The general himself declined to participate in this venture, no doubt partly because he has a $5 million-or-so book deal of his own. His wife, Brenda, and such key gulf war figures as Gen. Colin Powell and Defense Secretary Dick Cheney also opted not to be interviewed. In their stead, we have Sally Schwarzkopf, the subject’s older sister, and the only family member who would talk. If only she had stopped at some point. Sally’s innumerable revelations (Norman called her “this sister I dearly love”; he came back from Vietnam “A very serious person”, at Christmastime “My father chose specifically picked presents, specifying what was for whom”) rain down with all the effectiveness of Scud missiles.
But then there are no smart bombs in this absurdly worshipful family saga. H. Norman’s father started the New Jersey State Police, an event described here as if it were a pivotal moment in American history. As for Schwarzkopf senior’s possible bungling of the Lindbergh-baby kidnapping case, that’s cryptically characterized as an incident where “fact and fiction often became blurred,” The Norman who liberated Kuwait is a “soldier’s soldier” who is nevertheless moved tears in about every other chapter. He never says anything worse than “GODDAMN” and is married to someone whose “only fault” was that “she never learned how to make the family treat ….. sand tart cookies.” Why hasn’t he strangled this woman years ago? Because he never stays mad for long–and has been known to vent his anger by doing things like playing the accordion ferociously. I give this book four “Ladies of Spain.”
title: “Operation Desert Snore” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-29” author: “Karen Messano”
The general himself declined to participate in this venture, no doubt partly because he has a $5 million-or-so book deal of his own. His wife, Brenda, and such key gulf war figures as Gen. Colin Powell and Defense Secretary Dick Cheney also opted not to be interviewed. In their stead, we have Sally Schwarzkopf, the subject’s older sister, and the only family member who would talk. If only she had stopped at some point. Sally’s innumerable revelations (Norman called her “this sister I dearly love”; he came back from Vietnam “A very serious person”, at Christmastime “My father chose specifically picked presents, specifying what was for whom”) rain down with all the effectiveness of Scud missiles.
But then there are no smart bombs in this absurdly worshipful family saga. H. Norman’s father started the New Jersey State Police, an event described here as if it were a pivotal moment in American history. As for Schwarzkopf senior’s possible bungling of the Lindbergh-baby kidnapping case, that’s cryptically characterized as an incident where “fact and fiction often became blurred,” The Norman who liberated Kuwait is a “soldier’s soldier” who is nevertheless moved tears in about every other chapter. He never says anything worse than “GODDAMN” and is married to someone whose “only fault” was that “she never learned how to make the family treat ….. sand tart cookies.” Why hasn’t he strangled this woman years ago? Because he never stays mad for long–and has been known to vent his anger by doing things like playing the accordion ferociously. I give this book four “Ladies of Spain.”
