From the moment he set foot on it, Karl Rove has rocked America’s political stage. He ran the national College Republicans at twenty-two, and turned a Texas dominated by Democrats into a bastion for Republicans. He launched George W. Bush to national renown by unseating a popular Democratic governor, and then orchestrated a GOP White House win at a time when voters had little reason to throw out the incumbent party. For engineering victory after unlikely victory, Rove became known as “the Architect.”

Because of his success, Rove has been attacked his entire career, accused of everything from campaign chicanery to ideological divisiveness. In this frank memoir, Rove responds to critics, passionately articulates his political philosophy, and defends the choices he made on the campaign trail and in the White House. He addresses controversies head-on— from his role in the contest between Bush and Senator John McCain in South Carolina to the charges that Bush misled the nation on Iraq. In the course of putting the record straight, Rove takes on Democratic leaders who acted cynically or deviously behind closed doors, and even Republicans who lacked backbone at crucial moments.

Courage and Consequence is also the first intimate account from the highest level at the White House of one of the most headline-making presidencies of the modern age. Rove takes readers behind the scenes of the bitterly contested 2000 presidential contest, of tense moments aboard Air Force One on 9/11, of the decision to go to war in Afghanistan and Iraq, of the hard-won 2004 reelection fight, and even of his painful three years fending off an indictment by Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald. In the process, he spells out what it takes to win elections and how to govern successfully once a candidate has won.

Rove is candid about his mistakes in the West Wing and in his campaigns, and talks frankly about the heartbreak of his early family years. But Courage and Consequence is ultimately about the joy of a life committed to the conservative cause, a life spent in political combat and service to country, no matter the costs.

5 Responses to “Courage and Consequence: My Life as a Conservative in the Fight”

1. Jonathan says:

   September 26, 2010 at 12:00 am

   Speaking as someone generally left of center politically, this was a surprising and enjoyable read. Rove is more humorous and self-deprecating than most portraits of him would lead you to believe. There is undoubtedly some spin here, but it’s tough to walk away from this book without a new perspective on the Bush presidency. The pure party-line swipes at Obama in the closing pages -lacking any of the insight, intelligence, and rigorous citation in the rest of the book – were disappointing, but otherwise did not mar this surprisingly enjoyable read.

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2. Rocky Reynebeau says:

   September 20, 2010 at 12:00 am

   This was a wonderful and easy read. Mr Rove’s integrity and skills levels are deomonstrated on nearly every page. I like the book because I think he is telling a truthful story from a position strength and knowledge. No talking points here. He writes just like he speaks as a polical analysist on Fox News. Thank you Karl. You’re the best.

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3. T. Edmund Jenkin says:

   September 20, 2010 at 12:00 am

   It’s hard to really judge this piece of work, far from being a political polemic, or apologetic sympathy tantrum, Rove simply writes a book about his life and career.

   Unsurprisingly the most interesting parts are George W.’s presidential campaign and 2 terms in office. Rove’s early life stories are somewhat dull, and to be fair almost all political figures’ backgrounds are incredibly yawnworthy (or perhaps are too unrevealing to be of interest). Rove did have a particularly difficult upbringing in regards to his parent’s stability which is mostly analysed through rebuttal of Rove’s critics (more on his critics later in like one paragraph)

   All in all, Rove really only provides us with a step by step account of his political career, never delving very deep into any issues, and most annoyingly never really discussing exactly what his views actually are and how he defends them. (Perhaps this is because he thinks most people are already aware of them) Instead we merely see Rove’s viewpoint when he speaks scathingly of those who disagree.

   Another frustration of this book is Rove’s tendency to jump forward in time inappropriately, as mentioned earlier, when discussing his family Rove describes his critics accusations (made more recently as when he was a child Rove had slightly fewer critics [I assume]) of his father being a closet homosexual, frequently throughout the book Rove takes snipes at Obama. Which comes across as petty and creates the appearance of Rove being unable to restrain himself and childishly lashing out.

   Of course Rove is unashamedly pro-Bush, and sees much of his president’s behaviour in a positive light. He takes personal responsibility for Bush’s toxic ratings claiming the lack of defense on Iraq issues ultimately damned the former president.

   While this review might make it seem like I wouldn’t recommend this book, behind all the politics there is some fascinating insight into election campaign which I think is must-read by anyone in the business. You might not agree with Rove, but its hard to argue that he doesn’t know what he’s doing on the campaign field…

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4. Thomas D. Wyllie says:

   September 10, 2010 at 12:00 am

   If one is interested in the truth about who G.W.Bush really is and what he accomplished during his presidency without the liberal bias, then this is a good place to start. I found the book both enlightening and entertaining.

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5. Lisa H. Jones says:

   September 8, 2010 at 12:00 am

   Karl Rove’s recently released book, Courage and Consequence, My Life as a Conservative in the Fight is part biography and partly a peak into the behind the scenes happenings during the George W. Bush administration. Not knowing much of anything about Rove’s personal life, the first part of the book was extremely intriguing. Not at all what I had expected. As a political junkie, I was then fascinated by Rove’s detailed account of elections, policy decisions and the inner workings of D.C.

   The author’s tone and perspective on his involvement in a slice of recent American History is personable, thoughtful and extremely humble. He leads you through defining events not only in his life, but also in regards to his role in the White House. Rove’s detailed analysis of many front burner issues during the Bush Administration give you a peak into the decision-making and interpretation from some of the major players at the time.

   Rove dives into political details with a great respect for not only the office of the President, but for George W. Bush himself. If you are expecting a political tell all that tells tales and calls the opponents names, you will be disappointed. In every instance, Rove has taken the high road in discussing political opponents, newsmakers and even the special prosecutor who pursued him.

   At times, his storytelling is so candid you can hear the sorrow, pain, regret or humor in his voice. Finishing the book, you are left with an impression of an intense, extremely intelligent businessman and a great student of American history with an uncanny ability to comprehend modern day politics.

   If you are not sincerely interested in politics from a center-right perspective, you might have trouble reading this book. It is long and extremely thorough. For those who followed Rove’s career or the Bush Presidency, discovering the background of many controversial decisions and missteps ensures the book to be a compelling read.Courage and Consequence: My Life as a Conservative in the Fight

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