At War with Ourselves: My Tour of Duty in the Trump White House

4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars | 588 ratings

Price: 22.04

Last update: 12-10-2024


About this item

A revealing account of National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster’s turbulent and consequential thirteen months in the Trump White House.

At War with Ourselves is the story of helping a disruptive President drive necessary shifts in U.S. foreign policy at a critical moment in history. McMaster entered an administration beset by conflict and the hyper partisanship of American politics. With the candor of a soldier and the perspective of a historian, McMaster rises above the fray to lay bare the good, the bad, and the ugly of Trump’s presidency and give listeners insight into what a second Trump term would look like.

While all administrations are subject to backstabbing and infighting, some of Trump’s more unscrupulous political advisors were determined to undermine McMaster and others to advance their narrow agendas. McMaster writes candidly about Cabinet officials who, deeply disturbed by Trump’s language and behavior, prioritized controlling the President over collaborating to provide the President with options.

McMaster offers a frank and fresh assessment of the achievements and failures of his tenure as National Security Advisor and the challenging task of maintaining one’s bearings and focus on the mission in a hectic and malicious environment.

Determined to transcend the war within the administration and focus on national security priorities, McMaster forged coalitions in Washington and internationally to help Trump advance U.S. interests. Trump’s character and personality helped him make tough decisions, but sometimes prevented him from sticking to them. McMaster adroitly assesses the record of Trump’s presidency in comparison to the Obama and Biden administrations.

With the 2024 election on the horizon, At War with Ourselves highlights the crucial importance of competence in foreign policy, and makes plain the need for leaders who possess the character and intellect to guide the United States in a tumultuous world.


Top reviews from the United States

Kathleen Reynolds
5.0 out of 5 stars an excellent book
Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2024
McMasters gives the impression he singlehandedly could make all the problems go away and skipped over much of the technical back and forth but overall and very revealing and seemingly "fair and balanced" portrayal of his tenure. Too bad more people aren't reading it but probably the ones who should be weren't.
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DJ
4.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful, fair-minded account by an insider with extraordinary credibility
Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2024
“I wished that more Americans could see beyond their silos of cable news and vitriolic partisanship to understand more fully the good, as well as the bad and the ugly, of the Trump presidency.” (p144)

This is a serious, fair-minded, and thoughtful account of life in the Trump White House, so it’s likely to leave both anti-Trump and MAGA zealots frustrated. It’s heavy on policy and is most definitely not a hit job by a bitter former insider; McMaster is careful to be as dispassionate and balanced as possible. He’s not afraid to be blunt and critical, but he’s equally ready to give credit (to Trump and to others) when he thinks it’s due. But there’s no doubt that the picture he paints is a harsh indictment of Trump and his administration. Ultimately, I see it as a carefully worded warning about what awaits if we were to allow Trump another term. It’s especially credible because the messenger is an accomplished leader with exceptional wisdom, breadth of knowledge, and extensive experience as a warrior, senior staffer, historian, and policy wonk.

McMaster is an engaging writer; I especially enjoyed his many humorous, self-deprecating anecdotes. I found his defense of one particularly infamous incident unconvincing, but he was there and I was not.

Disclaimer: I knew HR and his family twenty years ago; his wife and I taught high school together in Colorado Springs. I read this book largely because of my profound respect for his intellect, character, and service to our country.
cl
5.0 out of 5 stars Very Important Insight Into the Early Trump Administration
Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2024
This is a fascinating look behind the scenes at a chaotic White House early in the administration, and also an education in the day-to-day events and crises that confront any president. Some of the strain was due to Trump’s personality, but it could have gone a lot more smoothly if there had been more trust and cooperation from the various key advisors and officials in the administration, many of whom had their own agenda, sabotaged each other’s efforts, slow-walked what seemed like solid policies, and conducted secret negotiations with foreign counterparts behind the scenes that actively undermined the President’s and his advisors’ efforts.

Sec Def and Sec State, in particular, seemed to think their job was to obstruct every order and decision, including many that seemed pretty solid. While I’ve always been sympathetic to the idea that Trump needed guardrails, some of his ideas made sense, were based on good advice, and were well within his constitutional responsibility as elected president.

I found myself sympathetic at times, as Bannon and Priebus, always hovering around “like court jesters”, seemed to thrive on whipping Trump into a constant state of agitation with a steady stream of gossip, opinions and conspiracy theories that made him question what he was hearing from his very solid advisors.

McMaster makes the point several times that National Security Advisors going back to the Carter administration had a similar experience, and this kind of power competition seems to be built into the DNA of Washington. It would take a more patient and secure President than Trump to manage that.

McMaster paints a portrait of a Trump who can learn from advice and make good decisions occasionally, but is too contrary, and too susceptible to the influence of competing opinions from his own staff and various and sundry characters like Steve Bannon, social media, Fox News, etc., who kept him in a constant state of anxiety, fanned his anger and made him doubt many of his best decisions.

I recommend this book for anyone looking for honest and useful insight into how a second Trump administration might work. I’ve read several books about the Trump administration, but many of them were filled with second and third-hand accounts and gossip, and I couldn’t take them seriously. This book has none of that. It’s honest, well-reasoned, and I believe as accurate as possible.
casual reader
5.0 out of 5 stars Honest, Accurate and Scary
Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2024
H.R. McMaster's extraordinary virtue is his sincerity and loyalty as a grunt. He came from the battlefields. He tolerates no ambiguity. He is highly intelligent, reads extensively, listens to his subordinates and speaks the truth. Amazing that he rose to the top. He did not have to write this memoir. It will in its truthfulness antagonize many with power. Trump will be furious. Yet page after page, the reader will be drawn into a world of complex ambitions and egos, wondering how, given this explains policy-making, America can stay on top. The title is descriptive of how policy-making is made. It's scary. - Bing West
robin bartelmo
3.0 out of 5 stars Publisher’s didn’t do the author justice.
Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2024
The book was good but pages 150 to 182 are mixed up not in proper order! I have read many books and never had this happen before.
Christian Vandaele
4.0 out of 5 stars Unbiased and informative
Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2024
General McMaster confesses his affinity for the opinions professed by Donald Trump early in his mandate. However, he does not hide the frightening foibles of the president he served faithfully. The author does not seem to settle any score but does not hide the neurotic behaviour the president put on display far too frequently. More than a "tell all" book, this can be read as a manual on how to operate effectively in a mine field while being shot at and keep your serenity.
J Porter
5.0 out of 5 stars trying to be optimistic about Trump 2.0
Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2024
A nicely presented perspective behind the NSC scenes of early Trump 1.0. This honestly written book, details the complexity of advisory positions to the president, confounded by coordination and the self serving biases of the agencies and departments that are meant to support the president of the USA. Eye opening, sad but inspiring for the dedicated folks actually serving the best interest for the future of our democracy.
J. PLANTE
5.0 out of 5 stars Good read and informative. Fair.
Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2024
Good read and informative. Fair. Lives up to the respect McMasters deserves. Solid American.

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