Known and Unknown by Donald Rumsfeld

(read on iPhone)

This very well documented account of the life of a high-level public servant from Chicago is interesting and important. He served multiple presidents over a long period of time and was our nation's youngest and then oldest Secretary of Defense.

He was very ethical, extremely organized, very loyal and honest. He could be pushy and abrasive and abrupt but seemingly always in the service of others. He would not agree to something he thought was wrong. He wanted the President to hear all sides of an issue, even those ideas he disagreed with. He states that he welcomed disagreement and confrontation and gives many examples. He copiously documented everything, and woe to someone who attempted to rewrite history or disavow a position taken at a meeting Rumsfeld attended.

I think a President could not have a more loyal trustworthy advisor unless he wanted to do something wrong or unethical.

A military pilot himself, he was very proud of George W. Bush, revered Reagan, loved Ford, respected Nixon, didn't respect Carter, detested Nelson Rockefeller, respected but didn't completely trust Powell.

When the terrorists crashed into the Pentagon it is said he helped rescue people who were injured, but in the book he is modest and vague about what he did and says he soon returned to his office to start reorganizing and responding.