With the authority of personal experience, Sullivan paints a vivid, dark, frightening picture of Russia in the Putin era.
Get ready for Cold War 2.0, according to a key diplomat who has surveyed the battlefield.
As U.S. ambassador to Russia from 2019 to 2022, Sullivan brings a firsthand perspective to this account of the evolving geopolitical landscape. When Trump nominated the author, the president was surprised that anyone would want such a difficult and dangerous task. There was no shortage of crises, from the SolarWinds cyberattack to the arrest of innocent American citizens. There was aggressive harassment by the Russian security services, and on numerous occasions, writes Sullivan, high-level officials simply lied to his face. “Russia is not merely an adversary….Putin’s government in the Kremlin is a self-declared enemy of the United States,” he writes, delivering a portrait of Putin as a man of staggering arrogance, making statements that are so absurd there is little effective way to respond. He continues to be “completely untethered from the truth and facts.” The people around him are largely there to agree with him and flatter him, so groupthink prevailed when Putin made the decision to invade Ukraine in 2022. Sullivan believes that the war has become a de facto battle between Russia and the West, and Ukraine should receive as much support as possible from its allies. Putin has invested too much prestige and ego to ever admit defeat, so there does not appear to be any resolution in sight. In fact, Sullivan cannot foresee any improvement in Russian-U.S. relations from its current nadir. The best way forward for the U.S. is to recognize that it is in a war, gather its will and resources accordingly, and aim to keep the conflict from turning hot. It’s a grim outlook, but Sullivan’s knowledgeable text must be heeded.
With the authority of personal experience, Sullivan paints a vivid, dark, frightening picture of Russia in the Putin era.Pub Date: Aug. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9780316571098
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: April 20, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2024
A slick, vacuous glimpse into the former first lady’s White House years.
A carefully curated personal portrait.
First ladies’ roles have evolved significantly in recent decades. Their memoirs typically reflect a spectrum of ambition and interests, offering insights into their values and personal lives. Melania Trump, however, stands out as exceptionally private and elusive. Her ultra-lean account attempts to shed light on her public duties, initiatives, and causes as first lady, and it defends certain actions like her controversial “I REALLY DON’T CARE, DO U?” jacket. The statement was directed at the media, not the border situation, she claims. Yet the book provides scant detail about her personal orbit or day-to-day interactions. The memoir opens with her well-known Slovenian origin story, successful modeling career, and whirlwind romance with Donald Trump, culminating in their 2005 marriage, followed by a snapshot of Election Day 2016: “Each time we were together that day, I was impressed by his calm.…This man is remarkably confident under pressure.” Once in the White House, Melania Trump describes her functions and numerous public events at home and abroad, which she asserts were more accomplished than media representations suggested. However, she rarely shares any personal interactions beyond close family ties, notably her affection for her son, Barron, and her sister, Ines. And of course she lavishes praise on her husband. Minimal anecdotes about White House or cabinet staff are included, and she carefully defuses her rumored tensions with Trump’s adult children, blandly stating, “While we may share the same last name, each of us is distinct with our own aspirations and paths to follow.” Although Melania’s desire to support causes related to children’s and women’s welfare feels authentic, the overall tenor of her memoir seems aimed at painting a glimmering portrait of her husband and her role, likely with an eye toward the forthcoming election.
A slick, vacuous glimpse into the former first lady’s White House years.Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2024
ISBN: 9781510782693
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024
PERSPECTIVES
An engrossing and ominous chronicle, told by a master of the form.
Documenting perilous times.
In his most recent behind-the-scenes account of political power and how it is wielded, Woodward synthesizes several narrative strands, from the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel to the 2024 presidential campaign. Woodward’s clear, gripping storytelling benefits from his legendary access to prominent figures and a structure of propulsive chapters. The run-up to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is tense (if occasionally repetitive), as a cast of geopolitical insiders try to divine Vladimir Putin’s intent: “Doubt among allies, the public and among Ukrainians meant valuable time and space for Putin to maneuver.” Against this backdrop, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham implores Donald Trump to run again, notwithstanding the former president’s denial of his 2020 defeat. This provides unwelcome distraction for President Biden, portrayed as a thoughtful, compassionate lifetime politico who could not outrace time, as demonstrated in the June 2024 debate. Throughout, Trump’s prevarications and his supporters’ cynicism provide an unsettling counterpoint to warnings provided by everyone from former Joint Chief of Staff Mark Milley to Vice President Kamala Harris, who calls a second Trump term a likely “death knell for American democracy.” The author’s ambitious scope shows him at the top of his capabilities. He concludes with these unsettling words: “Based on my reporting, Trump’s language and conduct has at times presented risks to national security—both during his presidency and afterward.”
An engrossing and ominous chronicle, told by a master of the form.Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2024
ISBN: 9781668052273
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 15, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2024
IN THE NEWS
PERSPECTIVES
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