Against All Enemies

Inside America's War on Terror

By: Richard A. Clarke

Narrated by: Richard A. Clarke

Length: 6 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

The real war on terror has happened largely behind closed doors, run by the White House, drawing on secret intelligence and operations around the world. There is no man who knows more about it than Richard Clarke, the former Counterterrorism Czar for both George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, the man who has led our efforts against al Qaeda and all other terrorist enemies for years, serving under seven presidents and in the White House for George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush, until he resigned in March 2003. He has had a front-row seat at every major battle in this war, from the first World Trade Center bombing, to 9/11, to Afghanistan, to Iraq.

Clarke knows the secret stories of Bill Clinton's great victories (shutting down anti-U.S. terrorism sponsored by Iran and Iraq) and his great frustrations (failing to kill Osama Bin Laden despite many attempts). When President Bush took office, Clarke was ready to present him with a master plan to roll back and destroy al Qaeda, yet the president did not grant a briefing for months. His aides had little interest in Osama Bin Laden, preferring to talk about Saddam Hussein at every turn. Clarke knows why we failed to shut down terrorist financing within our borders prior to 2001.

After ignoring existing plans to attack al Qaeda when he first took office, George Bush made disastrous decisions when he finally did pay attention. Thanks to the determined, even conspiratorial views of Wolfowitz, Rumsfeld, and Bush, we went after the wrong enemy.

The charges Clarke levels against the current administration must be taken seriously by every American, Democrat or Republican. Our security depends upon it.

Listen to Richard Clarke's testimony before the 9-11 Commission.

©2004 RAC Enterprises, Inc. (P)2004 Simon & Schuster, Inc. AUDIOWORKS is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Audie Award Winner, Narration by the Author or Authors, 2005

"The explosive details about President Bush's obsession with Iraq in the immediate aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks captured the headlines in the days after the book's release, but Against All Enemies offers more. It is a rarity among Washington-insider memoirs: it's a thumping good read." (The New York Times Book Review)
"The level of detail Clarke includes is impressive....Clarke delivers it like a pro. With his deep tenor and weighty pauses, Clarke never lets listeners forget the gravity of the situation....Compelling." (Publishers Weekly)
"Clarke tells an insider's story of our government's awakening to a threat we had never faced before. Because the written words are his own, every pause and emphasized phrase serve to hone his intended meaning as no contracted narrator could do. Although this is an abridgement, none of the meat or spice in this hot dish seems left out." (AudioFile)

An Eye-Opening Book

After listening to this audiobook, I am more convinced that the the war with Iraq is both foolish and tragic for the future of America. Richard Clark makes the point quite clearly that by entering into an invasion of Iraq, we have made ourselves much more vulnerable to future attacks by Al-Qaeda. His description of the Bush administration's obsession with Saddam Hussein and their lack of interest in bin Laden is sobering. It is hard to listen to this audiobook and not be concerned that we are failing in the war against terror. We need more people like Richard Clark in government service.

Insider's account of the years up to 9/11

Richard Clarke sets out a highly factual, detailed, and credible account of events and reactions during the Reagan, Bush I, Clinton, and Bush II administrations relevant to 9/11.
Brought into the White House by Republicans, Clake loyally served those administrations, and was one of the few Republican holdovers to serve during the Clinton administration. His Republican roots, his intelligence, the story he relates, and 30 year record as a dedicated, hard-working civil servant, make his account of the actions of the last four presidents highly credible. Clarke is no dummy. He knew that writing this book would burn a lot of bridges and open himself up to personal attacks by those who value their political agenda more than they value the truth. This is yet one more factor that cuts in favor of his credibility.
The book is crisp, clear, passionate, witty, and insightful. Clarke is able to recreate the drama and intensity of each event and crisis as if you were part of the action. Excellent book.

The Truth

Which you never get from this crooked administration and an unelected president.

Who really has sour grapes?

Several of the reviews are not so much about the message of the book as much as they are personal attacks on the author. At this writing the hearings on 9-11 are still in process and much of the events that led to the tragedy have yet to be explored. Clarke?s book is a small flashlight that guides us down a dark path that many prefer not to traverse for fear of finding the truth.

Save your money if you are convinced that you know the truth. If you have the wisdom to keep an open mind and the discernment to filter personal acrimony, then this is indeed a worthwhile purchase.

Great book

I enjoyed listening to the audiobook and learning about the events that happened prior to 9/11. When trying to follow along though with the actual book on my Laptop the author skips around so I would lose my place. I would recommend either read it correctly or fix the book to match the audiobook version. Maybe have someone else read it who would read it correctly

excellent

Giving answers to the mystery: how can our federal government be so inept? More fodder to prove that Bush administration is a bunch of narrow minded ideologues aleep at the wheel. Let's vote them out and get some real leaders back on the job.

A truthful and concise account

The research and detail that have gone into this book are very well put together and clarify alot of what goes on behind the scenes in the government's anti-terrorism campaign.
Richard Clarke's accounts and desciptions of government functions give a new insight into a world that the general public never gets to see.
It shows the politicizing effect on intelligence matters and the lack of cohesiveness that handicaps the governments efforts in Anti-terrorism.

A very clear, and NEUTRAL view on the the gaffs of both the Clinton and Bush administrations.

This is a very good book.

Required Reading

Well-written, well-narrated, and terrifying in its message. This book kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire reading. I think anyone who votes should read this before November!

Good book, money well spent

I liked House of Bush, House of Saud a little better, but that being said, this is an important book that you should read if you are interested in the truth that is not carried in the mainstream media. Not uplifting or pretty, sort of like hearing how sausages are made, but truthful and full of details that I had not heard. I recommend it.

Through the Looking Glass

After 9/11 I agreed totally with the decision to pursue the terrorists and the countries providing safe havens. It seemed a step in the right direction. I was surprised when Mr. Clarke revealed that lack of initiative in this pursuit prior to the September event. I found the story of the events leading to 9/11 and the actions following to be other than generally described by the office holders. I think everyone should listen to this story and gain some perspective on events that are ongoing....and especially the prediction for the near future. Excellent, concise and authoritative....get this one.