“The Fight of our Lives” is a book dedicated to explaining the threat “radical Islamist terrorists,” pose to America.
Bestselling author William J. Bennett and Seth Leibsohn co-authored the pro-War on Terror book.
The writing is a criticism of both the Bush and Obama administrations, but also gives praise to both as well. The authors are much more critical of the Obama administration, however.
Bennett and Leibsohn open with the tragedy of Fort Hood. Readers may be surprised to know Nidal Hassan (the terrorist who killed 14 Americans at Fort Hood) gave a Powerpoint in which he was supposed to have discussed a “medical topic,” according to the Washington Post.
Instead, his presentation highlighted the war on terror. Hassan concluded with a quote from Osama Bin Laden, “We love death more than you love life,” just two years before his attack on Fort Hood.
Saddam Hussein’s horrific human rights record is also acknowledged, explaining what a former Clinton administration official wrote:
“This is a regime that will crush all of the bones in the feet of a two-year-old girl for her mother to divulge her father’s whereabouts. This is a regime that will hold a nursing baby at arm’s length from its mother and allow the child to starve to death to force the mother to confess.”
While discussing the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the authors explained the country became war weary and why.
“President Bush stopped casting the vision, and the nation’s vision became consequently obscured,” they said.
“The Fight of our Lives” praises early rhetoric by Bush — phrases such as, “Smoke them out of their holes,” “bring ‘em on,” and “wanted dead or alive.” This praise is followed with disagreement of rhetoric during the later years of the Bush presidency.
With the exit of President Bush, President Obama brought a new vision to the “war against radical Islam.” This was much criticized by the authors, because they believed the president’s new vision was, “Ending the wars abroad, not winning them.”
The cited a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson, “The corruption of man is followed by the corruption of language.”
Also discussed is the threat that Iran poses to the security of the world and the need to stop the country’s nuclear ambitions. Bennett and Leibsohn write that if Iran does obtain a nuclear weapon, it will be much regretted by America and the world.
They conclude that if Iran succeeds, a book titled “While America Slept,” would explain how America allowed it to happen.
“The Fight of Our Lives” is a defense of America’s initiative to take the battle to people who intend to harm America and its citizens.
“Lifting our veil and engaging the fight, as both a matter of military and civic strength, is our greatest task.”
