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American Ally

Tony Blair and the War on Terror

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

American Ally is the definitive account of British Prime Minister Tony Blair's support for the United States in the War on Terror. Drawing on his exclusive access to the key players at the White House and Downing Street, Con Coughlin explains what led Blair to risk his political career for a cause that he truly believed in. Just as Bob Woodward called on insiders to analyze George W. Bush in Bush at War, Coughlin now calls on his own experience and sources to offer a critical analysis and account of Tony Blair at war.

Here is an in-depth, probing look at the man who has become America's first ally in the post-9/11 world. Tony Blair's staunch support for the United States since 9/11 has confirmed his position as one of the most important and controversial world leaders of the twenty-first century. In the aftermath of terrorist attacks in London and with Iraq in turmoil, the relationship between Britain and the United States will be critical in determining how future international crises are resolved. American Ally is an essential read for those wishing to make an informed opinion.

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    • Publisher's Weekly

      January 30, 2006
      In this robust portrait, Coughlin, a British journalist and Middle East specialist (Saddam: The Secret Life), documents prime minister Tony Blair's tenure, from the emergence of the New Labor party to the debacle in Iraq, showing how his proximity to Bill Clinton and George Bush has carried a high price. Despite their friendship, Blair suffered myriad indignities at Clinton's hands during the Balkan conflict and the Lewinsky scandal, and, more recently, critics have tagged Blair as "Bush's Poodle" for his alliance with the president. But the heart of this story is the search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and the tumult precipitated by September 11, culminating in the decision by Blair and Bush to confront Saddam Hussein. Particularly illuminating is the aversion to Blair by the neoconservatives surrounding the president, exemplified by Vice President Dick Cheney, a taciturn figure who hovers around the leaders during meetings, determined to counteract the Briton's influence. Blair emerges from these pages as a deeply moral, anguished wartime leader at the mercy of Washington's political and ideological currents.

    • Library Journal

      January 9, 2006
      In this robust portrait, Coughlin, a British journalist and Middle East specialist (Saddam: The Secret Life), documents prime minister Tony Blair's tenure, from the emergence of the New Labor party to the debacle in Iraq, showing how his proximity to Bill Clinton and George Bush has carried a high price. Despite their friendship, Blair suffered myriad indignities at Clinton's hands during the Balkan conflict and the Lewinsky scandal, and, more recently, critics have tagged Blair as "Bush's Poodle" for his alliance with the president. But the heart of this story is the search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and the tumult precipitated by September 11, culminating in the decision by Blair and Bush to confront Saddam Hussein. Particularly illuminating is the aversion to Blair by the neoconservatives surrounding the president, exemplified by Vice President Dick Cheney, a taciturn figure who hovers around the leaders during meetings, determined to counteract the Briton's influence. Blair emerges from these pages as a deeply moral, anguished wartime leader at the mercy of Washington's political and ideological currents.

      Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • Booklist

      February 1, 2006
      A British journalist discusses Blair's pivotal role in two wars--against al Qaeda and against Saddam Hussein--as the tale of two marriages, between the PM and presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Initially attracted to Clinton's political vigor and "third way" centrism, Blair learned much from the president even as Clinton's refusal to commit ground troops in Kosovo strained their relationship. Although initially tentative about Bush, Blair's interventionist streak--cultivated by Kosovo and other Clinton--era challenges--ultimately brought Bush and Blair together and earned Britain the primary role in the "war on terror" that it plays today. Arguing against the view that Blair sided with Bush rather than Europe out of political weakness, Coughlin paints Blair as a tough man whose sense of moral principle bolstered Bush, not the other way around. Supported by many interviews and expansive research, this book is detailed, fluid, and fascinating. Ending prior to the 2005 terror attacks on the London Underground, however, it thus omits a key chapter in Blair's response to terrorism (an epilogue, unavailable at time of reviewing, may solve this problem).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)

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