Bush%E2%80%99s Wars

Anderson (The United States, Great Britain and the Cold War, 1944%E2%80%931947), a professor of history at Texas A&M University, draws primarily upon published, secondary sources to tell what he calls the "first history of Bush%E2%80%99s Wars" that turns out a familiar account of an "unreflective" and unseasoned president, an administration obsessed with Saddam Hussein promoting a reckless war with Iraq, bungling reconstruction, and sitting back helplessly as Iraq disintegrates into insurgency and sectarian war. Anderson credits the 2007 surge with reducing violence in Iraq, but remains skeptical about the future. While he acknowledges that his examination of Bush%E2%80%99s wars might be "premature," he betrays little caution in concluding that war with Iraq will likely be blamed for any future "decline of American economic and diplomatic influence." Moreover, Anderson risks overstating his case with claims such as that Bush was unique in eschewing "firm intelligence and analysis" when conducting foreign policy. Other assertions go unchecked%E2%80%94it%E2%80%99s not true that recession was in "full swing" during the 1992 presidential campaign%E2%80%94and readers won%E2%80%99t find much help in the cursory "Notes." Anderson%E2%80%99s concise history of Bush%E2%80%99s wars might be the first, but it won%E2%80%99t be the last word. (July)