Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I have reviewed a number of books regarding the Trump Administration. A few of them were positive towards the President, but, frankly, most have been critical. Some, perhaps, over the top critical, but, in my opinion, “Fear” and “Fifth Risk” were about as fair to Mr. Trump as any objective investigation could be. With “The Threat” by Andrew G. McCabe, I expected an explosive ‘tell-all’ blockbuster that would equal in fury most of the other anti-Trump works, but that would be more partisan. Read on to learn what I learned and why I was surprised by McCabe. BLUSH FACTOR: One would expect, given what we have learned about the mannerisms of the occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, to find the book riddled with eff words. However, there is only a single such utterance (page 39) and it is not spoken by Pres. Trump or McCabe. Nor are there any other profanities, so, if caution is exercised, this could be suitable for reading in your prayer group or to most anyone else. WRITING & EDITING: Frankly, the writing is a little tedious. The opening chapter, in fact, is simply boring. After that, though, the pace picks up a bit and one will find some interesting bits (not directly related to Donald J. Trump, Vladimir Putin or politics btw) regarding the early days of the Russian Mafia’s entry into the America. But be patient, because there IS a reason these bits play a significant role. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but I chose the excerpt that I did, to illustrate what I believe is at the root of Mueller’s investigation. Pres. Trump decries the investigation as a witch hunt and people keep wondering if a smoking gun will be found, connecting Trump to Putin. In reality, I realized upon reading “The Threat,” that the real fear for Trump might be that a connection be found connecting Trump to Russian organized crime, possibly in connection with organized crime in Israel (Benjamin Netanyahu). EXCERPT: ‘…Vadim Thomas, one of the best investigators on our squad, pitched the figure-skating case to the Southern District of New York—known as the Sovereign District of New York, because the U.S. attorney’s office there has a lot of power and does not shy from using it creatively. Tokhtakhounov was indicted and arrested by Italian police on charges of conspiracy to rig the competition. For months the FBI worked with the Italians and with Interpol to get him extradited. Before long, word came to the squad that a Russian oligarch had pledged two hundred million dollars to get Tokhtakhounov out of jail. Next thing we knew, his release was ordered by the Italian Supreme Court. He was gone, in the wind, back to Russia, where he has been living openly. (And from there, he allegedly continued to run criminal enterprises in the United States. In 2013, Tokhtakhounov was indicted for money laundering in connection with an illegal gambling ring that operated out of Trump Tower. Several months after this indictment, Tokhtakhounov was a VIP guest at Donald Trump’s Miss Universe contest in Moscow.) We’ve never had a chance to get him again. In the scheme of things, the evident corruption behind a figure-skating medal may seem trivial. But for me and for a lot of guys on our squad, this was a critical turn of events. One of our worst fears was that the top tier of the vory v zakone would use money to undermine Western institutions in which many millions of Americans have reflexive faith. That fear had now been realized, and we asked ourselves what institutions might be next, and we asked whether any American public official might be susceptible to a two-hundred-million-dollar bribe, and we asked whether democracy itself might become a target…’ McCabe, Andrew G.. The Threat (p. 51). St. Martin's Press. Kindle Edition. BOTTOM LINE It was difficult to give a positive rating, for several reasons. At last, though, I did so because it is not what I expected – it is not a tell-all vendetta against Donald J. Trump. It is, rather, steeped with factual intelligence that a few investigators will likely find key to understanding what is likely to come from the Mueller Investigation. As they say, sometimes, content rules over pizzazz. Four stars out of five. I am striving to produce reviews that help you find books that you want, or avoid books that you wish to avoid. With your help, my improvement will help Other readers find books they enjoy reading.