While many former Bush administration officials published books airing their gripes and concerns in advance of the 2004 election, few were in a situation as personal as Joseph Wilson's. A career diplomat, he found himself working for an administration that apparently leaked information revealing his wife, Valerie Plame, to be a CIA operative soon after Wilson cast doubt on Bush's claims of Iraq trying to buy uranium from Niger. When columnist Robert Novak named Plame, there was widespread speculation about who leaked the information. In The Politics of Truth, Wilson points a finger at Dick Cheney’s chief-of-staff I. Lewis (Scooter) Libby and national security aide Eliot Abrams although Wilson never really presents smoking gun evidence against them. There is little here that breaks new ground in terms of hard facts being revealed, nonetheless, Wilson's account, personal and well written, maps out the human impact of the situation in ways that major newspapers never could. Wilson's animus toward the administration is made stronger by his support of the president in the 2000 election and he held out hope that a centrist conservative approach would help America's position in the world. That scenario withered, in Wilson's mind, when the plan to invade Iraq became increasingly inevitable and, like many traditional conservatives, Wilson mourns the rise of the ideological "neo-conservatives" who shaped foreign policy. But while a true-life secret identity/betrayal story is inherently fascinating, and Wilson's indignation and scorn is powerfully delivered, there is more to recommend his book. Wilson tells of being stationed in the Persian Gulf in the days leading up to the first Gulf War, a haunting encounter with Saddam Hussein, and years of efforts to establish democracy in Africa. The Politics of Truth provides a glimpse inside the high stakes world of international intelligence and, Joseph Wilson says, that world can be vicious. --John Moe


From Publishers Weekly
Nobody who's paid close attention to the unfolding story of the leaking to columnist Robert Novak of the name of Ambassador Wilson's wife as a CIA operative will be surprised by the two White House staffers—Lewis "Scooter" Libby and Elliott Abrams—Wilson proposes as the most likely suspects in what he calls the "organized smear campaign" against him. He views the leak as retaliation for his presenting evidence that, contrary to President Bush's 2003 State of the Union assertion, Iraq was not trying to buy uranium from Niger. Wilson hits back hard with a righteous anger against those who would jeopardize national security to score political points. By the account of this longtime Foreign Service officer who was in Baghdad in the months leading up to the first Gulf War, Wilson stood up to Saddam Hussein in a showdown that now makes for one of the memoir's most stirring sections. In fact, readers will discover this book to be a vivid, engrossing account of a foreign service career that spans nearly three decades. Wilson is a lively storyteller with an eye for compelling visual detail and brings a welcome insider's perspective on the political situations of African nations where he has served. He's equally honest about the toll his professional commitment has occasionally taken on his personal life. And it's that candor, as well as the respect shown for previous administrations of both parties, that helps make his charges against the current president's advisers difficult to brush off. His revelations should fly off the shelves. 3 maps, 16 pages of b&w photos not seen by PW. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


From The Washington Post's Book World/washingtonpost.com
Former Ambassador Joseph Wilson has many qualities of a good diplomat. He is handsome, articulate, well-groomed and speaks French. During Operation Desert Shield in 1990-91, Wilson did such a courageous job of protecting the 800 or so Americans stranded in Baghdad that he says President George H.W. Bush called him a "true American hero." But no one would describe Wilson, who retired from the State Department in 1998 to become a consultant, as discreet or self-effacing. The first 300 or so pages of The Politics of Truth is a worthy, occasionally entertaining, if overlong, chronicle of diplomatic service that would never have been widely published but for Wilson's involvement in one of the more bizarre episodes of the Bush administration. In July 2003, Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame, was outed as an undercover CIA operative, allegedly in retaliation for Wilson blowing the whistle on Bush administration dissembling about Iraqi efforts to procure weapons of mass destruction. The section of Wilson's book that deals with the flap, roughly the last 130 pages, is repetitive and self-dramatizing. It does not reveal much in the way of "news" -- Wilson's claims and conclusions are either long hashed over or based on what the intelligence business describes as "rumint," or rumor intelligence. But as a diary of ego and suspicion, inflamed by leaks and posturing on all sides, The Politics of Truth is revealing, though not always intentionally.Wilson hails from old San Francisco stock -- with ties to the "Bohemian Club and the San Francisco Yacht Club," he lets us know -- and flopped about for a time as "hippie-surfer" before finding his calling in diplomacy. He rose to become an ambassador to small African countries and retired to make some money and raise a family with his third wife, who was ostensibly working for an international energy company. In 2002, the CIA asked Wilson to travel to Africa to check out reports that Iraq was trying to buy uranium from the small country of Niger. Wilson found no evidence to support the claim. Nonetheless, administration officials, including President Bush, asserted that Saddam was trying to buy bomb-making material in Africa. Wilson began quietly telling reporters that they should dig more deeply into the story. At about that time, roughly March 2003, the neocons at the White House, led by Vice-President Cheney's chief of staff I. Lewis ("Scooter") Libby, began a "workup" on Wilson to discredit him. Or so Wilson claims, though his sources are third-hand. "I am told by a member of the press, citing White House sources," Wilson writes, that Libby referred to him as an "asshole playboy." On July 6, Wilson published an op-ed piece about his Niger trip in the New York Times entitled "What I Didn't Find in Africa." Wilson began hearing from reporters that the administration was out to get him. On July 14, conservative columnist Robert Novak reported, "Wilson never worked for the CIA, but his wife, Valerie Plame, is an Agency operative on weapons of mass destruction." It is not clear that Novak's sources knew they were outing an undercover agent -- they may have assumed she was an analyst working at CIA headquarters on nonproliferation issues. But Wilson immediately assumed that by blowing his wife's cover, the White House neocons were sending a message to silence other whistle blowers. Wilson impressively leaped to defend his wife's honor -- on "Meet the Press," in glossy magazines, on "Imus in the Morning," even on "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" at Comedy Central. The high point, or low point, came when Wilson and his beautiful blond wife posed for Vanity Fair, riding in Wilson's Jaguar convertible. Undercover Agent Plame was the one wearing dark glasses.Wilson warmed to the fight, not to mention the publicity. In The Politics of Truth, he refers to his new friends in the media by their first names ("Tim," "Chris," "Ted," "Andrea"). He is embraced by the "progressive left," allowing him to go the West Coast to stay in Norman Lear's guest house and eat lunch with, inevitably, Warren Beatty. Wilson's eagerness, his enjoyment of the melodrama, undermines his portrayal of the sinister White House. Wilson never does figure out who leaked the story to Novak (a grand jury is still out on that). But he has an awfully good time telling us about it all. "Wouldn't it be fun to see Karl Rove frog-marched out of the White House in handcuffs?" he crowed to a crowd in Seattle. His wife Valerie, the one person in this story who really did suffer, at least had the good sense to tell her husband that he had "gone too far." Reviewed by Evan ThomasCopyright 2004, The Washington Post Co. All Rights Reserved.


John W. Dean, New York Times Book Review
Riveting and all-engaging…. Remarkably, Bush’s White House continues to attack [Wilson].... They have picked a fight with the wrong fellow.


St. Louis Post Dispatch
Superb.... Wilson's allegations carry the ring of truth.


Los Angeles Times
Fascinating . . . dissent not from the radical fringe but from the heart of the establishment.


Publishers Weekly, starred review
A vivid, engrossing account. . . . His revelations should fly off the shelves.


Book Description
In 1991, President George H. W. Bush called Ambassador Joseph Wilson a "True American Hero." In 2003, senior officials in President George W. Bush’s White House tried to intimidate critics and punish Wilson for what he knew—and finally made public—about the administration’s lies before the invasion of Iraq. The disclosure of the undercover identity of Wilson’s wife, CIA operative Valerie Plame, was an unprecedented and potentially criminal act. THE POLITICS OF TRUTH tells the revealing story of this courageous American diplomat and his pivotal career in foreign policy, from telling Saddam Hussein to leave Kuwait to confronting the White House leaks that have breached national security. With fearless insight and disarming candor, Ambassador Joseph Wilson recounts more than two decades in the U. S. Foreign Service. Under presidents Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush Sr., and Clinton—from Angola to Iraq to Bosnia to Niger—here is an unprecedented look at the career of an American diplomat as well as an unvarnished account of our nation’s foreign policy. Whether fostering peaceful democratization in African nations or facing down Saddam Hussein just days before the first Gulf War or accompanying Bill Clinton on his historic 1998 African tour, Wilson vividly chronicles history in the making. And on page after compellingly narrated page, he demonstrates the courage of his convictions in the face of volatile situations, violent conflicts, and vindictive governments. As the acting ambassador to Iraq, Wilson was the last American official to meet with Saddam before Desert Storm in 1990. He successfully parried the dictator’s threats to use American hostages as human shields against U.S. bombing and was given a patriot’s welcome by President George H. W. Bush on his homecoming. Yet today he finds himself in a battle with his own government. Why? Because he called a lie a lie. When President George W. Bush claimed in the now notorious sixteen words in his 2003 State of the Union address that "Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa," Wilson could not stand by silently. For at the request of the CIA he himself had traveled to Niger the previous year and found no evidence to support the rumor of a uranium deal. In a New York Times op-ed, "What I Didn’t Find in Africa," he told the nation about that trip and his findings. The White House retaliated viciously. Seeking revenge against Wilson and trying to intimidate intelligence professionals who had begun telling reporters of prewar pressure to skew their analyses of the threat posed by Iraq, senior administration officials did the unthinkable: They disclosed the undercover status of Wilson’s wife, CIA operative Valerie Plame, to members of the press. Columnist Robert Novak then published the leak, blew Plame’s cover, and abetted the administration’s possible violation of federal law. But Wilson still wouldn’t back down. He withstood the personal attacks and called on the White House to acknowledge the truth about the sixteen words. In televised interviews and newspaper commentaries he argued that the administration had fabricated much more than the uranium claim, indeed had manipulated intelligence to bolster its case for invading Iraq. Now he continues his fight in this groundbreaking book as he reveals the dangers to the nation bred by officials in a war-hungry White House—Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Condoleezza Rice, Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Karl Rove, and George W. Bush himself—in an alarming attempt to impose their will. Yet Wilson maintains faith in his fellow citizens and the American ideals he represented for two decades abroad. With inspiring fervor he urges all Americans to become involved in the vigorous process of democracy, for ultimately, he argues, the strength of the nation lies in the will of its people.


About the Author
Joseph Wilson, a political centrist, was a career United States diplomat from 1976 to 1998. During Democratic and Republican administrations he served in various diplomatic posts throughout Africa and eventually as ambassador to Gabon. He was the acting ambassador to Baghdad when Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990. In February 2002, he investigated reports of Iraq’s attempt to buy uranium from Niger. In October 2003, Wilson received the Ron Ridenhour Prize for Truth-Telling from the Fertel Foundation and the Nation Institute. He lives in Washington, D.C.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

In 1991, President George H. W. Bush called Ambassador Joseph Wilson a "True American Hero." In 2003, senior officials in President George W. Bush￯﾿ﾽs White House tried to intimidate critics and punish Wilson for what he knew (and finally made public) about the administration's lies before the invasion of Iraq.

The disclosure of the undercover identity of Wilson's wife, CIA operative Valerie Plame, was an unprecedented and potentially criminal act.

The Politics of Truth tells the revealing story of this courageous American diplomat and his pivotal career in foreign policy, from telling Saddam Hussein to leave Kuwait to confronting the White House leaks that have breached national security.

With fearless insight and disarming candor, Ambassador Joseph Wilson recounts more than two decades in the U. S. Foreign Service under presidents Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush Sr., and Clinton?from Angola to Iraq to Bosnia to Niger. Whether fostering peaceful democratization in African nations or facing down Saddam Hussein just days before the first Gulf War or accompanying Bill Clinton on his historic 1998 African tour, Wilson vividly chronicles history in the making. And on page after compellingly narrated page, he demonstrates the courage of his convictions in the face of volatile situations, violent conflicts, and vindictive governments.

As the acting ambassador to Iraq, Wilson was the last American official to meet with Saddam before Desert Storm in 1990. He successfully parried the dictator￯﾿ﾽs threats to use American hostages as human shields against U.S. bombing and was given a patriot's welcome by President George H. W. Bush on his homecoming. Yet today he finds himself in a battle with his own government.

Why? Because he called a lie a lie.

When President George W. Bush claimed in the now notorious sixteen words in his 2003 State of the Union address that "Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa," Wilson could not stand by silently. For at the request of the CIA he himself had traveled to Niger the previous year and found no evidence to support the rumor of a uranium deal. In a New York Times op-ed, "What I Didn￯﾿ﾽt Find in Africa," he told the nation about that trip and his findings. The White House retaliated viciously. Seeking revenge against Wilson and trying to intimidate intelligence professionals who had begun telling reporters of prewar pressure to skew their analyses of the threat posed by Iraq, senior administration officials did the unthinkable: They disclosed the undercover status of Wilson￯﾿ﾽs wife, CIA operative Valerie Plame, to members of the press. Columnist Robert Novak then published the leak, blew Plame￯﾿ﾽs cover, and abetted the administration￯﾿ﾽs possible violation of federal law.

But Wilson still wouldn￯﾿ﾽt back down. He withstood the personal attacks and called on the White House to acknowledge the truth about the sixteen words. In televised interviews and newspaper commentaries he argued that the administration had fabricated much more than the uranium claim, indeed had manipulated intelligence to bolster its case for invading Iraq. Now he continues his fight in this groundbreaking book as he reveals the dangers to the nation bred by officials in a war-hungry White House (Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Condoleezza Rice, Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Karl Rove, and George W. Bush himself) in an alarming attempt to impose their will.

Yet Wilson maintains faith in his fellow citizens and the American ideals he represented for two decades abroad. With inspiring fervor he urges all Americans to become involved in the vigorous process of democracy, for ultimately, he argues, the strength of the nation lies in the will of its people.

FROM THE CRITICS

St. Louis Post Dispatch

Superb . . . . Wilson's allegations carry the ring of truth.

John W. Dean - The New York Times

This is a riveting and all-engaging book. Not only does it provide context to yesterday's headlines, and perhaps tomorrow's, about the Iraq war and about our politics of personal destruction, but former Ambassador Joseph Wilson also tells captivating stories from his life as a foreign service officer with a long career fostering the development of African democracies, and gives us a behind-the-scenes blow-by-blow of the run-up to the 1991 Persian Gulf war.

Washington Post Book World - Evan Thomas

The first 300 or so pages of The Politics of Truth is a worthy, occasionally entertaining, if overlong, chronicle of diplomatic service that would never have been widely published but for Wilson's involvement in one of the more bizarre episodes of the Bush administration. In July 2003, Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame, was outed as an undercover CIA operative, allegedly in retaliation for Wilson blowing the whistle on Bush administration dissembling about Iraqi efforts to procure weapons of mass destruction. The section of Wilson's book that deals with the flap, roughly the last 130 pages, is repetitive and self-dramatizing. It does not reveal much in the way of "news" -- Wilson's claims and conclusions are either long hashed over or based on what the intelligence business describes as "rumint," or rumor intelligence. But as a diary of ego and suspicion, inflamed by leaks and posturing on all sides, The Politics of Truth is revealing, though not always intentionally.

Publishers Weekly