed Lin-Manuel Miranda... 😡 4y
Bookwormjillk I‘m with you 4y
vivastory He shouldn't be lionized for the reasons you mentioned, also for the fact that he is a warmonger. 4y
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swishandflick Agreed! Plus I'm much more interested in the book by Trump's niece honestly 4y
Aswenson Totally agree!!! This is exactly what I have been thinking about these books being published. 4y
vivastory @swishandflick Did you hear Trump is claiming he made her sign a NDA? 🙄 He probably made Barron sign one 4y
sprainedbrain No way I‘m contributing money to that garbage man. 4y
night_shift (I was never planning on reading it. He had his chance 👋) 4y
27 likes9 comments