Siege

Trump Under Fire

By: Michael Wolff

Narrated by: Holter Graham

Length: 11 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

Michael Wolff, author of the bombshell best seller Fire and Fury, once again takes us inside the Trump presidency to reveal a White House under siege.

With Fire and Fury, Michael Wolff defined the first phase of the Trump administration; now, in Siege, he has written an equally essential and explosive book about a presidency that is under fire from almost every side. A stunningly fresh narrative that begins just as Trump’s second year as president is getting underway and ends with the delivery of the Mueller Report, Siege reveals an administration that is perpetually beleaguered by investigations and a president who is increasingly volatile, erratic, and exposed.

©2019 Michael Wolff (P)2019 Macmillan Audio

Read the Mueller Report first...

...then re-read Fire and Fury, THEN delve into this one. I read Wolff's first book on Trump with a grain of salt, having heard the criticism that he included too many direct quotes to be perfectly credible. After reading Mueller's report, much of what Wolff claimed was bourne out.
A great read, if you aren't totally fatigued by this circus administration.

I laughed till I cried. Then I continued crying.

This is more like a interview with Steve Bannon who seems to be the only person on record. Donald Trump doesn't have a friend in the world but he does have a lot of support. His lies which seemed to be a stream that constantly runs in his head, gurgle out continually in his tweets are fueled by those who work him. I'm afraid we are doomed as a nation, only Mitch McConnell scares me more than Donald Trump.

Interesting but not for the reasons you think!

I assumed that in this book Wolff would follow the same furrow of tabloid gossip he plowed in Fire & Fury. The tidbits of gossip are scattered throughout the work but it’s really a very different exposé. The Resistance can find plenty of evidence of Trump’s madness, stupidity and greed uncovered during his two years. The Administration is shown to be as chaotic as expected and filled with even more liars, thieves and fools than we thought. Whether Wolff’s sources are completely accurate or accurately quoted or not, the reader can taste the Special Sauce and Aroma of Trumpworld.

But the essence of Siege is elsewhere. The title itself is a distraction. This book was “dictated” by Steve Bannon. Every page is filled with Bannon’s take on each event and decision of the first two years and Bannon’s take is almost never positive. Trump is nothing but a tool for Bannon’s Populist Vision of Armageddon. Trump’s greed, duplicity, narcissism and stupidity was ruining his Dream and he is vicious in his anger and frustration.

This is the real value of the book. Not the crazy quotes and revelations of insecurity, fear and lust but rather a peek inside the fearsome Bannon Worldview. Americans should understand this view and fear it.

As we should have come to understand since 2015, Trump is only a distraction, a batshit crazy, narcissistic sociopathic distraction, but a distraction nonetheless. He’s not the greatest danger. The Destruction of Liberal Democracy of the type planned by Bannon is the greater peril.

Compelling if not terrifying

This book almost reads like fiction it’s so insane in its descriptions. I find it quite scary that, if even half of the character and personality flaws and even lack of general humanity is true... well the damage that can be done is extreme.

🎶🎶 American Top Tell-All 🎶🎶

I eat this sort of stuff up, so I loved this book. BUT the best part is Holter Graham's performance.

Graham not only does a great job breathing life into the quotes (with the rule-proving exception of the Kissinger parts, which are a little flat even for Kissinger), but his voice is often reminiscent of American vocal treasure and dearly departed pop radio DJ: Casey Kasem.

What a delight to spend hours ear-gorging on the tortured incompetence and warped psychology of Donald Trump, while occasionally hearing a vocal styling that suggests a long distance request is queued up on the turntable, ready to go out over the airwaves to light the heart of someone special.

Giggle-thrill! Giggle-thrill! Giggle-thrill!

Trump exposed.

Very well written. Surprisingly current and genuinely alarming. Well researched while exposing a man sitting in the oval office who has
extremely serious problems!

Sources?

I follow the news very closely so this book isn’t really very informative - it’s more like a gossip column written by Steve Bannon. Not only is Bannon the only source, he is also portrayed in a very positive, biased light.
Also, the narrator’s slurred words make it sound like he’s been drinking.
I read “Fire and Fury” and liked it somewhat better than this book.
I’ve only listened to a few chapters and am going to return book.

Great Narration of the Clusterf*ck

This is the description of the drive-by of the accident scene. It's filled with as much as can be seen from the slow drive past the trauma.

The Bannon stuff is hilarious and sad. Hilarious that he sees the ineptitude of tRump but stays engaged totally in the fiasco, in order to line his own packets, is truly sad.

The book gives a roadmap for how so many of the people in Washington, whose job is to uphold the Constitution, have fallen in line with a bullying, burgeoning autocracy.

There is enough humor in the book to make it worth the read. The narration is very well done. There is also enough data to provide a sad description of where the USA is right now politically.

Break neck pace with fleshed our characters

As far as the arc and the ending the first book was superior. No characters can top the Bannon in Fire and Fury.
Everything else was just as excellent as the first go around. The many details give the absurd characters depth, quirks, motives and fatal flaws without impacting the quick pace or confusing the action.

The reader was excellent. I was really hoping that it would be the same reader from the first book. Holter Graham is perfect for this series: the distain for the outrages chronicled in the books comes through in his voice but he is anything but monotone despite the never ending catalogue of corruptions. His performance combines a rainbow of judgements and choices. I really hope he reads all of Wolff’s books from now on.

so much truth..thank u

I read your other book fire and fury..and now this....too awesome...keep writing good books.you areawesome

Fascinating

Great piece of work. Interesting insight into the current WH occupant who should really occupy a prison cell.