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Cheney: The Untold Story of America's Most Powerful and Controversial Vice President
During a forty-year career in politics, Vice President Dick Cheney has been involved in some of the most consequential decisions in recent American history. He was one of a few select advisers in the room when President Gerald Ford decided to declare an end to the Vietnam War. Nearly thirty years later, from the presidential bunker below the White House in the moments immediately following the attacks of September 11, 2001, he helped shape the response: America's global war on terror.
Yet for all of his influence, the world knows very little about Dick Cheney. The most powerful vice president in U.S. history has also been the most secretive and guarded of all public officials. "Am I the evil genius in the corner that nobody ever sees come out of his hole?" Cheney asked rhetorically in 2004. "It's a nice way to operate, actually."
Now, in Cheney: The Untold Story of America's Most Powerful and Controversial Vice President, New York Times bestselling author and Weekly Standard senior writer Stephen F. Hayes offers readers a groundbreaking view into the world of this most enigmatic man. Having had exclusive access to Cheney himself, Hayes draws upon hundreds of interviews with the vice president, his boyhood friends, political mentors, family members, reticent staffers, and senior Bush administration officials, to deliver a comprehensive portrait of one of the most important political figures in modern times.
The wide range of topics Hayes covers includes Cheney's withdrawal from Yale; his early run-ins with the law; the incident that almost got him blackballed from working in the Ford White House; his meteoric rise to congressional leadership; his opposition to removing Saddam Hussein from power after the first Gulf War; the solo, cross-country drive he took after leaving the Pentagon; his selection as Bush's running mate; his commanding performance on 9/11; the aggressive intelligence and interrogation measures he pushed in the aftermath of those attacks; the necessity of the Iraq War; the consequences of mistakes made during and after that war; and intelligence battles with the CIA and their lasting effects. With exhaustive reporting, Hayes shines a light into the shadows of the Bush administration and finds a very different Dick Cheney from the one America thinks it knows.
604 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
February 4, 2008
Everyone aught to become more familiar with one's perceived enemies than one generally is wont to be. I like delving into the stories of people I'm pretty sure I despise, for example, Nixon or Bush or others, with the idea that to have an open mind it's good to really see whether your distaste for someone or their thinking is a product of other peoples' influence or superficial.
What did I learn? Well Cheney is formidable. Unlike a lot of "conservatives" who dabble in their beliefs, one might say, Cheney plunges in full-bore, as a true believer. He seems to have no sense of compromise, is razor-sharp in his attacks, and sets things up pretty much the way he wants to. He stays in the background yet wields fierce power. He can play a nicey-nicey game but you can see it's repugnant to him.
His fault, as far as I can judge, is that he believes, to a grave fault, that secrecy is essential to the conduct of policy, that it is better to withhold than to give, that all people are not fully worthy of understanding. He's locked in, acts as if he's sure he's right, is an extraordinarily reticent person in social settings, is an ol'time boy who has no genuine compassion for average individuals. Also, sadly, like a lot of "leaders" he has no understanding of what America really is, a country which to be true to its principles, must remain vulnerable to open speech, and must prize the sanctity of life. Though he's probably a church-goer, he seems to have no religion as regards being kind to anyone he perceives as an enemy. Once you're on his blacklist, whether you're an alleged terrorist or a liberal thinker, you're marked, plain and simple, as worthy only of utter disdain.
If the author were to ask me what I thought of his biography, in the writing of which he was granted unprecedented access to the Vice-President, I would say he was too glad to get that face-time, and shied away from trying to pin him down on his understanding--or really lack of understanding--of basic precepts of this country's founding. Too much of an apologist, I'm sorry to say.
But he does provide insight into Cheney's thinking, into less-known aspects of his career.
What did I learn? Well Cheney is formidable. Unlike a lot of "conservatives" who dabble in their beliefs, one might say, Cheney plunges in full-bore, as a true believer. He seems to have no sense of compromise, is razor-sharp in his attacks, and sets things up pretty much the way he wants to. He stays in the background yet wields fierce power. He can play a nicey-nicey game but you can see it's repugnant to him.
His fault, as far as I can judge, is that he believes, to a grave fault, that secrecy is essential to the conduct of policy, that it is better to withhold than to give, that all people are not fully worthy of understanding. He's locked in, acts as if he's sure he's right, is an extraordinarily reticent person in social settings, is an ol'time boy who has no genuine compassion for average individuals. Also, sadly, like a lot of "leaders" he has no understanding of what America really is, a country which to be true to its principles, must remain vulnerable to open speech, and must prize the sanctity of life. Though he's probably a church-goer, he seems to have no religion as regards being kind to anyone he perceives as an enemy. Once you're on his blacklist, whether you're an alleged terrorist or a liberal thinker, you're marked, plain and simple, as worthy only of utter disdain.
If the author were to ask me what I thought of his biography, in the writing of which he was granted unprecedented access to the Vice-President, I would say he was too glad to get that face-time, and shied away from trying to pin him down on his understanding--or really lack of understanding--of basic precepts of this country's founding. Too much of an apologist, I'm sorry to say.
But he does provide insight into Cheney's thinking, into less-known aspects of his career.
August 11, 2019
Stephen Hayes writes a biography of Cheney from the view of the right with the most access to the vice president than anyother reporter has ever had. With that being said Cheney is still a very private man who shares little about his life. Hayes is very thorough and provides an excellent look at how Cheney got to where he was from Yale dropout to rising academic that chooses to go into public service in the Ford administration as a chief of staff working with Donald Rumsfeld. After going into elected office and serving as Secretary of Defense Cheney retired from public life to become a board member at Halliburton. What would become one of the most controversial parts of the Bush administration when the government would award no bid contracts to the company.
As with any political book bias is a huge concern. When it comes to Cheney's early years much of what is written matches up with other biographies on Reagan and Ford and really paints a picture of how those offices worked. His recounting of the 9/11 events also is in line with those reports by George Tennet, Richard Clarke and others. When it comes to the war in Iraq there is a lot of dancing around and I found this to be the least helpful part of the book since it seemed to contradict what others had written. Now the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle and I doubt we will ever know if this administration came in with the intent to go to war in Iraq. One thing this book makes very clear is the Bush cabinet was a product of Dick Cheney. He surrounded Bush with close friends like Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Rice and Powell.
As to the charge of Cheney being the puppet master it is hard to get a sense. Cheney was selected as VP because he had the experience in government that George Bush did not and he would use that experience to be an effective administrator. Given Cheney's already reluctant and private nature it created the appearance of a more sinister front than seems to be presented here. Overall it is a very interesting look at Cheney's life and worth the time to read.
As with any political book bias is a huge concern. When it comes to Cheney's early years much of what is written matches up with other biographies on Reagan and Ford and really paints a picture of how those offices worked. His recounting of the 9/11 events also is in line with those reports by George Tennet, Richard Clarke and others. When it comes to the war in Iraq there is a lot of dancing around and I found this to be the least helpful part of the book since it seemed to contradict what others had written. Now the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle and I doubt we will ever know if this administration came in with the intent to go to war in Iraq. One thing this book makes very clear is the Bush cabinet was a product of Dick Cheney. He surrounded Bush with close friends like Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Rice and Powell.
As to the charge of Cheney being the puppet master it is hard to get a sense. Cheney was selected as VP because he had the experience in government that George Bush did not and he would use that experience to be an effective administrator. Given Cheney's already reluctant and private nature it created the appearance of a more sinister front than seems to be presented here. Overall it is a very interesting look at Cheney's life and worth the time to read.
August 22, 2016
Full disclosure: Dick Cheney is my 2nd favorite USA elected official of the modern era and before I'm done, he may end up in a statistical tie for #1. Hayes' bio illustrates why.
The former VP is, in the classic American parlance, a man who is completely comfortable in his own skin. Hayes provides the reader with a story of how life, family, failure, regional environment, nature, and local and world events created the man who assumed the office of 2nd in command during a critical point in history. Hayes, clearly a fan of Cheney, avoids hagiography. Instead, you get the Cheney that many respected, many loathed, and several feared during his time in office.
A worthy use of your time to understand one of the key components of the current era.
The former VP is, in the classic American parlance, a man who is completely comfortable in his own skin. Hayes provides the reader with a story of how life, family, failure, regional environment, nature, and local and world events created the man who assumed the office of 2nd in command during a critical point in history. Hayes, clearly a fan of Cheney, avoids hagiography. Instead, you get the Cheney that many respected, many loathed, and several feared during his time in office.
A worthy use of your time to understand one of the key components of the current era.
Read
April 26, 2021"The Untold Story of America's Most Powerful and Controversial Vice President" was a great read for political junkies. There's probably not enough dirt or astounding revelations here for readers on the Left, but it appears to be a fairly accurate account of those portions of Dick Cheney's life that remain unclassified.
I found I could relate to Cheney in a couple of ways. First, when he graduated high school, he had a full ride scholarship to Yale, but after a couple of years there of hard partying and soft studying, he flunked out and went to work for a few years building power lines back in Wyoming. I did the same sort of thing, albeit at a somewhat less prestigious university. Later on, he went back and finished up his education, so I can relate to that, too.
Stories from his time in the Ford administration brought back memories of things I remember living through, though as a teenager my sense of national affairs was a bit sketchy. As I read this book, however, I begin to see how some of the relationships began that would shape the future, through the Reagan, Bush I, and Bush II presidencies. For some reason, it had escaped my notice that Cheney had spent a fair amount of time as a congressman from Wyoming and had worked his way rapidly into the Republican leadership in that body.
There's a lot of good background on Cheney's time as Secretary of Defense in the first Bush administration, and the rationale behind the decision not to remove Saddam Hussein from power during the first Gulf War. Some of the more controversial political issues of the second Bush administration, such as the intelligence on WMDs, the "sixteen words" in Bush's State of the Union speech, the outing of Valerie Plame, and the interpretation of the FISA laws on domestic surveillance are covered in detail.
Cheney the man is portrayed as a very thoughtful, often reserved, person. He comes off as extremely analytical, consuming vast quantities of information on a subject before coming to a decision. Most everyone Hayes interviewed for this book said that he doesn't say a lot, but when he talks, like E.F. Hutton, people listen.
I found the book engrossing and interesting, and think Hayes has done a great job of research in this tome.
I found I could relate to Cheney in a couple of ways. First, when he graduated high school, he had a full ride scholarship to Yale, but after a couple of years there of hard partying and soft studying, he flunked out and went to work for a few years building power lines back in Wyoming. I did the same sort of thing, albeit at a somewhat less prestigious university. Later on, he went back and finished up his education, so I can relate to that, too.
Stories from his time in the Ford administration brought back memories of things I remember living through, though as a teenager my sense of national affairs was a bit sketchy. As I read this book, however, I begin to see how some of the relationships began that would shape the future, through the Reagan, Bush I, and Bush II presidencies. For some reason, it had escaped my notice that Cheney had spent a fair amount of time as a congressman from Wyoming and had worked his way rapidly into the Republican leadership in that body.
There's a lot of good background on Cheney's time as Secretary of Defense in the first Bush administration, and the rationale behind the decision not to remove Saddam Hussein from power during the first Gulf War. Some of the more controversial political issues of the second Bush administration, such as the intelligence on WMDs, the "sixteen words" in Bush's State of the Union speech, the outing of Valerie Plame, and the interpretation of the FISA laws on domestic surveillance are covered in detail.
Cheney the man is portrayed as a very thoughtful, often reserved, person. He comes off as extremely analytical, consuming vast quantities of information on a subject before coming to a decision. Most everyone Hayes interviewed for this book said that he doesn't say a lot, but when he talks, like E.F. Hutton, people listen.
I found the book engrossing and interesting, and think Hayes has done a great job of research in this tome.
February 26, 2018
I have admired Cheney and believe he will be treated well by history. Stephen F. Hayes is a solid writer and from his duties at the Weekly Standard has a solid background to tackle many of the issues brought forth in the book -- especially in foreign affairs and intelligence.
The books details Cheney's life from his days growing up in Wyoming, to failing at Yale, then success in academia, to entering government as a Congressional staffer, to his work with Donald Rumsfeld that led Cheney to being White House Cheif of Staff at 34, tohis own Congressional career to being Bush 41's Defense Secretary to being CEO of Haliburton to beng Bush 43's Vp. A heck of an impressive life and near the epicenter of American History for 35 years.
Obviously the book spends consderable time on 9/11 and the resulting conflicts in the middle East -- both the good and bad. Hayes does an excellent job of perviding all sides of the conflicts and scandals.
My only negative is that the book ends 18 months before Cheney's VP term ends so a few things are incomplete.
The books details Cheney's life from his days growing up in Wyoming, to failing at Yale, then success in academia, to entering government as a Congressional staffer, to his work with Donald Rumsfeld that led Cheney to being White House Cheif of Staff at 34, tohis own Congressional career to being Bush 41's Defense Secretary to being CEO of Haliburton to beng Bush 43's Vp. A heck of an impressive life and near the epicenter of American History for 35 years.
Obviously the book spends consderable time on 9/11 and the resulting conflicts in the middle East -- both the good and bad. Hayes does an excellent job of perviding all sides of the conflicts and scandals.
My only negative is that the book ends 18 months before Cheney's VP term ends so a few things are incomplete.
March 3, 2019
Good history of his life and his lengthy career in politics. It was interesting to see some of the behind the scenes information he had for history like Grenada, Gulf War, and the Iran Contra affairs. It was also interesting to see how well respected he was by many in congress and his abilities to be a mediator as well as how much he studied.
February 15, 2019
Good insight to the formers VPs whole career
Thourougly enjoyed this book. Went in depth on his entire career. Gave it a 4 insread of a 5 because I felt it just glanced over the 2nd term
Thourougly enjoyed this book. Went in depth on his entire career. Gave it a 4 insread of a 5 because I felt it just glanced over the 2nd term
November 8, 2019
Cheney’s early years through his election as Vice-President was great! After 9-11 though, the book becomes super boring.
February 16, 2020
Probably the best account of one of the most controversial VP’s in the history of America.
February 12, 2012
It was decent. Good accounts of Cheney's influence and history.
What really turned me off, though was all the stupid, out-of-context Iraq-al-Qaeda link allegations.
Hayes is very apologetic, defending every decision that Cheney has made and blaming Bill Clinton for all the bad stuff.
He had previously written a book on Iaqi al-Qaeda connections, and like many neocons exaggerates the extent of these ties, just like Cheney. He emphasizes that all the liberals who later opposed the war had previously supported it, citing it as evidence that Saddam posed a threat. The liberals only did that to garner votes with the ignorant public, Hayes.
Hayes describes arguments between Cheney's office and the CIA on Iraqi al-Qaeda linkages, and portrays Cheney as the all-knowing, fair,unbiased outside-the-box thinker and the CIA as idiots.
Hayes misses the entire point of the debate here. It was never about whether there WAS a connection between Iraq and al-Qaeda, it was whether the connection was a mature and symbiotic command linkage or just the two sides feeling each other out. Hayes writes that the media accused Cheney of making such a command linkage.
If you have read George Tenet's memoir, he lays out in detail that the CIA never thought there was a command linkage between Iraq and al-Qaeda, only a vague series of contacts. Yet Hayes uses Tenet's correct claims that there was a linkage to refute critics. His message is "Oh, well, even though some dumb CIA analysts think there is no linkage, since the CIA director thinks there is, then you guys' views don't matter at all."
Hayes portays the CIA's division over Iraqi al-Qaead links as proof that the CIA were unprofessional analysts.WRONG! It was because both REGIONAL and TERRORIST analysts were involved, and you obviously can't make a clear assertion right away with that kind of division.
On the chapter on Iraq, Hayes claims that the Iraqis had developed a plan for the insurgency that followed.Wrong again. If you read "Cobra II", you'll find that it was a plan to suppress Kurd-Shiite rebellion in the case of a US invasion. Hayes is just trying to deflect attention from the administration's postwar failures.
Some chapters later, he justifies the invasion with flimsy evidence, such as a report that the Iraqi intelligence service was planning terrorist attacks in Europe. First of all, that has nothing to do with al-Qaeda. Second, just because the Iraqis PLANNED these attacks doesn't justify military action.
Hayes also writes about 9/11 hijacker Mohamed Atta's alleged meeting in Praque with an Iraqi agent, and fails to include that the CIA later discounted the meeting.
seriously, what is the point of beating the issue over and over again? Iraqi-al-Qaeda connections were not as important or troubling as Hayes claims. In this chapter, he grasps at straws, desperate to establish some sort of link, however ambiguious, between Iraq and al-Qaeda.
This was probably ghostwritten by Cheney, as it contains nothing but arguments always in support of his decisions. Hayes likes cherry-picking facts.
What really turned me off, though was all the stupid, out-of-context Iraq-al-Qaeda link allegations.
Hayes is very apologetic, defending every decision that Cheney has made and blaming Bill Clinton for all the bad stuff.
He had previously written a book on Iaqi al-Qaeda connections, and like many neocons exaggerates the extent of these ties, just like Cheney. He emphasizes that all the liberals who later opposed the war had previously supported it, citing it as evidence that Saddam posed a threat. The liberals only did that to garner votes with the ignorant public, Hayes.
Hayes describes arguments between Cheney's office and the CIA on Iraqi al-Qaeda linkages, and portrays Cheney as the all-knowing, fair,unbiased outside-the-box thinker and the CIA as idiots.
Hayes misses the entire point of the debate here. It was never about whether there WAS a connection between Iraq and al-Qaeda, it was whether the connection was a mature and symbiotic command linkage or just the two sides feeling each other out. Hayes writes that the media accused Cheney of making such a command linkage.
If you have read George Tenet's memoir, he lays out in detail that the CIA never thought there was a command linkage between Iraq and al-Qaeda, only a vague series of contacts. Yet Hayes uses Tenet's correct claims that there was a linkage to refute critics. His message is "Oh, well, even though some dumb CIA analysts think there is no linkage, since the CIA director thinks there is, then you guys' views don't matter at all."
Hayes portays the CIA's division over Iraqi al-Qaead links as proof that the CIA were unprofessional analysts.WRONG! It was because both REGIONAL and TERRORIST analysts were involved, and you obviously can't make a clear assertion right away with that kind of division.
On the chapter on Iraq, Hayes claims that the Iraqis had developed a plan for the insurgency that followed.Wrong again. If you read "Cobra II", you'll find that it was a plan to suppress Kurd-Shiite rebellion in the case of a US invasion. Hayes is just trying to deflect attention from the administration's postwar failures.
Some chapters later, he justifies the invasion with flimsy evidence, such as a report that the Iraqi intelligence service was planning terrorist attacks in Europe. First of all, that has nothing to do with al-Qaeda. Second, just because the Iraqis PLANNED these attacks doesn't justify military action.
Hayes also writes about 9/11 hijacker Mohamed Atta's alleged meeting in Praque with an Iraqi agent, and fails to include that the CIA later discounted the meeting.
seriously, what is the point of beating the issue over and over again? Iraqi-al-Qaeda connections were not as important or troubling as Hayes claims. In this chapter, he grasps at straws, desperate to establish some sort of link, however ambiguious, between Iraq and al-Qaeda.
This was probably ghostwritten by Cheney, as it contains nothing but arguments always in support of his decisions. Hayes likes cherry-picking facts.
August 9, 2011
This wasn't a bad book, but it wasn't a good one either. It's saving grace is that it puts Cheney's political outlook in a distinctive context. I've always wondered how Cheney went from being a 'moderate' Republican in the Ford and Bush 41 Administrations to becoming this fully-loaded conservative hawk in the Bush 43 Administration. Hayes quite persuasively shows that there is no contradiction between the Dick Cheney who refused to topple Saddam as Defence Secretary in 1991 and the Dick Cheney who did as VP in 2003. However, saying that Hayes laces his book with a saccharine like view of Cheney's life, and spends less time on Cheney's time as VP than you would have thought. I was surprised when I was half way through the book and was still only on Cheney's time at the Pentagon. It goes without saying that this isn't a critical evaluation of Dick Cheney, but you want to read this book either because of that reason or in spite of it. Either way it is still a useful part-history of Cheney's career.
May 28, 2008
Dick Cheney was once revered for his level-headed fair-mindedness; now he is vilified as an incarnation of a devil. It is worth asking what precisely he has done in the last 5 years to warrant all this vitriol; the careful portrait in this book suggests the answer is "not much." If, like me, you think the execution of this war has been exasperatingly incompetent at times, then please let us fault our leaders for their mistakes, but it is also possible that some of our public servants are trying to do the best they can to run the government. If we follow them down a foolish path, we are to blame as well.
April 30, 2011
This is a very kind portrait of Dick Cheney, showing mostly his positive side. By all accounts, Cheney avoided the limelight, was very private, and stayed in the background, so knowing his true influence in the Bush Administration isn't crystal clear. This book presents him in a positive light, and might be considered an alternate view of what one would think after reading Gellman's book "Angler", or Jane Mayer's book "The Dark Side". I imagine the real Cheney lies somewhere between the two viewpoints.
July 2, 2011
This book didn't make me a Cheney-supporter and I doubt that will be its general effect or was even its purpose. However, it is enlightening the extra detail provided on such galvanizing issues as Iraq-Uranium-Africa (Wilson's superficial investigation supported the infamous 16-words but exposed as a forgery the specific invoice turned up by the Italians) and Plame-gate (Libby was practically on a one-man witch hunt, but Armitage acctually first put Plame out there, with Woodward). This is an interesting book about an interesting man transforming a bland political office in interesting times.
January 12, 2013
The description of Cheney's background and personality and his basic conservatism, which he was able to subordinate during his work for Gerald Ford, seems balanced and rings true. But when the author, who works for a conservative publication, gets to Saddam Hussein, the Iraq War, and WMD, suddenly almost everything that is anti-Cheney is untrue and a smear job by the Democratic Party and the liberal media. I've also read Angler and the two books are like the proverbial ships passing in the night.
October 29, 2010
Good view of Cheney, Hayes is a fair-minded author. Cheney in sum appears to be a humble hard-worker who is fiercely loyal to those superior. Some great anecdotes on his relationship with Alan Simpson. And revealing stories about his relationship with his family. Wish Hayes would have gotten more of his worldview but you can infer much. Interesting how Cheney evolved from supporting the removal of Iran embargo to supporting Iraq invasion. 9-11 really did change him.
December 18, 2007
I read this book because I was curious if this man could possibly be as terrible as I had suspected. It turns out he is worse than I thought and has been conspiring to shape America in his vision for a very long time. I would recommend if you have some dark curiosity, as I did, but it is not for the casual reader.
September 10, 2008
This was fine. I don't know what made me pick it up. I didn't finish it...but made it about half way...it was quite long...but I'll still take credit for mostly reading it.
My favorite part was visualizing Dick as a drunken Yale frat boy surfing down the stairs of his frat house. **SPOILER ALERT** He flunks out of Yale and becomes V.P. The end.
My favorite part was visualizing Dick as a drunken Yale frat boy surfing down the stairs of his frat house. **SPOILER ALERT** He flunks out of Yale and becomes V.P. The end.
December 25, 2007
Hayes is *so* excited that he got to talk with Dick Cheney, and he really wants to let you know about it. Nothing revelatory in these pages, especially not about Cheney's formative years at UW Madison, which was about half the reason I picked this book up in the first place.
January 16, 2010
Great! If you’re a political junkie from either side the isle this is a must read. Look in the dictionary next to intelligence and you'll find a picture of Dick Cheney. Critical yet fair here are Dick Cheney warts and all.
August 17, 2007
Not the worst book I've ever read, but so close.
Read
September 18, 2007a strange gift from a strange friend. It sits in my bathroom and I read it while dumping out. Good to know what crazy people believe.
March 19, 2008
I already very much admired Cheney, but after reading this biography that admiration was taken to a whole new level.
Read
December 6, 2012a white wash of the despicable
May 10, 2013
Very detailed
October 10, 2014
A horrible book about a horrible human being. Revisionist history grounded in American exceptionalism. Don't waste your time.
June 27, 2008
Good book. Dick Cheney is a very cool guy.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews