Under Fire; An American Story
North, Oliver, with Novak, William
- Publisher: HarperCollins
- Date published: 1991
- ISBN: 9780060183349
New York: HarperCollins, 1991. Third Printing [stated]. Hardcover. Very good/Very good. Terry Ashe (Front Jacket Photograph) and Greg E. M. xvi, [2], 446 pages. Illustrations. Occasional footnotes. Appendix. Index. Minor edge soiling. Minor bottom corner crinkling at a few pages. Oliver Laurence North (born October 7, 1943) is an American political commentator, television host, military historian, author, and retired United States Marine Corps lieutenant colonel. A veteran of the Vietnam War, North was a National Security Council staff member during the Iran-Contra affair, a political scandal of the late 1980s. It involved the illegal sale of weapons to the Khomeini regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran to encourage the release of American hostages then held in Lebanon. North formulated the second part of the plan, which was to divert proceeds from the arms sales to support the Contra rebel groups in Nicaragua, sales which had been specifically prohibited under the Boland Amendment. North was granted limited immunity from prosecution in exchange for testifying before Congress about the scheme. He was initially convicted on three felony charges, but the convictions were vacated and reversed and all charges against him dismissed in 1991. He then hosted a talk show on Radio America from 1995 to 2003, and hosted War Stories with Oliver North on Fox News from 2001 to 2016. In May 2018, North was elected as president of the National Rifle Association. On April 27, 2019, he resigned amidst a dispute with the organization's chief executive Wayne LaPierre. Oliver North tells the whole story of his life. In this candid, revealing book, the man who has been at the center of the controversy called "Iran-contra" details what he did and why he did it. With a cast of characters that includes William Casey, Ronald Reagan, Bud McFarlane, John Poindexter, and George Bush, Under Fire is an astonishing look at how Washington's wheels of power turn. When the story broke that the United States had secretly been selling arms to Iran, and when Attorney General Edwin Meese announced at a press conference that some of the profits from those sales had been funneled to the contras fighting the Sandinista government in Nicaragua, a firestorm erupted that engulfed the nation. Iran-contra threatened to topple a president, and it thrust a previously obscure Marine lieutenant colonel into the spotlight. To some, Oliver North was a national hero; to others, he was a villain. But no one could deny that he handled the scrutiny of the congressional hearings and his later trial with uncommon composure and dignity. Here is the Oliver North that the public has never before seen. Born in Texas and brought up in upstate New York, he writes that his childhood was like a Norman Rockwell painting. But the serenity was permanently shattered when he was shipped off to fight in Vietnam. Under Fire includes some of the most powerful writing ever published about the conflict. After the war and other assignments with the Marines, North was ordered to the National Security Council staff at the White House. There he became head of a secret counterterrorism group and participated in planning, with the CIA and other organizations, some of the most sensitive covert operations undertaken by the United States government in recent years. In Under Fire, Oliver North tells for the first time the inside story behind the headlines. Among other operations, he was involved in the interception of the hijackers who seized the Achille Lauro cruise ship and in the American bombing of Libya, and he gives his unique perspective on those dramatic events. He also writes of the importance of his family and his enduring faith, which have seen him through the toughest times. Under Fire is truly an American story, for only in America could this saga have unfolded. Compellingly readable, crackling with human drama and extraordinary revelations, this book is destined to be discussed and debated for years to come. Lieutenant Colonel Oliver L. North, USMC (Ret.), is a combat-decorated Marine, the recipient of the Silver Star, the Bronze Star for valor, and two Purple Hearts for wounds in action. From 1983 to 1986 he served as the U.S. government's counter-terrorism coordinator on the National Security Council staff. President Ronald Reagan described him as "an American hero." A New York Times best-selling author, syndicated columnist, and former host of the award-winning War Stories documentary series on the FOX News Channel.
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