Under Fire: An American Story

This book is a very well written account of Oliver North's life. It details the Iran-Contra situation, his time at Annapolis Naval Academy, his time serving in Vietnam, and among oother things his family life which gives us some personal information about Ollie.From the time I picked up this book I couldn't put it down for more than the time it took to rest my eyes. This book is very interesting from start to finish and gives you a great look inside the life of a true American Hero.

This book is an eye opener into the politican infighting and the covert operations that are ongoing to this day. Admiral Poindexter and Colonel North are true American heroes in every sense of the word who were fighting International Terrorism twenty years before 9/11. The Iran-Contra "scandal" is exposed as nothing more than an attempt by partisan Democrats to bring down a Republican President.

This outstanding autobiography of retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North was as informative as it was entertaining. I found the book to be a great, honest accounting of a very prominent and controversial public figure involved in very sensitive and high-level government issues and policies-U.S. counter-terrorism efforts, U.S. hostage negotiations, international arms sales, and the "Iran-Contra Affair" to name a few. I related to North as a lieutenant colonel of Marines in the highly structured, undisciplined, politicized, and bureaucratic environment of the highest levels of government in Washington, D.C. North came across as an imperfect man who admitted his mistakes and who did his best to do what he was told, do what he thought was right, and do what he thought was best for his country.To say that North has had an interesting life is an understatement. North's background in this book definitely helped me to understand and appreciate his keen insights and perspectives while watching him report from the battlefields in our war with Iraq:*His "Norman Rockwell" small-town childhood-dad was a combat-decorated WWII Army officer*The near-fatal car accident while attending the U.S. Naval Academy that severely injured him but crippled one friend and killed another*His commissioning, marriage, and subsequent deployment to Vietnam*His infantry platoon leader combat leadership experiences*The challenges of balancing his Marine Corps and family duties and responsibilities*How his re-affirmed strength of faith sustained him in many life struggles (the book contains many powerful biblical and inspirational references)*How he was assigned to the National Security Council in 1981, and eventually fired on November 25, 1986*His experiences testifying before Congress investigating the "Iran-Contra Affair" starting on July 7, 1987, ending with his indictment on 16 accounts on March 16, 1988*His very public trial that started February 21, 1989, through the May 14 verdict of guilty on 3 counts (out of 16), and his July 5 sentencing (3 year suspended sentence, $150,000 fine, 2 years probation, and 1200 hours of community service in an inner-city drug-prevention program)*The special prosecutor's subsequent 3 failed appeals from July 20, 1990 to May 28, 1991, and finally, on September 15, 1991, the special prosecutor's dropping of all charges and the closing of the case against North*His calling-it-like-he-saw-it praise and criticism of democrats and republicans in all branches of the government, civil servants, and foreign diplomats and governments The book showed the best and worst, and highs and lows of justice, politics, democracy, and bureaucracy in action, from the unique perspective of an outsider who became an insider, and then was simultaneously viewed as both villain and victim by those he worked for and with, and by the American public. Truly an American story that should not be missed.

This book is a little more then most people thought it would be i.e. it does cover his life before his Iran - Conta moment in the sun. The Viet Nam information was interesting and something I had not heard much of before. I was less interested in the details about his childhood and his marriage. Basically we all bought he book to review the Iran - Conta affair and the trail and the book does not disappoint in this area. His coverage of the dealing with the Iranians was very well constructed. The good flow of the book and the fact that it keeps you interested is probably in part due to the skill of co-author William Novak. The details about his life during the testimony before the House and Senate Select Committees, the media harassment and the trail are very informative and insightful. As with almost any government scandal there are any number of versions of the story, usually about 25% more stories then actual people involved, and this book is the Oliver North version. He told his story in a very believable, humble and somewhat apologetic fashion. I think if you are interested in the story this is one of the books you should read to gain an understanding, but not the definitive version of the truth - if that will ever really come out. Overall it is a well-written and interesting book.

Curious about what really went on with the Iran-Contra affair, I wanted to read Oliver's story. He told the story, obviously from his point of view, but it was extremely believable. He was so candid about what he did wrong as well as what he did right. For anyone wanting to know the inside story, this book is great. It also has some awesome detail on Oliver's Vietnam experience. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in this era in American history.