Drawing on sources that include high-ranking officials in the Pentagon and the White House, Cockburn exposes Rumsfeld's early career, his rise to prominence as an official in the Nixon administration and his careful manoeuvring to avoid the fallout of the Watergate scandal. He also chronicles for the very first time Rumsfeld's devoted efforts to get governmental approval for the controversial artificial sweetener aspartame, and his interesting behaviour in secret high-level government nuclear war games in his years out of power.

Exploring the disastrous quagmire of the war in Iraq, Cockburn reveals how Rumsfeld's habits of intimidation, indecision, ignoring awkward realities, destructive micromanagement, and bureaucratic manipulation all helped doom America's military adventure. The book challenges the notion that Rumsfeld was an effective manager driven to transform the American military, examines the reasons that Rumsfeld was removed from office, and shows how his second appointment as secretary of defense reflects a deep conflict between President Bush and his father, former President George H.W. Bush. Brimming with powerful revelations, Rumsfeld is sure to emerge as the must-have piece of investigative journalism as America grapples with its difficult involvement in Iraq and the uncertain path the country faces today.

“Cockburn’s trenchant analysis of Rumsfeld’s career is a cogent reminder why few in Washington are mourning his long overdue departure.” — Andrew Stephen

Andrew Cockburn is a writer and lecturer on defence and American affairs and is also the author of five nonfiction books, including (with Patrick Cockburn) Saddam Hussein: An American Obsession. He has written for the New York Times, the New Yorker, Playboy, Vanity Fair, and National Geographic, among other publications. He currently lives in Washington, D.C.