By His Own Rules: The Ambitions, Successes, and Ultimate Failures of Donald Rumsfeld [Paperback]

Once considered among the best and brightest of his generation, Donald Rumsfeld left office as the most controversial Defense Secretary since Robert McNamara, widely criticized for his management of the Iraq war and for his difficult relationships with Congress, administration colleagues, and military officers. Was he really the arrogant, errant, controlling Pentagon leader frequently portrayed-or, a brilliant visionary caught in a whirl of polarized Washington politics, dysfunctional federal bureaucracy, and bad luck? Bradley Graham, a longtimeWashington Postreporter who closely covered Rumsfeld's challenging tenure at the Pentagon, offers an insightful biography of a complex and immensely influential personality.Bradley Grahamspent more than twenty-five years at theWashington Postin various reporting and editing assignments focused on military and foreign affairs.The Washington Post
In this meticulously researched and compelling book, veteranWashington Postreporter Bradley Graham acknowledges these contributors to the national-security travails of the Bush years, but he highlights another as well: the secretary of defense's unwavering commitment to military transformation, his vision of a leaner, more lethal Department of Defense.

Politico
Donald Rumsfeld has been excoriated by both Democrats and Republicans for his handling of the Iraq war. This biography reveals a more nuanced picture than the conventional wisdom would suggest.

Jamie Fly, executive director of The Foreign Policy Initiative
Washington Postreporter Bradley Graham chronicles the full span of Rumsfeld's remarkable career in a surprisingly balanced and fair new biography...Graham does an excellent job of tracing the man's meteoric rise in Washington, relaying insights from friends and associates about the famed Rumsfeld management style, which some call one of his biggest faults. Thomas E. Ricks, Pulitzer-prize winning journlcQ