State of War : The Secret History of the C.I.A. and the Bush Administration, by James Risen

James Risen broke the story on the Bush administration’s off-the-books spying program on American citizens.

If you’re like me, you’ve probably read far too many of these sorts of books. Someone should stop me. It's all so depressing.

The book is sourced from loads of anonymous CIA sources, so you have to really make up your own mind if what you’re reading is kosher. Lots of meetings and phone conversations, and overheard phone conversations, are relayed. Some have their shock value.

Over all this is a pretty well written and put together book, which is slanted against Bush. Sometimes it makes you wince. Like the chapter lauding the ill used Colonel Powell to the skies. Yet didn’t he help cover up the My Lai massacre? Not everyone has a perfect record.

I don’t think I’ll read any more books on Bush and Iraq. It seems like a horrible waiting game with Iraq now, to see what finally pans out. In the television age, we all know how miserable, ugly and atrocious war is. Innocent children and good people are killed daily and we have it so easy in life here in the West.