The historical memoir is one of the more curious genres within great big world of books. They often tend to sell quite briskly and yet there is the persistent suspicion upon seeing them on personal bookshelves that they have gone mostly if not completely unread. In addition, within the arena of serious literary critique, the historical memoir is a shockingly sparse part of the population of those books which have been deemed must-read within the canon. Although serious in nature and potentially among the most important books ever published relative to information which actually impacted tens or hundreds of millions of lives, historical memoirs often seem to have more in common with old cookbooks or outdated how-to guides on those personal bookshelves than with most other genres represented there. The most that a writer of this type of book can usually hope for is a sharp spike in sales somewhere along the way by briefly rising to the level of cause célèbre.
Such is the case with historical memoir authored by controversial conservative career politician John Bolton. Long before the book was actually made available to readers, it was already a topic of what used to be referred to as “watercooler conversation.” The Room Where it Happened is many things to many people, depending upon where they stand on the main issue at hand in the book: the fitness for the office of President of Donald J. Trump. The book gained instant notoriety as a result of Bolton’s term as one of many in the Trump administration’s revolving door of top-level advisors and Cabinet Secretaries provided him with ample opportunity to see the truth behind the never-ending Wizard of Oz-style media manipulation of what is actually going on inside the White House. Early leaks offered little new insight into the dysfunction of White House operations but added enough blockbuster details to confirm what was already suspected.
The real story is where The Room Where it Happened goes after all the hubbub dies down. Bolton’s unvarnished portrait is of a man who at times seems not just unfit for the office, but perhaps the most unqualified American who ever met the official Constitutional qualifications for becoming President. This is hardly an earth-shattering revelation to most Americans. As for his supporters who look upon Donald Trump less as a President than as the “Chosen One” delivered unto them personally by the weirdest version of a Christian God yet invented, nothing negative written by Bolton or anyone else who was actually in the room where things happened will gain traction.
Not immediately, anyway. And that is where the future of The Room Where it Happened is of much greater significance than its temporary infamy upon publication. The fiery debate over whether Bolton is hero for telling the truth or a traitor or not telling the truth under oath and instead opting to take the money and run will eventually be forgotten. The details of the book will remain forever and only as time marches on and the immediacy of the Trump phenomenon fades will the book’s significance truly become known. Eventually, many if not all and most if not every Trump supporter who instantly rejects any criticism of him will awaken to a realization. This is the way of the world and it is hardly singular to the most hardcore support of Trump that views his Twitter feed as the only truth in the world.
It will only be at that as-yet-unknown point in the distant future that the impact of Bolton’s book will finally reveal itself. This revelation can only come about when those who do not already share Bolton’s view that Trump is dangerously unfit for a second term are able to digest the information he provides rationally and logically without being blinded by oblivious devotion. When those who view every disclosure of unflattering facts as “fake news” are finally to recognize actual news as genuine truth, Bolton’s impact as National Security Advisor which is chronicle in his book can finally be determined and the place of The Room Where it Happened among the long list of historical memories can attain a final judgment. And, perhaps, even make it worth reading to those who weren’t part of the world where when it happened.
