Soldier

The Life of Colin Powell

By: Karen DeYoung

Narrated by: Coleen Marlo

Over the course of a lifetime of service to his country, Colin Powell became a national hero, a beacon of wise leadership and, according to polls, “the most trusted man in America.” From his humble origins as the son of Jamaican immigrants to the highest levels of government in four administrations, he helped guide the nation through some of its most heart-wrenching hours. Now, in the first full biography of one of the most admired men of our time, award-winning Washington Post journalist Karen DeYoung takes us from Powell’s Bronx childhood and meteoric rise through the military ranks to his formative roles in Washington’s corridors of power and his controversial tenure as secretary of state.

With dramatic new information about the inner workings of an administration locked in ideological combat, DeYoung makes clearer than ever before the decision-making process that took the nation to war and addresses the still-unanswered questions about Powell’s departure from his post shortly after the 2004 election. Drawing on interviews with U.S. and foreign sources as well as with Powell himself, and with unprecedented access to his personal and professional papers, SOLDIER is a revelatory portrait of an American icon: a man at once heroic and all-too-humanly fallible.©2006 Karen Deyoung; (P)2006 Books on Tape

Critic reviews

“Judicious, thorough, unstinting . . . Karen DeYoung’s fine new biography, with its privileged glimpses into policy battles and high-level backbiting in the Bush administration, is sure to be one of this year’s top newsmaking books.”
—David Walton, Dallas Morning News

“It becomes clear that Powell--who harbored serious doubts about the wisdom of invasion and who frequently found himself an outsider in an administration dominated by neo-conservative hawks--was prescient about a host of issues, from the difficulties of rebuilding a postwar Iraq to the need for higher troop levels and multilateral support.”
—Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

“DeYoung . . . imbues this story with narrative tension and a steady accumulation of detail that shows exactly how [Powell] allowed himself to be used, mastered and then cast aside by his antagonists in the administration . . . A fascinating study in bureaucratic maneuvering, groupthink and subtle self-deception.”
—George Packer, Washington Post Book World

“The most explosive book of the fall. An early look reveals . . . new information about the White House’s preparation for war, internecine conflicts within the war Cabinet, and—most surprising—Powell’s account of his unceremonious exit from the administration.”
—Esquire

“DeYoung brings nuance and psychological depth to her analysis.”
--Gary Kamiya, Salon

“The story of a good soldier sacrificed . . . An excellent study in leadership--and lack thereof.”
--Kirkus

“Diligent, sympathetic, but not uncritical . . . It doesn’t pull punches.”
--Joseph Lelyveld, New York Review of Books

“DeYoung comes into her own . . . discussing Powell’s brief flirtation with presidential politics and the bureaucratic infighting that has characterized this Bush administration from the start . . . Sheds further light on a story whose broad outlines are well-known.”
--Tim Rutten, The Los Angeles Times

“A consistently interesting recollection of [Powell’s] varied career, shot through with heavy doses of duty, honor, and rectitude.”
--The Atlantic Monthly

“DeYoung covers Powell’s entire career in this nuanced, comprehensively researched first complete biography . . . DeYoung presents her subject as above all a soldier.”
--Publishers Weekly

Soldier

This book is a wonderful lesson in history and what it takes to make a General in the military. Although I found it interesting, I was disappointed in the fact that there is no emotion to speak of. His children and family seem like they are in a back closet somewhere and not even a part of his life. His experience dealing with Bush and Rumsfield was particularly interesting to me.

Very Interesting Book

I loved this book. It wasn't too long or boring at all. Tons of great info and back stories. The narration was wonderful. I highly recommend this book.

Nice, informative, entertaining

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

yes. it is very informative. Interesting. Gives a perspective to anyone following the US policy in the world.

What about Coleen Marlo’s performance did you like?

Yes she was clear, emotional and loud.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Soldier of a nation.

Good but too long

This is a good book but could have been GREAT if it were not caught up in minutiae. One never wants a good book to end but the unabridged version of this book was excruciating to get through. The first part is enjoyable and informative but once the narrative gets to the point of Bush's first election, it is mired in too much detail. On the positive side, it paints an illuminating picture of Powell's experiences in government service and how his personality and background shaped his vision and actions. For those wanting the gist of the story, I suggest the abridged version, although I have not listened to it and generally loathe abridgements.

A great read onthe life of General Colin Powell

Finally read the book on audible.com and after a while just couldn't put the book (in my case android phone) down. The book goes into the life of Colin Powell and what he went through in every part of his life. But the book went through his 4 years as secretary of state and gives the reader a good understanding to the thinking of the secretary of state during the Bush years.

When I put together the dots I see many patterns of not only senior members in the Bush administration but of Powell himself. The title is a good one because General Powell served as a soldier and it explains the why's of what he did and what he didn't do.

His credibility was never in question to me but the book, if people listen to it, gives credibility back to those who may have felt betrayed by the actions of the General during the Bush years.

The book is a complete excerpt of his life and very well balanced and give the book the maximum number of stars overall for outstanding (excuse me superior) performance.