Ian Carrillo's Reviews > Peril

My criticism of Woodward's last book, RAGE, was that he seemed to trust implicitly the good faith and verbatim arguments of every person he interviewed, with the exception of Trump. In this follow-up, he and Costa take that approach to the next level. Every character mentioned or discussed in PERIL who isn't named Donald Trump is treated as a dear and devoted political actor, whose motivations are entirely based on the good of the nation and the salvation of democracy. The chapters centered on Joe Biden's campaign and presidency read, frankly, as a long puff piece. I wouldn't expect this level of indulgent hero worship from his own autobiography - nor that of Lindsey Graham, Mark Milley, Kamala Harris, Mike Pence, Mitch McConnell, or any other political figure which the authors elevate to a West Wing-esque status. Woodward and Costa also arguably misinterpret criticisms of both the Biden and Trump administrations, particularly dismissing progressive rhetoric as fringe and indicating that Biden is the return to center that the country desperately needs. The substance of this book is in its reporting of both candidates' inner-circle conversations and campaign tactics, but I can't recommend the book to anyone except those who steadfastly refuse to accept that Trump was a symptom, not the cause, of a failing democracy.