Product Description
Includes dozens of personal reminiscences and anecdotes from presidents, national security advisors, and other officials connected with the Situation Room Provides an insider’s account of how the Situation Room functions and serves the president and his advisors during crises
Recounts the part played by the Situation Room in such pivotal events as the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War, and the war on terrorism
The White House Situation Room is arguably the most important facility in the most important building in the world. As the president’s intelligence and alert center, it provides vital communication and crisis management capabilities to the chief executive and his advisors. It can also be "an island of calm," as a top advisor for Vice President Gore once described it. So little is known about the Situation Room that, until the publication of Nerve Center, the American public’s knowledge of it is almost entirely based on its portrayal by the entertainment industry.
Yet, as Michael K. Bohn points out, Hollywood has failed to capture the real drama of the Situation Room. Numerous crises come alive in Nerve Center, from the Vietnam War (when President Johnson made late night visits to the Situation Room wearing his pajamas and went so often that he moved his Oval Office chair there), to the attempted assassination of President Reagan, to today’s hi-tech war on terrorism. Created in the aftermath of the Bay of Pigs fiasco by advisors to President Kennedy, presidents, cabinet members, and National Security Council staff members have all come to depend on the Situation Room. "I knew that I could always rely on the Situation Room," President Carter recalled, "and it never let me down." Bohn, who served as director of the Situation Room for the first President Bush, has recruited numerous officials, including former and current staff, to tell the colorful forty-year history of the Situation Room. In a final chapter, Bohn uses a fictional crisis to describe how the Situation Room will evolve to help the president meet the challenges of an increasingly dangerous future.
Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
A Wonderful Inside Look Into the "REAL" Sit Room, 2008-05-20
As a fan of the TV show "The West Wing", and considering how much the Situation Room was an integral part of the shows storylines, I wondered and wondered what the real Sit Room was about. Even more, I always wondered if there was a book that takes you inside the Sit Room, just like a book that takes you inside the Pentagon, or inside the White House. Naturally, there is such a book in "Nerve Center". Even better, it's the only book on record that takes you into the Sit Room.
This book has it all: political intrigue, history, secrets, clashes of personalities, clashes of organizations, character development of those who functioned in the room, even a bit of fiction. It greatly clears up the perceptions about how the Sit Room is depicted in TV and in the movies.
A bit of warning! If you were not a political junkie before reading this book, you will become one after reading this book. The book influenced me greatly. I am now one of them, whether it is fact or fiction...I want more. You WILL NOT be disappointed after reading this book. Great reading!!
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Totally Cool, 2006-07-26
Excellent sneak peak into the White House Situation Room, dispelling myths and showing us the American people how our leaders handle a crisis.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
A must for lovers of the West Wing!, 2006-02-07
I first read this book 2 years ago after purchasing it from Amazon, and loved it the moment I saw it. Sitting down to read it was almost like opening a chocolate box, with wonderful anecdotes from dozens of men and women who have served in the nexus of American Military decision making. I highly recomend this book to anyone who would like to find out more about the White House Situation room and it's impact on the world and the West Wing itself.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
Behind Closed Doors - A Fascinating Look, 2003-04-15
Mike Bohn has succeeded in opening to the reader a portion of the White House that few understand - let alone acknowledge its existence or function. The Situation Room truly is the "Nerve Center" for the country - both in times of crisis and in peace time. It is a central briefing room for the President, and a contact center for countries around the globe. Before reading this wonderful book, I hadn't thought about how calls to heads-of-state were made on behalf of the President, but now I can see why they would all go through the Situation Room.If you are a fan of political movies, and want to know the truth behind the Hollywood fiction, or are just a political junkie, then this truly is the one book you want on your shelf!
3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Life in the WHSR, 2003-02-14
Bohn, Commander Bohn. Shakes not stirs events in the White House from the Situation Room. He takes the pulse of the Sit Room and displays it with humor and humanity. This is the first account of the people who watch and report on events that shape our world. Well done and well written!