The Test of Our Times: America Under Siege... and How We Can Be Safe Again - Tapa blanda

"The best book yet on the subject." --Tony Blankley, Washington Times columnist

"Tom has written a first draft of history, and it's a very memorable one." --Senator John McCain

"DHS remains a work in progress, and Ridge's singular perspective recommends his memoir to policy makes, students, and concerned citizens." --Publishers Weekly

"As the man who created U.S. Homeland Security in the post-9/11 era, [Tom Ridge] is also the man who can most authoritatively recount how it happened, where we are now, and what still needs to be done. In a candid voice, he does all of that in The Test of Our Times." --Barry Casselman, syndicated columnist

"Tom Ridge describes unknown successes and struggles, and explores the persistent obstacles to achieving a safer country with candor, honesty, and integrity." --Lee H. Hamilton, president and director of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and vice-chair of the 9/11 Commission

IN THE HARROWING DAYS AFTER SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, the President of the United States reached out to one man to help guide the nation in its quest to shore up domestic security. In this candid and compelling memoir, Tom Ridge describes the whirlwind series of events that took him from the state capital of Pennsylvania, into the fray of Washington, D.C., and onto the world stage as a new leader in the fight against international terrorism.

A Washington outsider, Ridge went above and beyond in his new post, identifying the need to integrate response teams on a wide-reaching scale and leading the nation's ambitious initiative of establishing a new Cabinet department, the Department of Homeland Security. The author recounts how the new department's unsung heroes, brought together under great duress, succeeded against difficult odds and navigated the politics of terrorism.

Perhaps most importantly, Ridge offers a prescriptive look to the future with provocative ideas such as a national ID card and the use of biometrics to track not just who enters the United States but also how long they are here. Tom Ridge simply tells it like it is, offering a refreshingly honest assessment of the state of homeland security today—and what it needs to be tomorrow.