The History Book Club discussion

Hello Everyone,

For the week of April 18th - April 24th, we are reading approximately the next 31 pages of Legacy of Ashes.

This thread will discuss the following chapters and pages:

Week Sixteen - April 18th - April 24th -> FORTY-SIX, FORTY-SEVEN, and FORTY-EIGHT p. 454 - 485
FORTY-SIX - We’re In Trouble and FORTY-SEVEN - The Threat Could Not Be More Real and FORTY-EIGHT - The Dark Side


Remember folks, these weekly non spoiler threads are just that - non spoiler. There are many other threads where "spoiler information" can be placed including the glossary and any of the other supplemental threads.

We will open up a thread for each week's reading. Please make sure to post in the particular thread dedicated to those specific chapters and page numbers to avoid spoilers. We will also open up supplemental threads as we have done for other spotlighted reads.

We kicked off this book on January 3rd. We look forward to your participation. Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other noted on line booksellers do have copies of the book and shipment can be expedited. The book can also be obtained easily at your local library, on iTunes for the ipad, etc. However, be careful, some audible formats are abridged and not unabridged.

There is still a little time remaining to obtain the book and get started. There is no rush and we are thrilled to have you join us. It is never too late to get started and/or to post.

Welcome,

~Bentley

Week of
 April 18th (Week Sixteen of our Discussion)

Week Sixteen - April 18th - April 24th -> FORTY-SIX, FORTY-SEVEN, and FORTY-EIGHT p. 454 - 485
FORTY-SIX - We’re In Trouble and FORTY-SEVEN - The Threat Could Not Be More Real and FORTY-EIGHT - The Dark Side


This is a link to the complete table of contents and syllabus thread:

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...

We are off to a good beginning.

TO SEE ALL WEEK'S THREADS SELECT VIEW ALL

Tim Weiner

Remember this is a non spoiler thread.

I'm in chapter 47 right now; it seems the CIA has hit a new low and no one wants to be director. Clinton had a hard time getting someone to do it.

It is interesting that the CIA became so unreliable in picking targets and how it affected bin Laden. I knew Clinton had some chances, but I didn't know no one would act because they didn't trust the CIA's analysis. Bad, very bad.

Wow, you were fast Bryan!

This probably explains why Clinton a) did not have much faith in them b) did not much listen to them because of their unreliability c) why he was not able to find bin Laden until it was too late.

Worse than bad; horrible.

I was just about to add the new thread and when I saw it, I jumped right in :-)

I was away and got back late yesterday; so just had an opportunity to catch up.

We are now in 9/11 territory. The author didn't cover a whole lot of it, especially the 9/11 Commission which I thought was a little strange.

I was puzzled by the lack of 9/11 analysis. Perhaps much of it is still classified?

Why do you think that was? Do you think he decided to stay away from that due to its sensitivity and recentness.

I think both of you raise good possibilities. It makes sense it could still be classified, but he could have still mined the public domain.

Good point Bryan...I guess he chose not to.

Yeah, he has Tenant's book out there, and he has done some interviews:

George Tenet

So I am still far behind. Do I recall that at some point Tenet got a Presidental Medal or something for his service?

Tenet's seemingly inability to act and the continuing acceptance of this by Clinton and then Bush, who didn't seem to "get it" only lightly dilutes Tenet's failure. Why don't these guys step down if thcy cannot hack it?

Even in the last week or so I hear about the assination of bin Laden or his killing - emotional words - i prefer the necessary elimination.

There is an article in this weeks Atlantic by Joel Cohen (Bloomberg's ex Education Superintendant in NYC) about eduacation and if one reads it one can wonder where the CIA (or whoever else) will find capable people in the future.

I see that when I finish the next three chapters I have to read, so far, 74 comments before making comments myself.

Not cool to be behind.

We understand Vince but we are glad to read your comments anytime you catch up.

It is very worrisome that we cannot recruit good people for the CIA, a problem plagued since its beginnings.