Making Peace

Rating:
Summary: Very dissapointing
Review: If you followed the peace negotiations while they were occuring, you really have no need of this book. Mitchell is frustratingly vague throughout, relating the negotiations in the most general of terms and not giving us much new insight. I don't think I learned anything about the negotiations from this book that I didn't already know. Vague and dry, read this book only if you didn't follow the peace negotiations at all.

Rating:
Summary: About George
Review: If you want to know about George Mitchell then I would reccomend the excellent book, "Strange Justice - Jane Meyer & Jill Abramson". This is the account of the right wing republican lynching of Anita Hill who came forward to testify against the Clarence Hill nomination to the Supreme Court. Georgie was Senate majority leader at that time. I used to have a very favorable impression of Georgie until I read this book. George here along with his pal, the Senate Judiciary committee Chairman at that time, Senator Joseph Biden, did everything possible to faciliate the republican's lynching of Anita Hill's testimony. George drew a ton of derision and ill will from women's rights groups from all over the country. He kept mumbling "I cant do anything, I cant do anything, its the protocol, its the protocol" when supporters of Hill asked him to delay the floor vote on the Senate on Thomas's nomination so that there would be more time to pursue the investigation into Hill's allegations. The entire Clarence Thomas nomination episode is a sorry clown's cap that these men still wear and hope people will forget. Read that book. Mitchell was a disgrace. The least these guys could have done was write a book apologizing for their cowardly capitulation in the face of the right wing smear machine that was and still is stalking this country.

Rating:
Summary: Good look @ process of peace, but too early for real details
Review: This book is an enjoyable read which will introduce you to all the major players in the negotiations that led to the Good Friday Peace Accords, and give a good sense of what the challenges were and how the various parties worked to overcome them.

Unfortunately, it was probably too early for Mitchell to come out with any new details, and he is reluctant to be overly critical of any of the parties -- no doubt a wise move as the peace process contiues to move forward.

Hopefully, we will see another account from Mitchell in the future which will give a little bit more bite in terms of how he really feels. In the mean time, this book is well worth the quick read.