THE SITUATION ROOM BY GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS
A Review By Monica Reads
Have you ever wondered about the so-called Situation Room that pops up on the news when something is happening in the world that we should find interesting, if not scary?
Well George Stephanopoulos has written an interesting description of the history of this REAL LIFE room operating in the White House. The main characters are all of the presidents of our lifetime.
The place and people involved are people we admire or do not admire. The times are historically part of our lifetime and happenings in the real world of the United States since the Presidency of Jack Kennedy. All of the Presidents are real, human beings that left their signatures on the life and times of the voting people and non-voting people of this country.
It all starts in a JFK time warp. Have you ever heard of Godfrey McHugh? I did not and now that I have met him through the book, I would like to know him in person.
He was a Kennedy family friend who arrived in Washington and the White House with Jack and Jackie Kennedy. It all starts there and we learn how the Situation Room comes into play for the White House staff and military leadership as well as the National Security Council or NSC for short.
You will be so interested in the why, where, how and who are involved, and every chapter details each President’s attitude and use of the room itself. I was intrigued. I learned that real everyday people were involved in all levels of this government. And I learned that people everywhere are similar.
The details are riveting. The people are real. The place and time of each chapter is revealing how people make decisions good and bad.
This is a must read book if you have any interest in history or in government and how it works.
As a member of the voting public, go to the library, get a card and start reading. This book is amazing and fills gaps about how things get done in an unused room, It also shows the evolution of the communications of powerful men and women in the circle of the White House.
Monica West reviews books for InDepthNH.org. Monica is known for her love of history and her lifelong love for reading. She has a bachelor’s degree in History, with a minor in English. “My years of reading for leisure and pleasure have given me the insight to read a book and analyze the author’s baggage, cargo and ability to write the language of his/her mind and utilize the gift of prose to educate and entertain the reader. Go get a book, read it and enjoy the adventure.”