Rumsfeld
A Personal Portrait

By Midge Decter

     Donald Rumsfeld was born on July 9, 1932, in Chicago to his parents, George and Jeannette Rumsfeld. Although considered a Chicagoan, he by no means grew up there. When his father joined the Navy, Don’s mother was determined to keep the family together. So although she could not drive that well, she followed to whatever State hre husband was sent. This family was not considered well off; actually, they were on the verge of poverty for the times. However, this did not stop young Rumsfeld from trying to make a better life for himself and his family. Growing up, he would hold as many jobs as possible to help with the family expenses. In high school, Donald was not good at many sports except wrestling, for which he won numerous awards, including a Scholarship to Princeton. Still, after four years at Princeton, his marriage to Joyce, and a stint in the Navy, the Rumsfeld family still was living near poverty when Donald decided to go to Washington to start a life in government.

     In Dec. 2000, after many years in government, working with different Presidents, including Nixon and Ford, Rumsfeld was chosen for his second tour as Secretary of Defense under George W. Bush. In this role, Rumsfeld would come to be loved and known to millions as “Rummy,” America’s newest star.

     "Rumsfeld" gives an insightful look at the life of a man before and after he enters a career in the United States government. This reviewer found this book to be a very well written and an interesting read. Although I rarely read Non-fiction, and especially about government officials, I found this book very enjoyable. This book really shows the growing of an American official we only see on TV.