Bob Woodward rose to fame 50 years ago when he and Carl Bernstein wrote the exposé All the president’s menimplicating President Richard Nixon in the Watergate break-in. Since then, he has written 22 best-selling books on American government, including three on Donald Trump. The entirety of his work provides a valuable overview of the corruption of power within the American ruling class, but his approach is not without controversy.

These stem from his “deep fund” technique, where he interviews major players on condition of anonymity and usually takes them at their word (more on that below). This results in books that offer a fly-on-the-wall perspective, giving us fast-moving chapters often filled with seemingly verbatim conversations.

Woodward’s latest book isn’t about Trump, though he makes a few appearances — rather, War it’s about president joe biden. Woodward describes how Biden and his team tried to manage the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Gaza wars, as well as the American withdrawal from Afghanistan, concluding that Biden and his closest advisers are decent people who are making good- faith to exercise presidential power responsibly in the national interest.

Ironically, Biden’s problem-solving approach has become his handicap. His 52 years as a lawmaker in Washington gave him a unique perspective on foreign affairs and a strong belief that no matter how dangerous an opponent, there is always a way to make a deal—especially in the age of nuclear weapons, when an existential threat hangs over both sides. For Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden believed he could influence them once he realized what their “on-ramps” might be. What he failed to realize was that, unlike the Cold Warriors of the past, Putin and Netanyahu had no time for “exit ramps.” Putin declared Ukraine an integral part of Russia and there was no voluntary withdrawal from it.

Before the October 7, 2023 massacre of over 1,200 Israelis by Hamas, Netanyahu’s leadership had been in tatters; was facing criminal charges as well as widespread demonstrations against his proposed judicial reforms.

After October 7, Netenyahu managed to present himself as the kind of strong wartime leader around whom Israelis could rally. Unrelenting, he has declared that he will not stop the war until he kills every member of Hamas and has scorned Biden’s calls for moderation.

Woodward’s most chilling revelation suggests that Putin was on the verge of unleashing tactical nuclear weapons during the battle for Kherson, Ukraine, in the fall of 2022. The Ukrainian military launched an overwhelming attack on the Russian garrison there; it was well known Russian policy to justify the use of nuclear weapons to prevent a catastrophic loss on the battlefield.

Biden’s response was to call Putin and warn him of the “catastrophic consequences” if he resorted to nuclear weapons. At the same time, he asked Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to open a dialogue with his Russian counterpart. Most importantly, Biden convinced President Xi of China, Russia’s top backer, to warn Putin to back off. Biden’s careful, multi-pronged approach worked.

Amazingly, Woodward quotes Biden as saying privately: “I will not have a nuclear response to the use of the battlefield in Ukraine.” This tribute to Biden’s humanity must surely have been music to Putin’s ears.

A major problem with Woodward’s unquestioning acceptance of the credibility of his sources occurs early in the book. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken was in Germany opposing the European demand that Biden send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. He went on a top-secret call with Biden, Austin, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and General Mark Milley. For more than two pages, Woodward quotes the “top secret” call verbatim. If accurate, the source must have been one or more of the attendees, which hardly speaks well of the integrity of Biden’s closest advisers.

Still, it might explain why Woodward ends by praising Biden and his team as an example of steady, purposeful leadership.

Winnipegger John K. Collins believes the poet Yeats predicted today’s world: “The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.”