My American Journey: An Autobiography (Random House Large Print (Cloth/Paper)) | 
 enlarge | Authors: Colin L. Powell, Joseph Persico
Publisher: Random House Large Print
Category: Book
List Price: $16.95
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Rating:  87 reviews
Sales Rank: 1280729
Format: Large Print
Media: Paperback
Pages: 992
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3.2
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.8
ISBN: 0679765115
Dewey Decimal Number: 355.0092
EAN: 9780679765110
ASIN: 0679765115
Publication Date: May 14, 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Amazon.com Review
General Powell may have undertaken this book as a form of paid political test marketing, but it turns out to be a success of an altogether different kind. We don't learn from this book if Powell is presidential material, but his recounting of the various steps of his career give us an unrivaled view of the ins and outs of military bureaucracy and shows how the modern American military, with its consistent emphasis on can-do attitudes and actual results, is a much more congenial place for realizing one's talents than our still-alarmingly pigeonholing general society.
Product Description
"A GREAT AMERICAN SUCCESS STORY . . . AN ENDEARING AND WELL-WRITTEN BOOK."br--The New York Times Book ReviewbrColin Powell is the embodiment of the American dream. He was born in Harlem to immigrant parents from Jamaica. He knew the rough life of the streets. He overcame a barely average start at school. Then he joined the Army. The rest is history--Vietnam, the Pentagon, Panama, Desert Storm--but a history that until now has been known only on the surface. Here, for the first time, Colin Powell himself tells us how it happened, in a memoir distinguished by a heartfelt love of country and family, warm good humor, and a soldier's directness. brMY AMERICAN JOURNEY is the powerful story of a life well lived and well told. It is also a view from the mountaintop of the political landscape of America. At a time when Americans feel disenchanted with their leaders, General Powell's passionate views on family, personal responsibility, and, in his own words, "the greatness of America and the opportunities it offers" inspire hope and present a blueprint for the future. An utterly absorbing account, it is history with a vision.br"The stirring, only-in-America story of one determined man's journey from the South Bronx to directing the mightiest of military forces . . . Fascinating."--The Washington Post Book Worldbr"Eloquent."br--Los Angeles Times Book Reviewbr"PROFOUND AND MOVING . . . . Must reading for anyone who wants to reaffirm his faith in the promise of America."br--Jack Kempbr The Wall Street Journalbr"A book that is much like its subject--articulate, confident, impressive, but unpretentious and witty. . . . Whether you are a political junkie, a military buff, or just interested in a good story, MY AMERICAN JOURNEY is a book well worth reading."br--San Diego Union Tribunebr"Colin Powell's candid, introspective autobiography is a joy for all with an appetite for well-written political and social commentary."br--The Detroit NewsbrbrbriFrom the Paperback edition./i
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| Customer Reviews: Read 82 more reviews...
 Lacking the Normal Excitement Anticipated From a US Hero September 3, 2008
Xenocrates
Colin Powel is clearly a great American as exemplified among his many accomplishments and life experiences. However, this presentation of his life story is arduous and without excitement. This book often presents itself more like an encyclopedia entry than an insightful biography. While equal blame may lay on my view of Powel's somewhat humdrum life as much as the writing style of this book, I believe this book will only be of interest to those already seeking to research Powell's life, not those in search of an enthralling piece.
 His Perspective... August 29, 2008
vettita (Houston, TX)
After listening to how the government determines whether or not we should send out our troops and/or go to war, it helped me see him (and the president) from a different perspective. It also surprised me to hear that he IS NOT a Republican.
 Wonderful, insightful book July 30, 2008
Philip Kasiecki (Stoughton, MA United States)
This book was a terrific read. The title isn't misleading - that's not really the word - but it doesn't give you a real sense of the book's value. This book is much more than what the title would lead you to believe. br / br /In it, Powell talks about his life in great detail, and because he's been such an important part of a lot of history in the latter part of the 20th century, it's almost like reading a detailed account of many important events in that time. He recalls in great detail what went into a number of important military affairs in the 1980s and early 1990s, which for me closed a lot of holes in what I knew about those events as someone just growing up at the time. It gives a number of great insights into the workings of Washington when it comes to military matters, and that along with the account of his life makes this a must-read book. br / br /His personal thoughts on many matters, which are interspersed throughout the book as he recounts the events, were what really struck me - things like his feelings about some military decisions, how he felt when he was away from family, and especially his feelings on the presidents and other cabinet officials he worked with later in his career. The last one stayed with me the most - many Americans don't think very highly of a lot of public officials (and not without their reasons, myself included), especially these days, but it wasn't lost on me that Powell has the highest words of praise for just about every president and cabinet official he worked with in the late 80s and early 90s, after having worked so closely with them.
Valued Early Bird over Spies and Secrecy November 30, 2007
Robert D. Steele (Oakton, VA United States)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I read biographies of key officials as a means of trying to understand how they make decisions, and on what basis of fact or fancy they make decisions. br / br /Colin Powell is a great man, and I hope he returns as Secretary of State under a transpartisan team. He was destroyed by Dick Cheney and his own confusion of loyalty versus integrity. br / br /Here is the sentence, on page 293, that made my day: br / br /when he was Military Assistant to then Sectary of Defense Casper Weinberger, he preferred the Early Bird with its compendium of newspaper stories to the "cream of overnight intelligence" which was delivered to the Secretary of Defense by a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) courier each morning. br / br /See also: br /Preparing America's Foreign Policy for the 21st Century br /Vice: Dick Cheney and the Hijacking of the American Presidency br /Running on Empty: How the Democratic and Republican Parties Are Bankrupting Our Future and What Americans Can Do About It br /Weapons of Mass Deception: The Uses of Propaganda in Bush's War on Iraq br /Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA br /The New Craft of Intelligence: Personal, Public, Political--Citizen's Action Handbook for Fighting Terrorism, Genocide, Disease, Toxic Bombs, Corruption br /Fog Facts: Searching for Truth in the Land of Spin br /The Price of Loyalty : George W. Bush, the White House, and the Education of Paul O'Neill br /High Noon 20 Global Problems, 20 Years to Solve Them
 The Hobo Philosopher September 19, 2007
Richard E. Noble (Florida Panhandle)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Well, I kind of liked Colin Powell once. I kinda don't anymore. The book was ... dull. The same old same old - Horatio Alger type stuff. I bought the book because I thought that Colin might be going someplace and I wanted a glimpse at his philosophy. After his stint in Republican politics his future in that area looks pretty dim. br /He was a soldier and he has the soldier mentality. This book was probably designed to put him on his political career. I liked Swartzkoff's book much better. What happened to Swartzkoff anyway?
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