Click to receive personalized book recommendations daily.
Before you go...
Check Out These
21 Books You’ve Been Meaning to Read
See the List
Best Seller
Known and Unknown by Donald Rumsfeld
Read An Excerpt
Read An Excerpt
Read An Excerpt
Read An Excerpt
Read An Excerpt

Known and Unknown

A Memoir

A Memoir

A Memoir

A Memoir

A Memoir

By Donald Rumsfeld

By Donald Rumsfeld

By Donald Rumsfeld

By Donald Rumsfeld

By Donald Rumsfeld

By Donald Rumsfeld

By Donald Rumsfeld
Read by Donald Rumsfeld

By Donald Rumsfeld
Read by Donald Rumsfeld

By Donald Rumsfeld
Read by Donald Rumsfeld

By Donald Rumsfeld
Read by Donald Rumsfeld

Paperback $22.00

May 29, 2012 | 832 Pages

Hardcover $36.00

Feb 08, 2011 | 832 Pages

Ebook $14.99

Feb 08, 2011 | 832 Pages

Audiobook Download $40.00

Feb 08, 2011 | 1812 Minutes

Audiobook Download $22.50

Feb 08, 2011 | 830 Minutes

All Formats
+
    Known and Unknown by Donald Rumsfeld
    Paperback
    May 29, 2012 | 832 Pages
    See All Formats (4) +

    Paperback
    –

    • Paperback $22.00

      May 29, 2012 | 832 Pages

    Hardcover
    +

    • Hardcover $36.00

      Feb 08, 2011 | 832 Pages

    Ebook
    +

    • Ebook $14.99

      Feb 08, 2011 | 832 Pages

    Audio (2)
    +

    Buy the Audiobook Download:

    About Known and Unknown

    Few Americans have spent more time near the center of power than Donald Rumsfeld, whose widely commented-on memoir offers many previously undisclosed details about his service with four U.S. presidents. We follow his rise from a middle-class childhood to the Navy to a seat in the U.S. Congress at age thirty, and his experiences there during the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights era. We also get his unique perspective as a cabinet-level member of the Nixon and Ford administrations, as CEO of two Fortune 500 companies, and as a special envoy to the Middle East for President Reagan.
     
    Rumsfeld also addresses the challenges and controversies of his time as Secretary of Defense during the 9/11 attacks by al-Qaida and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He includes candid observations on the differences of views within the Pentagon and with other members of President George W. Bush’s National Security Council.
     
    In a famous press briefing, Rumsfeld once said that “There are also unknown unknowns . . . things we do not know we don’t know.” His book makes us realize just how much we didn’t know.

    About Known and Unknown

    Visit www.rumsfeld.com for more.

    Discover the enhanced e-book edition of Known and Unknown offering an unprecedented reading experience for a memoir by a major public figure. For web-connected readers, it features more than 500 links to never-before-available original documents from Donald Rumsfeld’s extensive personal archive. It includes State Department cables, correspondence, and memoranda on topics such as Vietnam, Watergate, the days following 9/11, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and much more. Available in ePub and Adobe Reader.

    Like Donald Rumsfeld, Known and Unknown pulls no punches.

    With the same directness that defined his career in public service, Rumsfeld’s memoir is filled with previously undisclosed details and insights about the Bush administration, 9/11, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. It also features Rumsfeld’s unique and often surprising observations on eight decades of history: his experiences growing up during the Depression and World War II, his time as a Naval aviator; his service in Congress starting at age 30; his cabinet level positions in the Nixon and Ford White Houses; his assignments in the Reagan administration; and his years as a successful business executive in the private sector.

    Rumsfeld addresses the challenges and controversies of his illustrious career, from the unseating of the entrenched House Republican leader in 1965, to helping the Ford administration steer the country away from Watergate and Vietnam, to bruising battles over transforming the military for the 21st century, to the war in Iraq, to confronting abuse at Abu Ghraib and allegations of torture at Guantanamo Bay.

    Along the way, he offers his plainspoken, first-hand views and often humorous and surprising anecdotes about some of the world’s best known figures, from Margaret Thatcher to Saddam Hussein, from Henry Kissinger to Colin Powell, from Elvis Presley to Dick Cheney, and each American president from Dwight D. Eisenhower to George W. Bush.

    Rumsfeld relies not only on his memory but also on previously unreleased and recently declassified documents. Thousands of pages of documents not yet seen by the public will be made available on an accompanying website.

    Known and Unknown delivers both a fascinating narrative for today’s readers and an unprecedented resource for tomorrow’s historians.

    Proceeds from the sales of Known and Unknown will go to the veterans charities supported by the Rumsfeld Foundation.

    About Known and Unknown

    Visit www.rumsfeld.com for more.

    Discover the enhanced e-book edition of Known and Unknown offering an unprecedented reading experience for a memoir by a major public figure. For web-connected readers, it features more than 500 links to never-before-available original documents from Donald Rumsfeld’s extensive personal archive. It includes State Department cables, correspondence, and memoranda on topics such as Vietnam, Watergate, the days following 9/11, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and much more. Available in ePub and Adobe Reader.

    Like Donald Rumsfeld, Known and Unknown pulls no punches.

    With the same directness that defined his career in public service, Rumsfeld’s memoir is filled with previously undisclosed details and insights about the Bush administration, 9/11, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. It also features Rumsfeld’s unique and often surprising observations on eight decades of history: his experiences growing up during the Depression and World War II, his time as a Naval aviator; his service in Congress starting at age 30; his cabinet level positions in the Nixon and Ford White Houses; his assignments in the Reagan administration; and his years as a successful business executive in the private sector.

    Rumsfeld addresses the challenges and controversies of his illustrious career, from the unseating of the entrenched House Republican leader in 1965, to helping the Ford administration steer the country away from Watergate and Vietnam, to bruising battles over transforming the military for the 21st century, to the war in Iraq, to confronting abuse at Abu Ghraib and allegations of torture at Guantanamo Bay.

    Along the way, he offers his plainspoken, first-hand views and often humorous and surprising anecdotes about some of the world’s best known figures, from Margaret Thatcher to Saddam Hussein, from Henry Kissinger to Colin Powell, from Elvis Presley to Dick Cheney, and each American president from Dwight D. Eisenhower to George W. Bush.

    Rumsfeld relies not only on his memory but also on previously unreleased and recently declassified documents. Thousands of pages of documents not yet seen by the public will be made available on an accompanying website.

    Known and Unknown delivers both a fascinating narrative for today’s readers and an unprecedented resource for tomorrow’s historians.

    Proceeds from the sales of Known and Unknown will go to the veterans charities supported by the Rumsfeld Foundation.

    About Known and Unknown

    Visit www.rumsfeld.com for more.

    Discover the enhanced e-book edition of Known and Unknown offering an unprecedented reading experience for a memoir by a major public figure. For web-connected readers, it features more than 500 links to never-before-available original documents from Donald Rumsfeld’s extensive personal archive. It includes State Department cables, correspondence, and memoranda on topics such as Vietnam, Watergate, the days following 9/11, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and much more. Available in ePub and Adobe Reader.

    Like Donald Rumsfeld, Known and Unknown pulls no punches.

    With the same directness that defined his career in public service, Rumsfeld’s memoir is filled with previously undisclosed details and insights about the Bush administration, 9/11, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. It also features Rumsfeld’s unique and often surprising observations on eight decades of history: his experiences growing up during the Depression and World War II, his time as a Naval aviator; his service in Congress starting at age 30; his cabinet level positions in the Nixon and Ford White Houses; his assignments in the Reagan administration; and his years as a successful business executive in the private sector.

    Rumsfeld addresses the challenges and controversies of his illustrious career, from the unseating of the entrenched House Republican leader in 1965, to helping the Ford administration steer the country away from Watergate and Vietnam, to bruising battles over transforming the military for the 21st century, to the war in Iraq, to confronting abuse at Abu Ghraib and allegations of torture at Guantanamo Bay.

    Along the way, he offers his plainspoken, first-hand views and often humorous and surprising anecdotes about some of the world’s best known figures, from Margaret Thatcher to Saddam Hussein, from Henry Kissinger to Colin Powell, from Elvis Presley to Dick Cheney, and each American president from Dwight D. Eisenhower to George W. Bush.

    Rumsfeld relies not only on his memory but also on previously unreleased and recently declassified documents. Thousands of pages of documents not yet seen by the public will be made available on an accompanying website.

    Known and Unknown delivers both a fascinating narrative for today’s readers and an unprecedented resource for tomorrow’s historians.

    Proceeds from the sales of Known and Unknown will go to the veterans charities supported by the Rumsfeld Foundation.

    About Known and Unknown

    Visit www.rumsfeld.com for more.

    Discover the enhanced e-book edition of Known and Unknown offering an unprecedented reading experience for a memoir by a major public figure. For web-connected readers, it features more than 500 links to never-before-available original documents from Donald Rumsfeld’s extensive personal archive. It includes State Department cables, correspondence, and memoranda on topics such as Vietnam, Watergate, the days following 9/11, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and much more. Available in ePub and Adobe Reader.

    Like Donald Rumsfeld, Known and Unknown pulls no punches.

    With the same directness that defined his career in public service, Rumsfeld’s memoir is filled with previously undisclosed details and insights about the Bush administration, 9/11, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. It also features Rumsfeld’s unique and often surprising observations on eight decades of history: his experiences growing up during the Depression and World War II, his time as a Naval aviator; his service in Congress starting at age 30; his cabinet level positions in the Nixon and Ford White Houses; his assignments in the Reagan administration; and his years as a successful business executive in the private sector.

    Rumsfeld addresses the challenges and controversies of his illustrious career, from the unseating of the entrenched House Republican leader in 1965, to helping the Ford administration steer the country away from Watergate and Vietnam, to bruising battles over transforming the military for the 21st century, to the war in Iraq, to confronting abuse at Abu Ghraib and allegations of torture at Guantanamo Bay.

    Along the way, he offers his plainspoken, first-hand views and often humorous and surprising anecdotes about some of the world’s best known figures, from Margaret Thatcher to Saddam Hussein, from Henry Kissinger to Colin Powell, from Elvis Presley to Dick Cheney, and each American president from Dwight D. Eisenhower to George W. Bush.

    Rumsfeld relies not only on his memory but also on previously unreleased and recently declassified documents. Thousands of pages of documents not yet seen by the public will be made available on an accompanying website.

    Known and Unknown delivers both a fascinating narrative for today’s readers and an unprecedented resource for tomorrow’s historians.

    Proceeds from the sales of Known and Unknown will go to the veterans charities supported by the Rumsfeld Foundation.

    Read An Excerpt

    Read An Excerpt

    Read An Excerpt

    Read An Excerpt

    Read An Excerpt

    About Donald Rumsfeld

    Donald Rumsfeld was the 13th and 21st US Secretary of Defense. He currently chairs the Rumsfeld Foundation, which supports leadership and public service at home, and the growth of free political and free economic systems abroad. The Rumsfeld Foundation funds… More about Donald Rumsfeld

    About Donald Rumsfeld

    Donald Rumsfeld was the 13th and 21st US Secretary of Defense. He currently chairs the Rumsfeld Foundation, which supports leadership and public service at home, and the growth of free political and free economic systems abroad. The Rumsfeld Foundation funds… More about Donald Rumsfeld

    About Donald Rumsfeld

    Donald Rumsfeld was the 13th and 21st US Secretary of Defense. He currently chairs the Rumsfeld Foundation, which supports leadership and public service at home, and the growth of free political and free economic systems abroad. The Rumsfeld Foundation funds… More about Donald Rumsfeld

    About Donald Rumsfeld

    Donald Rumsfeld was the 13th and 21st US Secretary of Defense. He currently chairs the Rumsfeld Foundation, which supports leadership and public service at home, and the growth of free political and free economic systems abroad. The Rumsfeld Foundation funds… More about Donald Rumsfeld

    About Donald Rumsfeld

    Donald Rumsfeld was the 13th and 21st US Secretary of Defense. He currently chairs the Rumsfeld Foundation, which supports leadership and public service at home, and the growth of free political and free economic systems abroad. The Rumsfeld Foundation funds… More about Donald Rumsfeld

    Product Details

    Category: Biography & Memoir

    Paperback | $22.00
    Published by Sentinel
    May 29, 2012 | 832 Pages | 6 x 9 | ISBN 9781595230843

    Category: Biography & Memoir | Domestic Politics

    Hardcover | $36.00
    Published by Sentinel
    Feb 08, 2011 | 832 Pages | 6-1/8 x 9-1/4 | ISBN 9781595230676

    Category: Biography & Memoir

    Ebook | $14.99
    Published by Sentinel
    Feb 08, 2011 | 832 Pages | ISBN 9781101502495

    Category: Biography & Memoir | Audiobooks

    Audiobook Download | $40.00
    Published by Penguin Audio
    Feb 08, 2011 | 1812 Minutes | ISBN 9781101484487

    Category: Biography & Memoir | Audiobooks

    Audiobook Download | $22.50
    Published by Penguin Audio
    Feb 08, 2011 | 830 Minutes | ISBN 9781101484470

    People Who Read Known and Unknown Also Read

    ‹ ›
    Street Fighting Years
    My Life on the Road
    Duty
    Decision Points
    A Journey
    Even Silence Has an End
    The Diary of a Young Girl
    Freedom from Fear
    A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity
    I, Rigoberta Menchu
    Stones into Schools
    The Islamist
    Dispatches
    The Translator
    Reading Lolita in Tehran
    Promises to Keep
    The Audacity of Hope
    The Complete Persepolis
    Unbowed
    Saving Graces
    A Man Without a Country
    Living My Life
    My Life
    Hons and Rebels
    What I Saw at the Revolution
    Meditations
    The Autobiography and Other Writings
    My American Journey
    Blinded by the Right
    See No Evil
    Walden and Other Writings
    No Future Without Forgiveness
    Proud Highway
    Personal History
    Time Present, Time Past
    Palimpsest
    The Souls of Black Folk
    In Retrospect
    Dead Man Walking
    The Complete Essays
    The Autobiography of Malcolm X
    Meditations
    Seven Pillars of Wisdom
    Disturbing the Peace
    The Confessions

    Inspired by Your Browsing History

    Praise

    “A serious stab at telling the history of a consequential period in America through the eyes of one of its most consequential players.”
    —PETER BAKER, The New York Times
     
    “I don’t care whether you’re . . . a liberal or a conservative or something else: If you’re interested in this period of history, the book is a total feast.”
    —JAY NORDLINGER, National Review
     
    “A meaty, well-written book that will be a primary source for historians . . . This power memoir deserves to be read with the care that went into writing it.”
    —CHRISTOPHER BUCKLEY, BusinessWeek

    Looking for More Great Reads?
    Download our Spring Fiction Sampler Now
    Back to Top

    Visit other sites in the Penguin Random House Network

    Books for Better Living

    Inspiration for the best you

    Brightly

    Raise kids who love to read
    TASTE img

    TASTE

    An online magazine for today’s home cook

    Signature

    Making Well-Read Sense of the World

    LitFlash

    The eBooks you want at the lowest prices

    Read it Forward

    Read it first. Pass it on!
    First to Read

    First to Read

    Early access to Penguin Random House’s hottest new titles
    Unbound Worlds

    Unbound Worlds

    Exploring the science fiction and fantasy universe