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The Room Where It Happened

A White House Memoir

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The Room Where It Happened

By: John Bolton
Narrated by: Robert Petkoff
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About this listen

 JOHN BOLTON READS THE EPILOGUE!

As President Trump’s National Security Advisor, John Bolton spent many of 453 days in the room where it happened, and the facts speak for themselves.

The result is a “scathing and revelatory” (The New Yorker) White House memoir that is the most comprehensive and substantial account of the Trump Administration, and one of the few to date by a top-level official. With almost daily access to the President, John Bolton has produced a precise rendering of his days in and around the Oval Office. What Bolton saw astonished him: a President for whom getting reelected was the only thing that mattered, even if it meant endangering or weakening the nation. “I am hard-pressed to identify any significant Trump decision during my tenure that wasn’t driven by reelection calculations,” he writes. In fact, he argues that the House committed impeachment malpractice by keeping its prosecution focused narrowly on Ukraine when Trump’s Ukraine-like transgressions existed across the full range of his foreign policy—and Bolton documents exactly what those were, and attempts by him and others in the Administration to raise alarms about them.

He shows a President addicted to chaos, who embraced our enemies and spurned our friends, and was deeply suspicious of his own government. In Bolton’s telling, all this helped put Trump on the bizarre road to impeachment. “The differences between this presidency and previous ones I had served were stunning,” writes Bolton, who worked for Reagan, Bush 41, and Bush 43. He discovered a President who thought foreign policy is like closing a real estate deal—about personal relationships, made-for-TV showmanship, and advancing his own interests. As a result, the US lost an opportunity to confront its deepening threats, and in cases like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea ended up in a more vulnerable place.

Bolton’s “first tell-all memoir by such a high-ranking official” (The New York Times) starts with his long march to the West Wing as Trump and others woo him for the National Security job. The minute he lands, he has to deal with Syria’s chemical attack on the city of Douma, and the crises after that never stop. As he writes in the opening pages, “If you don’t like turmoil, uncertainty, and risk—all the while being constantly overwhelmed with information, decisions to be made, and sheer amount of work—and enlivened by international and domestic personality and ego conflicts beyond description, try something else.”

The turmoil, conflicts, and egos are all there—from the upheaval in Venezuela, to the erratic and manipulative moves of North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, to the showdowns at the G7 summits, the calculated warmongering by Iran, the crazy plan to bring the Taliban to Camp David, and the placating of an authoritarian China that ultimately exposed the world to its lethal lies. But this seasoned public servant also has a great eye for the Washington inside game, and his story is full of wit and wry humor about how he saw it played. Americas Freedom & Security Politicians Politics & Activism Politics & Government United States World Russia Memoir Middle East China Iran War Military Espionage

Critic Reviews

"John Bolton's tell-all audiobook on Donald Trump's presidency is one of the most scathing rebukes to have come from a former member of Trump's staff. Doubtless, his behind-the-scenes revelations would be powerful enough to cripple any politician in the pre-Trump era. In the authoritative and comforting tones of a news anchor, Robert Petkoff narrates the countless inadequacies of Trump and the yes-men that surround him, along with the author's eventual conclusion that Trump is unfit for the job. Petkoff's seamless delivery of the 20-hour audiobook is a perfect listening companion. . . . As astounding as the numerous accounts of Trump's ineptitude, arrogance, and poor judgment is the backstabbing intrigue that permeates the White House."
All stars
Most relevant
As a life long Republican I could not have ever thought I’d be considering voting for Joe Biden. This sealed it for me. Let’s hope a true Republican emerges in 2024. Thanks John.

A must read for those who think Trump should be reelected!

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Every political memoir invariably places the author in the role of principled hero. Check. But it rings true from the glimpses we saw and still see of the broken executive. The actual author reading the epilogue was a treat too.

Convincing account

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SUMMARY

My strong conclusions and opinions are that:

USA President Donald Trump is an Extremely Dangerous President and should be urgently removed from The USA White House Office and as President of The USA). So too that the President Donald Trump’s Family Members and current USA White House Team who are currently in The USA White House, should be urgently, permanently removed.

I, Mr. Adrian Praljak, ( An Australian Lawyer), honestly and truthfully submit, that President Donald Trump and his Family and current Team; are an extreme threat to: USA National Security and their Public and To Other Foreign countries IE, Australia, England The United Kingdom, Canada.

President Donald Trump, "Did what he wanted to do based on what he knew and saw and based on his own best personal Interests"

"Obstruction Of Justice a way of Life"

President Donald Trump is clearly misusing his Presidency and is acting in his own Selfish Interests and also that of his own Family and Business Selfish Interests.

I, Mr Adrian Praljak ( An Australian Lawyer )

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Really liked the book had some very interesting stories about Trump and his administration. May be hard to follow for some who do not have all the names of Politicians in their head ready to pluck from the air. Apart from that it's an interesting listen.

Very interesting book! Hard to follow sometimes.

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It was interesting to hear a different side to some of the major incidents that took place during the time frame of this book.
The readers voice suited the content of the book.

The Room Where It Happened

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I am not sure what I was expecting to get out of this book. It is an individual perspective of the administration and a worthy public record. I have no doubt it is based on factual records of events that need to he told. The need obviously driven by the bullying tactics of the current administration. The policy perspectives are telling as to the source of some of the scariest international policies and approaches. God help us all now that I know who has control of the bomb! I hope in time more telling memoirs will fill in a few more gaps. I wish I read the epilogue first. This would have led to my receive radar being better calibrated. The epilogue gave the book more credibility. Glad this team aren't leading my country!

Worth while insight into the Trump Administration

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the book describes many episodes published in the media, but shows the insights leading to each announcement. Great book

Fascinating

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As much as I hate Donald Trump, it was hard to endure 20+ hours of John Bolton's crying and self promotion.

He proudly displays his arrogant world view and perspective on lesser intelligent people around him.

disgusting.

20 Hours of crying and self promotion.

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being australian i hadn't heard much about john bolton beyond a few mentions on planet america. i wish before i started reading I should have googled him and found out he's a bit of a war mongering nut job. in the context of trumps administration that makes him one of the more stable genuises.

This isnt much of a tell all of trumps embarrassing viewpoints and decisions (though there are more than a few). its more of an opportunity for bolton to assert his crazy diplomatic and military views unchallenged in a self serving manner. he uses phrases like intellectually lazy re his critics. and harps on about his ethical standards and how willing he was to resign again and again. just as bad as trump really in terms of not wanting to be seen as the dumpee than the dumper.

self indulgent memoir

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In John Bolton land only his opinion matters and everything he touches is gold. Just another memior from a trump supporter that facilited the most corrupt US president in America's history. Apparently Trump went off the rails just months before Bolton resigns...a ridiculous claim only to save Bolton from being accused of lacking any moral fibre.

A weaselly little book

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