By His Own Rules

Bradley Graham's biography of the controversial defense secretary is very much a reporter's book. Relying heavily on hundreds of interviews, he rarely offers his own analysis or opinions. When he does, though, they are all the more powerful for them. Concentrating on Rumsfeld's second term as Secretary of Defense (which takes up two-thirds of the book), he portrays Rumsfeld as a micromanager obsessed with transforming the military,even as the war in Iraq raised doubts about the appropriateness of many of his ideas. Even a book as favorable to Rumsfeld as this one is ultimately can do no better than offer a mixed assessment of his legacy, as the evidence Graham marshals makes it difficult to disagree with his conclusions. Because of this, it will likely serve for some time as the standard work on Rumsfeld and his management of America's war in Iraq.