Rage

By: Bob Woodward

Narrated by: Robert Petkoff

Length: 13 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

Rage is an unprecedented and intimate tour de force of new reporting on the Trump presidency facing a global pandemic, economic disaster and racial unrest.

Woodward, the number-one international bestselling author of Fear: Trump in the White House, has uncovered the precise moment the president was warned that the Covid-19 epidemic would be the biggest national security threat to his presidency. In dramatic detail, Woodward takes readers into the Oval Office as Trump’s head pops up when he is told in January 2020 that the pandemic could reach the scale of the 1918 Spanish Flu that killed 675,000 Americans.

In 17 on-the-record interviews with Woodward over seven volatile months - an utterly vivid window into Trump’s mind—the president provides a self-portrait that is part denial and part combative interchange mixed with surprising moments of doubt as he glimpses the perils in the presidency and what he calls the “dynamite behind every door".

At key decision points, Rage shows how Trump’s responses to the crises of 2020 were rooted in the instincts, habits and style he developed during his first three years as president.

Revisiting the earliest days of the Trump presidency, Rage reveals how Secretary of Defense James Mattis, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats struggled to keep the country safe as the president dismantled any semblance of collegial national security decision making.

Rage draws from hundreds of hours of interviews with firsthand witnesses as well as participants’ notes, emails, diaries, calendars and confidential documents.

Woodward obtained 25 never-seen personal letters exchanged between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who describes the bond between the two leaders as out of a “fantasy film".

Trump insists to Woodward he will triumph over Covid-19 and the economic calamity. “Don’t worry about it, Bob. Okay?” Trump told the author in July. “Don’t worry about it. We’ll get to do another book. You’ll find I was right."

Includes excerpts from Bob Woodward’s interviews with President Donald J. Trump for Rage.

©2020 Bob Woodward. All rights reserved. (P)2020 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Trump is the first candidate for president to launch an October surprise against himself. It’s as if Nixon sent the Nixon tapes to Woodward in an envelope by FedEx.” (Nick Confessore of the New York Times)

“Woodward’s prose offers readers that delicious, vicarious sense of being an insider, right there in the room with Bob, a witness to presidential sulks and boasts.” (Rosa Brooks, Washington Post)

“Even in a news landscape where it feels like nothing is shocking anymore, the first excerpts from the new Bob Woodward book still landed like a pair of hydrogen bombs.” (Vanity Fair)

Leading the witness

This book told me nothing more than I already knew, but what I found fascinating was how much Woodward tried to lead Trump to do and say the right thing. How many times did he beg him to understand about the people in the country who are hurting. How many times did Woodward say it’s about the heart you need to understand their heart and all Trump could respond with was see what I’ve done.

A Sad Review of Sorry President

I'm sure few people will be surprised at the content of the book as it's just more of the same story. New facts and disappointments, for sure, but hardly a break with what's long been established. Trump is a liar, a narcissist, clueless, indifferent to other people and incompetent. The most damning part about this whole sorry episode is that millions of Americans chose him and even more astonishing, are still fervent supporters. Though that's not really discussed in the book, his sorry presidency that has been so clearly exposed, is a shocking endictment of the American people and what they are or have allowed themselves to become. More than anything else, that's what's most sad about the past four years.

A deep dive into Trump's psyche

Woodward does an amazing job of getting into the head of Trump and it's not pretty. Chaos, blaming, lack of insight, inability to comprehend the human condition dictate his actions. He's reactionary rather than proactive. He's too caught up in being his own press agent rather than being the leader of a world power. He truly seems oblivious to the fact that not only do his actions have consequences but so too do his inactions. He feeds off of what others think of him while giving no thought to what he thinks of us. Bottom line he thinks this is all about him and not the American public. Woodward is correct ... Trump is not the man to lead this country. He is too far out of his element to comprehend the needs of this country.

Rage refers to both tRump and the reader.

I listened to Fear, two years ago, and became angry that our country was being led by tRump. After completing this book I’ve become enraged.

The rage comes from the lies by tRump and the leaders of this country knowing his deficiencies. Despite the problems no Republican will take a stand to help the country.

Woodward clearly exposes the problems and even gives tRump a chance to give his side.

Bob Woodward at his best

very balanced, informative and insightful. this is Bob Woodward doing what he does the best.

great job Bob!

Explains a whole lot about Trump and the way he operates or, doesn't... excellent reading!
Trump is consistently, incoherent and inconsistent and nothing he does is shocking anymore. I'm sure he loved his cover photo of course.

Excellent!

This is an engaging recap of Trump's presidency from 2017 to July 2020... with the words both of Trump himself, as well as those working with him. . . from a reliable source.

An Incontrovertibly Searing Indictment of Us All

In Rage. the legendary reporter Bob Woodward has written the most important book of his distinguished career. Ably narrated by Robert Petkoff, it is simply impossible for people of conscience to turn away from the painstakingly researched and crafted narrative of a political system - ours - so failing the American people and in turn the American people so failing each other that Trump - the worst person for the job — was handed the reins of power. Shame on us all. Thank you, Mr. Woodward.

very good

this was better than expected -- I was disappointed when it ended every though the timeline effectively ran out because these are current events. I loved it

a very fair assessment of Donald J Trump

very interesting on how Donald Trump makes his decisions and the turmoil around him the End