An excellent review, the best one I've read.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Bonnie L.
Sherrell
Sent: Friday, March 02, 2018 12:14 PM
To: Blind Democracy <blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [blind-democracy] book review - Richard Wolfe - Fire and Fury
_Fire and Fury_
Richard Wolfe
Gossip writer Richard Wolfe had heard that Donald Trump was markedly
susceptible to praise offered early in a relationship with him, so he used
this coin extravagantly early on, commented on how much he'd love to write a
book on what would undoubtedly be Trump's triumphant first hundred days in
office, and found himself in like Flynn. He was allowed to come and go
through the White House basically as he pleased, and was able to talk with
everyone in Trump's immediate orbit, most of whom were all too willing to
dish out the dirt on their erratic boss and one another.
Trump's administration proved leaky to the press? What can one expect when
almost everyone high in the administration is purposely talking to the media
in hopes of embarrassing rivals and pumping up their own importance? Among
those most likely to be feeding the news outlets were Jared Kushner and
Ivanka, as first son-in-law and daughter, Steve Bannon, and Donald Trump
himself. Trump has always had an impossibly high opinion of his own
importance, and was furious that the mainstream media failed to recognize
his brilliance, more easily seeing and reporting on his mistakes and the
results of his poor judgment. So, he began labeling what they reported as
"fake news" while inexplicably courting outlets such as CNN, MSNBC, the
Washington Post, and the New York Times, attempting desperately to get some
word of praise from any of these news outlets.
If the book reads like backstairs gossip, well, that's exactly what it is.
Bannon especially found himself appreciating Wolfe's availability to serve
as a father confessor, and Wolfe found himself invited to the various
parties and functions Bannon enjoyed, thus being right there to see the
maneuvering and plots take shape.
It's definitely not a pretty picture of the Trump presidency, but then Trump
himself is not a particularly admirable guy. He'd never imagined he'd win,
so he wasn't anywhere near ready to make his transition into the Oval
Office. His personal intentions were to lose, start his own news channel
called Trump TV, and use it as a means of attacking everyone he felt was not
nice to him, and particularly for making Hillary Clinton's life as miserable
as possible.
This book isn't everyone's cup of tea, but it certainly gives one the flavor
of what it's like to be within Trump's White House and why it is that it is
as chaotic and disfunctional as it has proved. Had anyone within Trump's
administration actually read any other book Wolfe has written, I'm certain
he'd have never been allowed to set foot inside the White House. But with
Trump himself functionally illiterate and everyone else too self-absorbed to
pay attention, they let the wolf inside the door and cannot bewail too
strongly how they'd apparently been taken in by him.
Available in every medium imaginable. I got the e-book formula and read it
on my NOOK.
Bonnie L. Sherrell
Teacher at Large
"Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very
wise cannot see all ends." LOTR
"Don't go where I can't follow."
We gave the Goblin King control of our nation!
