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The Situation Room: The Inside Story of Presidents in Crisis
George Stephanopoulos, former senior advisor to President Clinton and for more than 20 years anchor of This Week and co-anchor of Good Morning America, recounts the crises that decided the course of history, from the place 12 presidents made their highest-pressure the White House Situation Room.
No room better defines American power and its role in the world than the White House Situation Room. And yet, none is more shrouded in secrecy and mystery. Created under President Kennedy, the Sit Room has been the epicenter of crisis management for presidents for more than six decades. Time and again, the decisions made within the Sit Room complex affect the lives of every person on this planet. Detailing close calls made and disasters narrowly averted, THE SITUATION ROOM will take readers through dramatic turning points in a dozen presidential administrations, THE SITUATION ROOM is the definitive, past-the-security-clearance look at the room where it happened, and the people—the famous and those you've never heard of—who have made history within its walls.
No room better defines American power and its role in the world than the White House Situation Room. And yet, none is more shrouded in secrecy and mystery. Created under President Kennedy, the Sit Room has been the epicenter of crisis management for presidents for more than six decades. Time and again, the decisions made within the Sit Room complex affect the lives of every person on this planet. Detailing close calls made and disasters narrowly averted, THE SITUATION ROOM will take readers through dramatic turning points in a dozen presidential administrations, THE SITUATION ROOM is the definitive, past-the-security-clearance look at the room where it happened, and the people—the famous and those you've never heard of—who have made history within its walls.
368 pages, Hardcover
Published May 14, 2024
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June 28, 2024
I generally refuse to read these types of books if they are written by partisan hacks from either party. However, the Goodreads reviews were so great, I checked the book out at my library. I can report there is no agenda at all.
This takes a look at the crises faced by each president and how they responded to them in the Situation Room, a centralized center for communication. Stephanopoulos interviewed over 100 people from many different administrations, giving the reader a "bird's eye view" of what goes on in there.
Every president handled crisis differently, always knowing that life and death is at stake. The ones who deliberated with intelligence and military experts had the most success, though occasionally there was "paralysis by analysis," which led to tragic decisions.
The anecdotes are amazing. Occasionally they are humorous or sometimes shocking. The latter of which definitely applies to the end of the Nixon tenure. Another president did not even bother with intelligence briefings or the Situation Room, which was not surprising.
What does shine through is the dedication to public service for most of the people involved in these chapters. It's unfortunate it's become a lost art in these polarizing times - nor does many in the body public seem to care.
A fascinating read, and a tad bit concerning one, given the two likely candidates (neither came off looking particularly well in this book) to choose from for 2024 as new threats from countries keep popping up and inevitable crises down the road.
This takes a look at the crises faced by each president and how they responded to them in the Situation Room, a centralized center for communication. Stephanopoulos interviewed over 100 people from many different administrations, giving the reader a "bird's eye view" of what goes on in there.
Every president handled crisis differently, always knowing that life and death is at stake. The ones who deliberated with intelligence and military experts had the most success, though occasionally there was "paralysis by analysis," which led to tragic decisions.
The anecdotes are amazing. Occasionally they are humorous or sometimes shocking. The latter of which definitely applies to the end of the Nixon tenure. Another president did not even bother with intelligence briefings or the Situation Room, which was not surprising.
What does shine through is the dedication to public service for most of the people involved in these chapters. It's unfortunate it's become a lost art in these polarizing times - nor does many in the body public seem to care.
A fascinating read, and a tad bit concerning one, given the two likely candidates (neither came off looking particularly well in this book) to choose from for 2024 as new threats from countries keep popping up and inevitable crises down the road.
August 29, 2024
“The National Daily Situation Room would be a permanent organization…It would serve as a management tool by providing intelligence, communications, briefing, display and monitor facilities.”
The author is more than a television host of a popular morning show or his own show, “This Week with George Stephanopoulos.” He is a political commentator and former Democratic advisor. He was also the Communications Director for the 1992 presidential campaign of Bill Clinton before becoming his White House Communications Director. His resume is extensive, and so when this book came out, I thought it would be worth reading. I am glad I did. I now offer you, my review.
He tells us that the “Sit Room” isn’t much to look at, it actually is located in the White House basement. And, to him, it really is quite the modest cramped conference room. It wasn’t until August 2023 that it got a pretty facelift renovation. But (facelift or not) it is what takes place in this room that makes the difference.
The Situation Room began with President John F. Kennedy, and it had some captivating historical moments through the variety of presidents since.
A key statement that caught my eye was shared early on when the author wrote…
“In the six decades since the creation of the Situation Room, it has been the crisis center during America’s catastrophes. The men and women of the Sit Room have dealt with nuclear scares, the assassination of a president and attempts on two others. They stayed at their posts on 9/11, when the White House itself was the target of terrorists. And they tracked and analyzed American wars that cost hundreds of thousands of lives and billions upon billions of dollars. But never before had they dealt with an insurrection against our own government, inspired by the president of the United States.”
How does one feel, reading this paragraph, let alone this last sentence?
“Your allegiance to your country supersedes your allegiance to your role.”
Digest that statement above for a moment. It was uttered on January 6, 2021 by Mike Steigler, an intelligence analyst that worked at the White House.
The author clearly felt concerned as well when he stated, “those dueling loyalties had never been tested like this.”
In the chapter, “Postcards from the Edge” there is more detail on that president’s attitude towards the Situation Room and the problems overall with what occurred during his time in office.
And thus, throughout this book the author shares a lot of dynamic and engrossing Situation Room stories. And these same stories, were not typically or outwardly known to the public. Because these are the stories of what really happened “behind the scenes” regarding the issues we thought we laymen always knew – like when both Presidents Kennedy and Reagan were shot. But as laymen, we clearly did not.
Readers will get an insider view into each president’s attitude toward the Situation Room experience. And, how they viewed their role.
But it wasn’t even about just the various incidents that occurred under their watch. As an example, what will readers learn about President Nixon’s lack of interest in participating in those important Situation Room discussions? And, what circumvented President Carter’s negotiations in getting the hostages out of Iran? Or what really happened in those hours during the 9/11 attacks? Can we even imagine what it took to finally finding Osama bin Laden under President Obama’s leadership?
The author covers the Situation Room through President Biden. The author went through over 100 interviews and intensive research for this book. He also included black and white and color photographs throughout the chapters.
This is a fascinating, easy-to-read, inspiring, page-turning book that almost reads like fiction. For those interested in real history, this will be a worthwhile read.
The author is more than a television host of a popular morning show or his own show, “This Week with George Stephanopoulos.” He is a political commentator and former Democratic advisor. He was also the Communications Director for the 1992 presidential campaign of Bill Clinton before becoming his White House Communications Director. His resume is extensive, and so when this book came out, I thought it would be worth reading. I am glad I did. I now offer you, my review.
He tells us that the “Sit Room” isn’t much to look at, it actually is located in the White House basement. And, to him, it really is quite the modest cramped conference room. It wasn’t until August 2023 that it got a pretty facelift renovation. But (facelift or not) it is what takes place in this room that makes the difference.
The Situation Room began with President John F. Kennedy, and it had some captivating historical moments through the variety of presidents since.
A key statement that caught my eye was shared early on when the author wrote…
“In the six decades since the creation of the Situation Room, it has been the crisis center during America’s catastrophes. The men and women of the Sit Room have dealt with nuclear scares, the assassination of a president and attempts on two others. They stayed at their posts on 9/11, when the White House itself was the target of terrorists. And they tracked and analyzed American wars that cost hundreds of thousands of lives and billions upon billions of dollars. But never before had they dealt with an insurrection against our own government, inspired by the president of the United States.”
How does one feel, reading this paragraph, let alone this last sentence?
“Your allegiance to your country supersedes your allegiance to your role.”
Digest that statement above for a moment. It was uttered on January 6, 2021 by Mike Steigler, an intelligence analyst that worked at the White House.
The author clearly felt concerned as well when he stated, “those dueling loyalties had never been tested like this.”
In the chapter, “Postcards from the Edge” there is more detail on that president’s attitude towards the Situation Room and the problems overall with what occurred during his time in office.
And thus, throughout this book the author shares a lot of dynamic and engrossing Situation Room stories. And these same stories, were not typically or outwardly known to the public. Because these are the stories of what really happened “behind the scenes” regarding the issues we thought we laymen always knew – like when both Presidents Kennedy and Reagan were shot. But as laymen, we clearly did not.
Readers will get an insider view into each president’s attitude toward the Situation Room experience. And, how they viewed their role.
But it wasn’t even about just the various incidents that occurred under their watch. As an example, what will readers learn about President Nixon’s lack of interest in participating in those important Situation Room discussions? And, what circumvented President Carter’s negotiations in getting the hostages out of Iran? Or what really happened in those hours during the 9/11 attacks? Can we even imagine what it took to finally finding Osama bin Laden under President Obama’s leadership?
The author covers the Situation Room through President Biden. The author went through over 100 interviews and intensive research for this book. He also included black and white and color photographs throughout the chapters.
This is a fascinating, easy-to-read, inspiring, page-turning book that almost reads like fiction. For those interested in real history, this will be a worthwhile read.
May 14, 2024
“The Situation Room” by George Stephanopoulos is an excellent history of the White House communications and decision-making center first established during the Kennedy administration. Readers interested in the Presidency, The White House, and how various modern Presidents and their administrations have utilized the room—and how they made decisions during national crises—will want to add it to their libraries.
As Mr. Stephanopoulos explains: many presidents have found the need for a “nerve center” during times of crisis. Lincoln spent hours in the War Department’s telegraph office keeping abreast of battlefield reports. FDR converted the White House billiards room into the Map Room which he came to twice each day to monitor the progress of WWII. But it wasn’t until the 1961 Bay of Pigs incident with its various communications failures that the Kennedy Administration converted the White House’s basement bowling alley into the Situation Room.
Stephanopoulos shows us the Situation Room in action during various crises over the next 60 years: The Cuban Missile Crisis, the Kennedy Assassination, The Viet Nam War, the Nixon Resignation, the Iranian Hostage Crisis and the failed “Desert One” rescue attempt, the attempted assassination of President Reagan, Desert Storm, 9/11, and the hunt for Osama Bin Laden—just to mention a few—all the way up to the Biden Administration’s handling of the war in Ukraine.
Along the way, he details the various physical and technological upgrades the center has received. What began as a small, drab conference room and support offices bearing no resemblance to what was portrayed in movies like “Dr. Strangelove” is now a state-of-the-art center for communications and decision-making.
In exploring how these crises were managed, Mr. Stephanopoulos explains how each administration utilized the Situation Room, as well as the differences between them. Some used the center well and with great success. Others fared poorly. Presidents who assembled a collegial, collaborative team that followed a well-thought-out process based on past experiences, including mistakes, did well. Those who chose to “go it alone” did not.
Mr. Stephanopoulos includes many fascinating anecdotes, some of which include the actions and reactions of other world leaders such as Kruschev, Putin, Thatcher, and even then-Prince Charles. He treats most of the presidents and aides serving over the last 60 years very evenhandedly, taking pains to credit the discipline, dedication, and professionalism of many NSC political appointees (e.g., Brent Scowcroft, Bob Gates, Madeline Albright) and most especially, of the non-political staff assigned to the Situation Room. (However, fans of former Presidents Trump and Nixon should know that Mr. Stephanopoulos’s pen does not treat those two men kindly.)
In conclusion, I found “The Situation Room” to be a well-written, riveting exploration of one of the most vital components of the Executive Branch; and fully deserving of a five-star rating.
My thanks to NetGalley, author George Stephanopoulos, and publisher Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a complimentary ARC. The foregoing is my independent opinion.
As Mr. Stephanopoulos explains: many presidents have found the need for a “nerve center” during times of crisis. Lincoln spent hours in the War Department’s telegraph office keeping abreast of battlefield reports. FDR converted the White House billiards room into the Map Room which he came to twice each day to monitor the progress of WWII. But it wasn’t until the 1961 Bay of Pigs incident with its various communications failures that the Kennedy Administration converted the White House’s basement bowling alley into the Situation Room.
Stephanopoulos shows us the Situation Room in action during various crises over the next 60 years: The Cuban Missile Crisis, the Kennedy Assassination, The Viet Nam War, the Nixon Resignation, the Iranian Hostage Crisis and the failed “Desert One” rescue attempt, the attempted assassination of President Reagan, Desert Storm, 9/11, and the hunt for Osama Bin Laden—just to mention a few—all the way up to the Biden Administration’s handling of the war in Ukraine.
Along the way, he details the various physical and technological upgrades the center has received. What began as a small, drab conference room and support offices bearing no resemblance to what was portrayed in movies like “Dr. Strangelove” is now a state-of-the-art center for communications and decision-making.
In exploring how these crises were managed, Mr. Stephanopoulos explains how each administration utilized the Situation Room, as well as the differences between them. Some used the center well and with great success. Others fared poorly. Presidents who assembled a collegial, collaborative team that followed a well-thought-out process based on past experiences, including mistakes, did well. Those who chose to “go it alone” did not.
Mr. Stephanopoulos includes many fascinating anecdotes, some of which include the actions and reactions of other world leaders such as Kruschev, Putin, Thatcher, and even then-Prince Charles. He treats most of the presidents and aides serving over the last 60 years very evenhandedly, taking pains to credit the discipline, dedication, and professionalism of many NSC political appointees (e.g., Brent Scowcroft, Bob Gates, Madeline Albright) and most especially, of the non-political staff assigned to the Situation Room. (However, fans of former Presidents Trump and Nixon should know that Mr. Stephanopoulos’s pen does not treat those two men kindly.)
In conclusion, I found “The Situation Room” to be a well-written, riveting exploration of one of the most vital components of the Executive Branch; and fully deserving of a five-star rating.
My thanks to NetGalley, author George Stephanopoulos, and publisher Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a complimentary ARC. The foregoing is my independent opinion.
May 25, 2024
This was the perfect blend of history and human. Giving insight in historical events as well as the people who worked through them and the presidents who oversaw them.
-Obama was literally the chillest president
-The Trump stories made my tummy hurt
-The audiobook featuring clips from recordings and interviews so you got to hear the actual voice’s of those interviewed, which was a surprise and delight!
-Obama was literally the chillest president
-The Trump stories made my tummy hurt
-The audiobook featuring clips from recordings and interviews so you got to hear the actual voice’s of those interviewed, which was a surprise and delight!
February 16, 2024
In “The Situation Room”, Stephanopoulos walks us through different presidential crises that took place in the “The Sit Room”. We learn about the Kennedy Assassination, The Cuban Missile Crisis, The Vietnam War, the Reagan shooting, 9/11 and the January 6th insurrection, naming just a few, and how they were handled. The Nixon and Trump administrations show a lot of ineptitude and fault.
I learned an incredible amount of information and found some of it differed from what I always thought. I’m so glad I read this book to set my mind straight.
I give this book 4 stars, it did drag on in spots, but I do recommend it to anyone interested in politics and history. Thank you, NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the advanced copy.
I learned an incredible amount of information and found some of it differed from what I always thought. I’m so glad I read this book to set my mind straight.
I give this book 4 stars, it did drag on in spots, but I do recommend it to anyone interested in politics and history. Thank you, NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the advanced copy.
May 18, 2024
Thank you to the publisher and for NetGalley, which provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
I just finished The Situation Room: The Inside Story Of Presidents In Crisis, by George Stephanopoulos.
This was an excellent look at behind the scenes in the situation room during times of crisis. The book also discusses how the room works during its every day operation.
The book is filled with fascinating tidbits and stories. One of the most alarming stories was how, in the middle of the Yom Kippur War, President Nixon was out of commission because he was having a mental breakdown, due to Watergate. Al Haig was, according to one witness, acting as though he was the president, while Kissinger was also running the show with him. To make matters worse, Brezhnev was out of commission in the Kremlin, due to alcohol and sleeping pills, while events were escalating to the point where nuclear war was a realistic scenario.
There are other very interesting tidbits, such as during Clinton’s second term, newspaper articles from the New York Times and Washington Post were still be circulated in the situation room by making photocopies of the newspapers and faxing them and they didn’t get internet access until 1998. Also, how Richard Clarke sat in the situation room in the days following 9/11 with a loaded gun on him.
We also learn in the book that the Situation Room has a new name. It’s been called WHSR (pronounced whizzer) by the “cool kids.” But, I have to agree with Stephanopoulos that it’s not a term I will ever use and I hope that it never catches on.
I give this book an A. Goodreads and NetGalley require grades on a 1-5 star system. In my personal conversion system, an A equates to 5 stars. (A or A+: 5 stars, B+: 4 stars, B: 3 stars, C: 2 stars, D or F: 1 star).
I just finished The Situation Room: The Inside Story Of Presidents In Crisis, by George Stephanopoulos.
This was an excellent look at behind the scenes in the situation room during times of crisis. The book also discusses how the room works during its every day operation.
The book is filled with fascinating tidbits and stories. One of the most alarming stories was how, in the middle of the Yom Kippur War, President Nixon was out of commission because he was having a mental breakdown, due to Watergate. Al Haig was, according to one witness, acting as though he was the president, while Kissinger was also running the show with him. To make matters worse, Brezhnev was out of commission in the Kremlin, due to alcohol and sleeping pills, while events were escalating to the point where nuclear war was a realistic scenario.
There are other very interesting tidbits, such as during Clinton’s second term, newspaper articles from the New York Times and Washington Post were still be circulated in the situation room by making photocopies of the newspapers and faxing them and they didn’t get internet access until 1998. Also, how Richard Clarke sat in the situation room in the days following 9/11 with a loaded gun on him.
We also learn in the book that the Situation Room has a new name. It’s been called WHSR (pronounced whizzer) by the “cool kids.” But, I have to agree with Stephanopoulos that it’s not a term I will ever use and I hope that it never catches on.
I give this book an A. Goodreads and NetGalley require grades on a 1-5 star system. In my personal conversion system, an A equates to 5 stars. (A or A+: 5 stars, B+: 4 stars, B: 3 stars, C: 2 stars, D or F: 1 star).
June 13, 2024
A damn good audiobook; surprised by how much humor it held for such a serious room.
July 23, 2024
Such a fun and insightful read. It recounts so many events where we obviously know how they turn out in history, but really getting into the weeds of how decisions were made was fascinating. It also gives insight to each president and how they ran their White House (or how they simply didn’t run it in the case of trump) and I gained respect for a handful of presidents I didn’t know too much about. Would definitely recommend to anyone!
July 25, 2024
Almost a DNF due to a slow middle section. However, the book became more engaging. The part of 9/11 and killing Bin Laden were well written.
June 5, 2024
Fascinating, surprising, inspiring and appalling account of the history of the situation room since JFK. Don’t miss the audiobook, because Stephanopolous himself narrates it, and because of the interview clips.
June 29, 2024
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book by George Stephanopoulos. I figured it would be another "history" book by a newsperson that was written just to make money off of the author's name. However, I found the focus on the "situation room" - but more importantly the focus on the leadership and decision making styles of U.S. Presidents from JFK to Biden - to be really interesting. The look at the nameless figures who staff and maintain the technology and information from the situation room was also great to read about. Happy to have read this.
August 12, 2024
Although these are fairly well-known stories, when we throw in the Situation Room stuff, we get everything we need: action, intrigue, and political commentary. That's a 4.25 for me!
August 21, 2024
I enjoyed this book from beginning to end.
July 9, 2024
Very interesting! I learned so much. I bought the book for my husband and he was raving about it so I bought the Audible version for me. I’m so glad I did. The audio version has some of the actual interviews by the people that lived the events. Amazing stories.
August 8, 2024
As the book’s title suggests, George Stephanopoulos’ recently released “The Situation Room” is about the complex of rooms in the White House basement where the president and his top advisors gather to develop a game plan for managing crises. This is the space captured in the iconic photograph of President Obama and his staff as they watched streaming video of the raid on Osama Bin Laden’s compound in Abbottobad. Until the turn of the century, the Situation Room was known to insiders as “the Sit.” Since then, the cool kidsi refer to the space as “whizzer” — a phonetic pronunciation of WHSR, which is the abbreviation for White House Situation Room. This is information that you may be able to use the next time you attend trivia night at your local pub.
The book’s title is somewhat misleading. There is relatively little in the book about the Situation Room itself. Rather, Stephanopolous uses the Situation Room as a backdrop for discussing how presidents have managed crises over the years. While many of those stories are interesting, the Situation Room was only a bit player in these unfolding dramas.
Perhaps the book’s biggest revelation is that there has not always been a Situation Room. To the contrary, the Sit traces its origins to the administration of John F. Kennedy. Deeply troubled by what he saw as incomplete and inaccurate information at his disposal when he authorized the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion, JFK commissioned one of his advisors to develop a plan for channeling information from multiple sources to a central location. That directive led to the creation of the first Sit. As originally conceived, the Situation Room was not so much a place where key decision-makers could assemble to discuss the crisis de jour; instead, it was a clearinghouse that gathered, analyzed, and distilled data for the president.
Although there was no Situation Room as such until it was created on JFK’s watch, there were historical antecedents. Lincoln spent hours — sometimes sleeping through the night on a cot — in the telegraph office of the War Department in the Old Executive Office Building, next door to the White House. During the Spanish-American War, McKinley created a “war room” in what is now called the Lincoln Sitting Room, where he installed telephones, telegraphs, and maps; once the war ended, however, the room fell out of use. More recently, FDR converted a former bowling alley in the basement of the White House into the nerve center for managing World War II. In that room, watch officers were on duty to monitor the war and maps were hung on the walls, which is why that room is now known as “the Map Room.”
As originally constructed, the Sit was not the glamorous space most people likely imagine. It was built at a cost of only $35,000 and consisted of an 18X18 conference room (with a conference table seating 8 people), a cramped file room, a watch officer’s station, and an office. With the exception of a few cosmetic changes, the Sit remained largely unchanged until the turn of the century. In the wake of 911, Bush 43 ordered substantial improvements in the space. But it was not until 2006 that his directive was implemented. It was only then that the Situation Room began to function not just as an information clearinghouse, but also as a command center. Even more substantial renovations were effected in 2023, finally transforming the complex into the space depicted in the movies.
Oddly, although the Sit was created at JFK’s insistence, he almost never spent time in that space. While most later presidents extensively utilized the information collected in the Sit, they varied significantly in the time they spent in the space itself. LBJ, for example, spent hours every day in the Situation Room reviewing data on the progress of the Vietnam War. Reagan and Biden were also frequent visitors. In contrast, Nixon and Trump rarely visited.
For most of its history, the Situation Room was not only physically unattractive — JFK called it a “pigpen” — but also technologically primitive. One would think that, with all the resources of the Federal Government, the space would be technologically advanced. In fact, the Sit consistently lagged behind the private sector in its technological capabilities. Well into this century, for example, the Sit Room staff largely relied on the media for up to date information on emerging events. The room’s deficiencies became painfully obvious in the aftermath of 911. But it was not until the 2023 renovations that the Situation Room became state-of-the-art.
One interesting side note is that Sit Room staffers are responsible for arranging telephone calls and video conferences with other heads of state. Stephanopoulos claims that presidents and prime ministers — egotists that they are — do not want to join a call until their counterpart is already on the line. To accommodate their boss, the Sit Room staff resorts to all sorts of trickery — including, at times, impersonating the president — to ensure that their guy is not kept waiting. Also of note is that neither these calls nor anything else that happens in or through the Sit Room is ever recorded. Rather, only notes of conversations by someone in attendance are maintained — apparently so that the participants can maintain plausible deniability.
Using the contacts he developed as an advisor to Clinton and more recently as a TV personality, Stephanopoulos persuaded dozens of people who logged time in the Sit — both cabinet level officials and staff grunts — to submit to interviews. These interviews generated behind-the-scenes stories of what was happening during some of the most traumatic episodes in our nation’s recent history. The events covered include the Tet Offensive, the Yom Kippur War, the seizure of the Mayaguez, the Iran hostage crisis, the attempted Reagan assassination, the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Tiananmen Square massacre, Desert Storm, embassy bombings in Tanzania and Kenya, the War in Bosnia, 911 and its aftermath, the search for Bin Laden, the painful evacuation from Afghanistan, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
There are too many interesting back stories to discuss them all here. Instead, I limit myself to a few examples of what the book offers:
* When the Yom Kippur War began in October 1973, the Soviets were so incensed over their perception that the Israelis had violated a negotiated cease fire that they threatened to intervene — raising the specter of a global conflict. But Nixon was so depressed by Watergate that he was drinking heavily and was largely incapable of rational thought, leaving Kissinger to make key decisions on his own;
* Ford and his advisors celebrated their success at obtaining the release of the hostages taken by the Khmer Rouge from the ship Mayaguez. But the rescue operation focused on Koh Tang, an island off the Cambodian coast, where the crew had never been taken, and 38 marines were killed in this ill-advised operation;
* When the mission to free the Iranian hostages — code named Desert One — failed miserably, Carter approved a program called “Grill Flame” to develop an alternative strategy. Grill Flame employed psychics euphemistically called “remote viewers” to use their extra-sensory powers to gather information about difficult situations. You can’t make this stuff up;
* The key line in Reagan’s Brandenburg Gate speech — credited by some with ending the Cold War — was penned by a 29 year old speech writer new to the president’s team. The novice writer initially used the phrases “bring down this wall” and “take down this wall” before ultimately settling on “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.” Virtually all of Reagan’s advisors opposed using that line, which they viewed as too incendiary;
* Bush 41’s response to the Tiananmen Square massacre was tempered by his previous stint as Ambassador to China and the relationships he developed at that time, leading him to adopt a more conciliatory approach than his advisors urged;
* Virtually all of Clinton’s advisors maintained that the risks of intervention in Bosnia were too high until Madeleine Albright broke through the resistance, and she was able to do so only after the Srebrenica massacre;
* Although the White House was evacuated after the planes hit the World Trade Towers, the Situation Room staff refused to leave and remained on duty in what was otherwise an empty building;
* U.S. intelligence estimated that there was only a 40%-60% chance that Osama Bin Laden was in the Abbottobad compound when it was raided. Then Vice-President Biden and Defense Secretary Gates vigorously opposed the mission — the latter because he was scarred by the failure of Desert One to rescue the Iranian hostages; and
* The Biden administration’s planning for a Russian invasion of Ukraine was heavily influenced by its perception that a massive intelligence failure caused the Abbey Gate disaster during the evacuation from the Kabul airport.
Of course, George being George, Stephanopoulos could not resist taking digs at President Trump in this book — no matter how tangential to the book’s theme they might be. He opens the book not with an account of the many existential crises this country has endured in the last 65 years (since the creation of the first Situation Room). Instead, he begins with stories about the impact on Situation Room staffers of the events of January 6. The book ends on a similar note. There is an entire chapter devoted to Trump’s alleged inadequacies — he wasn’t well prepared for meetings; he didn’t listen to his advisors; he isn’t smart enough to understand the intricacies of foreign policy; etc. Whether or not these criticisms are valid, they have nothing to do with the book.
In the final analysis, “The Situation Room” — despite its misleading title — is a good read. It provides interesting information about a space that most people have heard about, but don’t really know, as well as about the people who work there. It offers a breezy and sometimes informative sketch of crises that the U.S. has encountered for the last half century. And it provides some inside information on what transpires behind the scenes at the highest levels of government. Trump aside, the book is largely fair in its treatment of Democratic and Republican presidents. So, the flaws are minor while the rewards are substantial, and I am comfortable recommending this book.
June 15, 2024
The book I just finished reading was a very interesting and very detailed book about how the situation room which started in the Kennedy administration and how it became the place I is now today under the Biden administration.
August 8, 2024
Fascinating history of The Situation Room in the White House with stories from each President since Kennedy revolving around the use of the room.
This was better than I expected. I especially loved hearing that Secretary of State Madeleine Albright noticed that the men often took credit for suggestions made by "the fairer sex." Albright made sure the women always got the credit they were due.
This was better than I expected. I especially loved hearing that Secretary of State Madeleine Albright noticed that the men often took credit for suggestions made by "the fairer sex." Albright made sure the women always got the credit they were due.
July 13, 2024
I found this book engaging & insightful. While not fully apolitical, I appreciated the inclusion of interviews from a variety of professionals who have served under various administrations. I also appreciated how the book “humanized” many presidents & officials. I found the book a bit slow at parts. Overall, though, I learned a ton and gained more respect for the people leading a country.
June 21, 2024
I loved this book, which gives an inside look at the White House Situation Room. Each chapter focuses on a president, beginning with Kennedy who was president when the room was established. The audiobook includes actual audio from recordings made at the time and also excerpts from interviews done for the book. Well researched and interesting!
June 14, 2024
I have mixed feelings about this book! I really enjoyed learning about the situation room, a section of the White House that basically funnels all intel and escalates it to the president.
The story was basically chronological, starting from the JFK years, when it was founded, to the current Biden administration.
I felt like because the book was written by a current news anchor type person, a lot of the stories were sanitized with everyone except Trump and Nixon painted in a good light. I would have liked to read about more chaos, as I am sure there were tense moments, but maybe that's the TMZ in me talking.
Also as we got towards the Obama years, a lot of things were still classified so Mr. Stephanopoulos could not go into more detail which is understandable!
Although this was not a hard hitting journalistic book, it was still enjoyable.
The story was basically chronological, starting from the JFK years, when it was founded, to the current Biden administration.
I felt like because the book was written by a current news anchor type person, a lot of the stories were sanitized with everyone except Trump and Nixon painted in a good light. I would have liked to read about more chaos, as I am sure there were tense moments, but maybe that's the TMZ in me talking.
Also as we got towards the Obama years, a lot of things were still classified so Mr. Stephanopoulos could not go into more detail which is understandable!
Although this was not a hard hitting journalistic book, it was still enjoyable.
September 10, 2024
Growing up I knew it was 5:30 because my mom was making dinner and in the background on our tiny black and white counter top tv was either Peter Jennings, Diane Sawyer, Charles Gibson or George Stephanopolous anchoring ABC news.
George was one of my favorites, so of course I had to do this in audio form. But really it turned into almost a podcast like audiobook with audio recordings of interviews or clips (similar to Malcolm Gladwell’s Talking to Strangers).
This was an interesting look at moments in US history through the eyes of The Situation Room. It definitely was more fascinating to me once it got to the years where I remembered (basically 9/11 on) but overall recommend if you like insider look in government intel and decisions.
George was one of my favorites, so of course I had to do this in audio form. But really it turned into almost a podcast like audiobook with audio recordings of interviews or clips (similar to Malcolm Gladwell’s Talking to Strangers).
This was an interesting look at moments in US history through the eyes of The Situation Room. It definitely was more fascinating to me once it got to the years where I remembered (basically 9/11 on) but overall recommend if you like insider look in government intel and decisions.
August 28, 2024
What a thrilling book! I'm reliving history that passed me by in 1970s - 1980s especially. I'd just left USA after college and was busy learng to live in a new country, learn a new language build my life, buy a house, go to night school while working during the day. This was before news was "online" 24/7. It feels so medieval compared to how we process news now.
Ch 9 - 9/11 attack: more about the skills and humanity of all involved behind the scenes in the situation room during this crisis.
Ch 10 - Special operation to assassinate Bin Laden
...the plan, the decison making and the implementation.
Ch 11 - Trump (just chaos), good chapter name "Postcards from the Edge!"
Ch 12 - Biden retreat out Afghanistan (2021) + invasion Ukraine (2022)
Just a stunning page turner of a book!
EXCELLENT!!
Just loved this book.
Ch 9 - 9/11 attack: more about the skills and humanity of all involved behind the scenes in the situation room during this crisis.
Ch 10 - Special operation to assassinate Bin Laden
...the plan, the decison making and the implementation.
Ch 11 - Trump (just chaos), good chapter name "Postcards from the Edge!"
Ch 12 - Biden retreat out Afghanistan (2021) + invasion Ukraine (2022)
Just a stunning page turner of a book!
EXCELLENT!!
Just loved this book.
June 28, 2024
George Stephanopoulos narrates the history of the situation room. From its first use in the 60's to the Jan 6th crisis. The introduction of technology and security to make this hub what it is today.
Full of history and the importance of that room.
Full of history and the importance of that room.
May 21, 2024
The Situation Room
I enjoyed this tome immensely. All of the events that George covers in the book happened in my memory and the insider view of what was happening in the WH and the Sit Room was beyond fascinating, It was inspiring at times, terrifying at times, a source of great national pride at times, and unfortunately national shame at times. At all times, I found it hard to put down.
I enjoyed this tome immensely. All of the events that George covers in the book happened in my memory and the insider view of what was happening in the WH and the Sit Room was beyond fascinating, It was inspiring at times, terrifying at times, a source of great national pride at times, and unfortunately national shame at times. At all times, I found it hard to put down.
March 10, 2024
This book is well researched and written. It gives a history of the Situation Room in the White House. The room itself is very different from what has been presented in movies and television although the most recent update starts to approximate the media. How it was used by Presidents has varied from very little to fairly frequent use. It makes for a very interesting read.
I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook page.
I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook page.
June 10, 2024
Really interesting stories from the people who support the presidency in the Situation Room, and a heartfelt portrait of the lesser-known people who serve their country at the White House. It makes very clear how important the people *around* the president are: that it is not just one executive and the character and experience of the people he consults with are essential. Many of the people in the book served across administrations bringing with them important institutional knowledge.
Some of the stories about 9/11 and the Osama Bin Laden raid were surprising. I loved the perspectives from the tech wizard who has wired the Situation Room for decades, Gary Bresnahan. Deb Loewer's account of traveling with President Bush on September 11th was really interesting, as were the accounts of the Sit Room staff who refused to leave the White House. Also, prank calls to the Sit Room. It's not as dense a book as it could have been and I think that comes down to smart writing choices, weaving in thematic bits such as the difficulty of connecting phone calls, that connect administrations, in the middle of chapters detailing particular crises.
In the early chapters, I sometimes felt less engaged in the history and I chalked that up to being less familiar with the foreign policy moments those presidents (Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon) faced, but once I got into the chapters about Reagan, Clinton, and Obama I think the writing was slightly better, so maybe Stephanopoulos had an easier time writing concisely about history he lived through. At any rate, I think it was a smart decision not to get into all the minutia of those historical moments because it kept the book focused on the Situation Room, even if sometimes I knew that I was missing context, etc.
Some of the stories about 9/11 and the Osama Bin Laden raid were surprising. I loved the perspectives from the tech wizard who has wired the Situation Room for decades, Gary Bresnahan. Deb Loewer's account of traveling with President Bush on September 11th was really interesting, as were the accounts of the Sit Room staff who refused to leave the White House. Also, prank calls to the Sit Room. It's not as dense a book as it could have been and I think that comes down to smart writing choices, weaving in thematic bits such as the difficulty of connecting phone calls, that connect administrations, in the middle of chapters detailing particular crises.
In the early chapters, I sometimes felt less engaged in the history and I chalked that up to being less familiar with the foreign policy moments those presidents (Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon) faced, but once I got into the chapters about Reagan, Clinton, and Obama I think the writing was slightly better, so maybe Stephanopoulos had an easier time writing concisely about history he lived through. At any rate, I think it was a smart decision not to get into all the minutia of those historical moments because it kept the book focused on the Situation Room, even if sometimes I knew that I was missing context, etc.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 13, 2024
I knew very little about the "sit room" before this book, and this was an excellent way to do a deep dive into the world of White House communications, and just how important this room [and a!I the people who have and continue to run it] is in the running of the White House and the government.
From its beginning in JFK's White House [after the disastrous Bay of Pigs incident] to the present day President Biden White House and the War in Ukraine, this is a very well-written, well researched [OHHHH the interviews Mr. Stephanopoulos was able to get] book and I love that I have added to my ever-growing knowledge of how things work [and sometimes DON'T work] within our government.
The stories within are enlightening, thought-provoking, humorous [because sometimes you just have to laugh], and often sad [the chapters on 9/11 and January 6th were particularly heartbreaking to listen to] and I went band forth in needing to read just one chapter and then not being able to stop. Mr. Stephanopoulos is a great narrator [I have always enjoyed his voice] and the stories are sprinkled with clips from his interviews that really added to the whole storytelling.
If you have an interest in how things work, I highly recommend this book!! Very well done!!
Thank you to NetGalley, George Stephanopoulos, Lisa Dickey - Contributor, and Grand Central Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
From its beginning in JFK's White House [after the disastrous Bay of Pigs incident] to the present day President Biden White House and the War in Ukraine, this is a very well-written, well researched [OHHHH the interviews Mr. Stephanopoulos was able to get] book and I love that I have added to my ever-growing knowledge of how things work [and sometimes DON'T work] within our government.
The stories within are enlightening, thought-provoking, humorous [because sometimes you just have to laugh], and often sad [the chapters on 9/11 and January 6th were particularly heartbreaking to listen to] and I went band forth in needing to read just one chapter and then not being able to stop. Mr. Stephanopoulos is a great narrator [I have always enjoyed his voice] and the stories are sprinkled with clips from his interviews that really added to the whole storytelling.
If you have an interest in how things work, I highly recommend this book!! Very well done!!
Thank you to NetGalley, George Stephanopoulos, Lisa Dickey - Contributor, and Grand Central Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 15, 2024
I am reviewing the audiobook version & I highly recommend it. This is an amazing view of history through the lens of the time when the Situation Room was created through current day. The narration by George Stephanopoulos is enhanced with first hand accounts and actual recordings that provide a front row seat and understanding of some of the most turbulent times in U.S. history. I discovered amazing insight into Presidential history through the story of the Situation Room and the decisions made by people who are behind the scenes in that space. The audiobook version also provides an interview with the author that provides background information about the writing of this book and the impeccable research taken to tell this story. A must read for anyone interested in history and current events.
August 4, 2024
A FASCINATING AND FANTASTIC READ!!
(Review by Steve London, husband of Mary Kay Wojtkowski)
I have been a fan of George Stephanopoulos during his many decades as a part of ABC News and Good Morning, America and I knew that this book would not disappoint; the access and interviews he gleaned for this book are beyond amazing and detailed and insightful and the stories and recollections really let the reader delve into the inner workings of each administration from JFK to modern-day (Biden) and I admit that I knew few details on the formation and the history of the White House Situation Room but now am thoroughly informed and educated on the subject; highly recommended!!
(Review by Steve London, husband of Mary Kay Wojtkowski)
I have been a fan of George Stephanopoulos during his many decades as a part of ABC News and Good Morning, America and I knew that this book would not disappoint; the access and interviews he gleaned for this book are beyond amazing and detailed and insightful and the stories and recollections really let the reader delve into the inner workings of each administration from JFK to modern-day (Biden) and I admit that I knew few details on the formation and the history of the White House Situation Room but now am thoroughly informed and educated on the subject; highly recommended!!
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