By His Own Rules

Once considered among the best and brightest of his generation, Donald Rumsfeld - one of America's most influential and controversial defense secretaries - was exceptionally prepared to assume the Pentagon's top job in 2001. This political biography covers Rumsfeld's challenging tenure at the Pentagon. Once considered among the best and brightest of his generation, Donald Rumsfeld left office as the most controversial defence 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 longtime Washington Post reporter who closely covered Rumsfeld's challenging tenure at the Pentagon, offers an insightful biography of a complex and immensely influential personality.