Earlier this year, former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld released a memoir, Known and Unknown, to varying acclaim and criticism. Throughout his lengthy career, which includes serving three years in the Navy, four terms in Congress, and serving as Chief of Staff fro President Ford, and Secretary of Defense for President George W. Bush, Rumsfeld has been a contested figure and often made decisions that were under close scrutiny.

The 800-page tome, which spans his entire life and career, spends a majority of its pages on his six years in office as Bush's secretary of defense. In those pages, Rumsfeld reportedly maintains that the actions taken by the government with regard to the war in Iraq has "been worth the cost."

Many reviewers, including Michiko Kakutani of the NY Times and Gwen Ifill of The Washington Post, have dismissed the book as a way for the author to excuse himself from what occurred during Bush's tenure and point the finger at other cabinet members, sales are still climbing. Furthermore, the archival website (www.rumsfeld.com) Rumsfeld released to accompany the information on the pages in print continues to attract visitors.

Conversely, retired Maj. Gen. Robert Scales' review in the Wall Street Journal presents potential readers with a different take: ‘Reading between the lines, the reader can see the unintended forces that limited Mr. Rumsfeld's success as a war leader...Stand on the heights of Cemetery Ridge at Gettysburg today and it is impossible to understand why Robert E. Lee gave the order for 13,000 men to charge the Union forces entrenched there.'

As part of his book tour, the 79-year-old Rumsfeld has visited a number of military installations across the country and will be concluding with a visit to Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Those with base access can meet the man while you get your book signed this Friday, Aug. 26; JBLM McChord Field BX from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and then the JBLM Main PX from 4 to 6 p.m. Books are available at AAFES, as well as from major booksellers.