Book 3: Charlie Wilson's War

Hello, friends. Despite my terrible record on blog posting, I have been reading books without your knowledge. A few months ago (yikes!), I finished Charlie Wilson's War. You're probably familiar with the movie starring Tom Hanks and Julie Roberts, with Amy Adams in a fabulous supporting role. Seriously, I felt like you could see my frustrations about working in politics all over Amy Adams' face.

Anyway, I hadn't read the book, but it came highly recommended from a friend after I professed my love for All the President's Men (one of my favorite books and movies).

I really enjoyed the inside glimpse into history and the candid interviews. Charlie Wilson was not the most ethical lawmaker, but he's not afraid to admit it, either. It's also crazy to read this and think about America's current role in the Middle East. A lot of the first steps are outlined here.

For me, the book had two distinct sections: the section with Joanne Herring and the unfortunate, boring section without her.

Courtesy of http://joanneherring.com/

Joanne Herring, or the inspiration for Julia Roberts' character in the movie, was the Texas socialite who brought the Afghan freedom fighters to Charlie Wilson's attention. She's everything a good Southern woman should be: passionate, outspoken, stylish, wealthy and fabulous. My favorite line to sum her up: "Invariably, when reporters wrote features about Joanne Herring, they invoked Scarlett O'Hara."

Even though I don't like fiction, I'm still a girl that falls for romance and passion. Joanne brings that to the book. As the story moves along to weapons, battles and Congressional action, it loses all the glitter Joanne brought. 

My verdict: The beginning is a must read, but stop when it gets boring.