Rumsfeld : his rise, fall, and catastrophic legacy / Andrew Cockburn

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Making history -- A ruthless little bastard -- Secretary Rumsfeld, the prequel -- How sweet it is -- Politics and other games -- From notion to bumper sticker -- Warlord -- A game of war -- Reality intrudes -- Downfall.

Donald Rumsfeld, who as secretary of defense oversaw the army, navy, air force, and marines from 2001 to December 2006, is widely blamed for the catastrophic state of America's involvement in Iraq. Here, Washington insider Cockburn details Rumsfeld's decisions in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and also shows how his political legacy stretches back decades and will reach far into the future. Relying on sources that include high-ranking officials in the Pentagon and the White House, this book goes far beyond previous accounts to reveal a man consumed with the urge to dominate each and every human encounter, and whose aggressive ambition has long been matched by his inability to display genuine leadership or accept responsibility for egregious error.--