“the odious smell of truth”

Review of James Risen’s book, State of War: The Secret History of the CIA and the Bush Administration in the New York Times by Walter Isaacson:

So wel­come to the new age of impres­sion­ist­ic his­tory. Like an Impressionist paint­ing, it relies on dots of vary­ing hues and intens­ity. Some come from leak­ers like those who spoke to Risen. Other dots come from the mem­oirs and com­ments of the play­ers. Eventually, a pic­ture emerges, slowly get­ting clear­er. It’s up to us to con­nect the dots and find our own mean­ings in this landscape.

Currently behind the NT Times doofuss-wall and in sev­en days behind the full-blooded paywall.