Release Date: April 26, 2011
Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: Approx. 94 minutes
What secrets have been passed down to each United States president? Why does Air Force One always appear with its left side facing the public and how much does the president know about activating the on-board flares to repel missiles? What other secrets are available to the president, and what information is so highly classified that even the commander in chief’s Top Secret-3 security clearance is not enough to gain access?
This April, HISTORY uncovers the fascinating truths behind some of the most confidential secrets in American history in THE PRESIDENT’S BOOK OF SECRETS. Interviews with former intelligence operatives, renowned historians and archivists show how classified information is treated in the highest circles of political power, how it’s preserved throughout history, and who ensures continuity when a new leader is elected
Well, this special does not start off on an intriguing note. The narrator makes such a question and such a mystery of the letter that George Bush gave Barack Obama – just as every former President does as the new President is sworn in. A personal letter is nobody’s business but who the letter is written by and to. Needless to say, it was incredibly disappointing to see the History Channel take this doubtful approach. Making something out of nothing right off the bat set a very distasteful tone for the rest of the special.
What is shared in this special is informative as to the basics of government secrets. Yes, these are in fact secrets kept by the government, not necessarily (more specifically, solely) the President. Plus, a lot that is shared really does not constitute as a secret. For example, the special details the President’s daily brief but how is that a secret? If the President of the United States of America isn’t being briefed on what is going on in the world, what hope does America have?
Topics discussed include the nuclear football, 9/11 (Brian Montgomery who traveled with Bush all day on 9/11 gives some interesting insight), PEOC, secret escape routes, underground facilities, blackberries turning into dangerous surveillance devices, Wikileaks, aliens, secret societies, and more. However, there’s really not a lot to learn from this DVD.
Basically, History does not uncover any new secrets. That is misleading the audience and I will not do that to you. All this special does is question what would be in a possible President’s Book of Secrets. So if you buy this DVD expecting to learn new secrets from the President’s Book of Secrets, just know that the history channel does not in fact possess the theoretical President’s Book of Secrets. I will say that I was very impressed with the individuals that History gathered to participate in this special. With such fascinating individuals, there was a lot of potential to share quite a bit. But the revelations fall short and the conspiracy theories push forward. So it’s up to you if you’d like to own this on DVD…but I’d recommend you find a re-run on the History Channel instead if you really feel the urge to watch this.
Appearing in this Feature:
Dan Rather, Dan Quayle, Michael Hayden, Ron Kaufman, Clay Johnson, Newt Gingrich, Peter Metzger, Michael Bohn, Allan Lichtman, Edward Luttwak, Anita McBride, Karen Keller, Susan Ford Bales, Natasha Neely, Dana Perino, Al V. Corbi, Brad Patterson, Michael Chertoff, Peter Earnest, Trevor Paglen, Mark Zaid, Davd Gewirtz, Jonathan Alter, Lanny J. Davis, Joe Petro, Alexandra Robbins
There are no bonus features on this DVD.
Own The President’s Book of Secrets on DVD today.