This is an incredibly disturbing book, but does dovetail
with issues that disturbed me before I read it. I agree
with others there are a lot of dots and not all are
well connected. Nevertheless, I don't want to rehash what others
have said, but make a few points.
The WTC was struck on 9-11. The Patriot Act, one individual
listed as the lead author, is over 340 pages, was passed
Oct 24. One and a half months later. How? How can something
complex be done in that time, especially with the confusion
and activity surrounding those events. I have wondered
if the Patriot Act wasn't already on the shelf waiting to
be pulled out.
The author points to the Daschle anthrax as being of CIA
origin. Interestingly, Richard Preston's "The Demon in the
Freezer" hints that this bioweapon was very sophistocated,
and may have fingerprints pointing to a USA origin.
On page 23 Ruppert refers to the need to reduce the world's
population by 4 billion (it may soon need to be 5 billion!)
To do this, bioweapons are needed. To spare infrastructure
and livestock, there aren't many candidates -- smallpox would
seem to be the most likely choice. And it seems that smallpox is
at large in unknown labs (again, see Preston's book). I am
an Inf Dz specialist and had the opportunity to study under
some of those who "eradicated" smallpox, and am somewhat familiar
with that story. One concern for anyone who opens that Pandora's
box is whether the vaccines will be effective to what may turn
out to be a bioengineered strain. On page 158, reference is
even made to a ethnospecific bioweapon.
In the end, I have more questions unanswered than answered. But
who could even invent this stuff?

While this book contains a lot of information that I hadn't heard elsewhere and was occasionally very interesting, it contains a lot of what I consider to be extraneous information. Extended quotes from third parties take up page after page, making me believe that producing a thick book was important to the author.

Nevertheless, the overview of 9/11 time lines and events as they unfolded make it hard to believe the official story of 9/11--that much is beyond question, if only half of what this author writes is true.

Michael Ruppert's "Crossing The Rubicon" is nothing less than a masterpiece. It was the first book I read that put 9/11 and the anthrax letters in context. It's a long book, over 600 pages, and I did not intend to read it all, but each chapter left me hungry for more information. This is an investigative book that encompasses much more than 9/11. It explains the financial and oil crises the US is in and the geopolitical strategy the neo-cons have developed to keep all the big lies alive. It explains the war games and Dick Cheney's complicity. If you are an American and you CAN read, then this book is a MUST read. Understand the era in which you live and you will understand the crises in which most of us will die.

With the referenced facts laid out in this book, there is NO DOUBT why no one was put under oath at the 911 hearings!!!

This book is the best explanation yet for why the executive level of government committed the 9-11 false flag operation. Being an engineer, the physics of 9-11 is what got me asking questions. But for most peope this will not be compelling for they lack physics training. So this book is a outstanding in the sense that it proves 9-11 was an inside job with everything other than physics. So this book can wake up more people to 9-11 truth than any other source in my opinion. And the book is written like a legal case. You could hand the book to a lawyer and put cheney in jail, if it wasnt for the corrupt legal imunity of government. Cant rate this one highly enough. 5 stars just doenst do it justice. It deserves ten.

Approaching the 911 occurrance as a murder investigator the evidence obtained and the background information can lead one to conclusions that have been ignored by the so-called watchdog press at our own peril. Very interesting and easy to follow and very disturbing in its conclusions and implications.

If you have not read this, you should. The timeline given in the book says everything. You might think Mr. Ruppert a crackpot conspiracy theorist, but there is just no arguing with the facts of 9/11. As with the investigations surrounding the Kennedy assassinations, the 9/11 Commission Report with its unbelieveable flaws, and parsings of events is a blight on American history.

Crossing The Rubicon should be on the reference shelf for all Americans in these confusing political times. Michael Ruppert, the author, is one of the finest patriots America has ever produced. He is truthful and factual. The shredded Patriot Act, several presidencies involvement with international drug running, the economic slide that America is now experiencing, the politics behind the recent middle east wars due to diminishing oil supplies, all are referenced with names, dates and plenty of information. Is was a sad day for America when Ruppert's office was destroyed, his life threatened, and he left the country. His web site, "From The Wilderness" had to be shut down. Owning this one book should be an important beginning for understanding what has really happened to our once great country.

Ruppert gives us the most detailed review what REALLY happened on 9/11 and what has happened since.

One of the best books I have read TWICE!

Book is based entirely on facts with 1,000 foot notes, how about that?

Great - 5 Stars all the way!

"Crafted as a criminal investigation of a homicide, Crossing the Rubicon examines:
- the motives for the 9/11 attacks, including the Pentagon's need for a pretext for war that would enable an all-out drive for the planet's last reserves of oil and gas; Wall Street's need for liquid cash from restored traffic in Afghani heroin; and the administration's need for legal domestic repression during severe and imminent resource shortages;
- the personnel, including Dick Cheney, the Pakistani Intelligence Agency (ISI), the Taliban, al Qaeda, the bin Ladens and elements of the government of Saudi Arabia;
- the intelligence, including covert software, the full complexity of the US intelligence community, the connections with Wall Street and the Israeli government;
-the carefully designed opportunity on the day of the attacks, the role of the Secret Service and the US Vice President;
- the blatant coverup; and
- the outcome: "The War on Terror" as pretext for the loss of US civil liberties and domination of world oil reserves."

I would suggest a notepad for taking notes; you'll need it.

Michael C. Ruppert really deserves six stars for his books content and for his dogged bravery. The writing is a bit flawed and long but not the content. If one twentieth of what Ruppert claims is true then the people all over the world have been hoodwinked by the Bush Cheneny empire and their sinister politicization of 9/11.

Ruppert shows convincingly that some in our government had prior knowledge of the 9/11 attacks and let them happen anyway so that more Oil could be gleaned for our consumption. (Not that this even worked!) He demonstrates insider trading that allowed profiteering from the attacks. He shows FAA and NORAD evidence and timelines that conflict the "official" story. He is exhaustive in what he shows.

It's really easier not to believe any of this and that's the problem many will and do have with books like this. But when Senator Max Cleland tells us the 9/11 Kean report is a sham combined with all the other upsetting things you really do have to wonder where is the outcry and why this has not been righted.

I went on line to check some things because I was so jaw droopingly amazed. They checked out.

The travesty is huge and easier not to believe. I took me years to shift my thinking about 9/11 but this tome has helped. If more than one twentieth is true; lord help us all.

I read this book while working on my own story: The SHELL GAME, which takes many of the issues and facts presented in Rubicon and fast-forwards to 2012 when Iran will be in a position to provide enriched uranium to terrorists. Michael Ruppert's book should be required reading; moreover, it should have compelled our Congress to investigate instead of placate the Bush Administration. You cannot read this book with feeling anger, and Ruppert is to be praised for his work.
--Steve Alten, author THE SHELL GAME (Jan. 22, 2008)

A timely revelation of facts and events that the lamestream media has conveniently omitted. Much of what we hear in the news makes no sense in the backdrop of what we see from the misleading perpectives of the "right " or left" , but this book explains the process behind much of what is going on. Being aware of the government's role in 9/11as described by Ruppert and watching the constant consolidation of power by the administration enables one to predict with some certainty the future: decreasing oil supplies not meeting population demands, resource wars (the imminent Iranian attack) to maintain our lifestyle, massive population declines as oil-based food production drops dramatically, and the imposition of martial law over an increasingly pacified Congress and "terror-conditioned" population.

There is an overwhelming amount of more than just circumstantial evidence here that our goverment aided the 9-11 attacks. As for peak oil being the prime motive, I don't know, if that were the case, wouldn't the world have unraveled even more by now? In any case, it was also entertaining, not your father's conspiracy theory. If Thomas Malthus, Stephen King, Tom Clancy, and Oliver Stone got together to write a book, this would be the result.

Riveting, provoking and disturbing are the three adjectives for Crossing the Rubicon. It is a page turner, filled with fascinating details about 9/11, the CIA and our government. Surely, for the truth seeker, this book is captivating.

Be alert, sober and a critical thinker. Be willing to question all that you learned...for things are not as they appear...or what we have been indoctrinated to believe.

Read the book.

Also, take a look at Catherine Austin Fitts' website solari dot com

This books absolutely blew me away. I don't even know what else to say.

Ruppert argues his case in the book as if presenting to jury. The only defense to the book's logical conclusion is that Cheney and Co. weren't cross examined; but since the Administration refused at all cost the 9/11 Commission's establishment and their own sworn testimony before it, that's about all the proof we need of their treason.

READ THE BOOK. Read the 9/11 commission report, and then Whiteout (by Cockburn and St. Clair) and every other expose of CIA drug dealing and covert terrorism in alliance with Nazis and neo-Nazis...I mean, neo-conservatives. You'll be convinced, if you can handle it that is.

This is a well done researched book that taps into the Official 9/11 Commission Report myth. Who was behind 9/11, what prompted it, and what was the purpose and consequences for the US political process. The books delineates in detail the CIA's involvement with the drug trade and arming foreign guerillas to meet their own needs and their involvement with events leading up to 9/11 along with the FBI, Military Industrial Complex, and Wall St. This detective journalism at its best. If you ever wanted to know what and who was REALLY behind 9/11, I highly recommend this book. It is quite extensive with lots of hard factual information. If you are looking for stats like the guy below, this is not for you. Instead, the book acts like a "connect the dots puzzle" that flows consistently throughout the book. I think this will seriously change how you view the US political and governmental system.

I was looking for more statistical information and got a political diatribe. The looming energy crisis is everyone's problem and we should all invest our time and energy in solutions not this riff raff.

Mike Ruppert, Former LAPD Narcotics agent begins the book with background into the established complicity of the CIA. The US's CIA & mafia trading drugs for Weapons to Iran back in 1977, and revealing the US governments liquid assets from money laundering to the tune of 500bil to 1.5 trillion- a year.
He presents back ground info as if he were speaking to a Jury; Further defining Peak Oil as a commodity that will cease to exist in our Children and grand Children's lifetime. We are on the down side of peak oil.
Further, he points out motive and back ground from Zbigniew Brzezinski's "The Grand Chessboard......" Regarding the Civil war In Afghanistan with Russia as destabilization of the Soviet Union for the US to proceed with their illegal, self serving agenda, etc.
I've been familiar with Mike Ruppert's work through his website.
His work has been congruent with my own research, and other research the author makes reference to in the book: ie; The Center For Cooperative Research Timeline, which I've had the pleasure of working with Paul Thompson on. I have recommended this book to many on another site who are all working on putting the pieces of that day together.
I am grateful to see so many in the EU working diligently on this historical day of tragedy (That was swept under the proverbial carpet) and subsequent propaganda by the US Government, and Bush's premeditated, yet falsely preemptive attack on Iraq.

Mike Ruppert, Former LAPD Narcotics agent begins the book with background into the established complicity of the CIA. The US's CIA & mafia trading drugs for Weapons to Iran back in 1977, and revealing the US governments liquid assets from money laundering to the tune of 500bil to 1.5 trillion- a year.
He presents back ground info as if he were speaking to a Jury; Further defining Peak Oil as a commodity that will cease to exist in our Children and grand Children's lifetime. We are on the down side of peak oil.
Further, he points out motive and back ground from Zbigniew Brzezinski's "The Grand Chessboard......" Regarding the Civil war In Afghanistan with Russia as destabilization of the Soviet Union for the US to proceed with their illegal, self serving agenda, etc.
I've been familiar with Mike Ruppert's work through his website.
His work has been congruent with my own research, and other research the author makes reference to in the book: ie; The Center For Cooperative Research Timeline, which I've had the pleasure of working with Paul Thompson on. I have recommended this book to many on another site who are all working on putting the pieces of that day together.
I am grateful to see so many in the EU working diligently on this historical day of tragedy (That was swept under the proverbial carpet) and subsequent propaganda by the US Government, and Bush's premeditated, yet falsely preemptive attack on Iraq.

If you think you know the oil business and how it effects our country and the globe - you're wrong. This book is packed with factual information and historical accounts; all which is documented and archived.

I am more educated on how our government and other governments are oil reactionary. From drugs, to covert operations (Bay of Pigs), military operations, to government greed and cover-ups, this tells it all; everything the media neglected to report or publish.

This book is about cold, factual information and NOT politcal agendas. Mr. Ruppert reports on both conservative and liberal government activity.

Thought provoking and educational. It is so overwhelming with data, I have re-read chapters. I now understand how our economy is actually driven and why our position is no different then other world economies. "He with the most muscle (or nuclear weapons) controls resources and wins".

Read it.

First I watched the DVD "Loose Change" and ended up with more questions than answers. One of the suggested books was Ruppert's "Crossing the Rubicon". This is a MUST read for anyone who thinks there was something wrong with the "offical" explanation of 9/11. If you have one question about the whole incident or if you just feel that something isn't quite right, this is the book to read. I don't know what happened to Ruppert...he got sick...he dropped out of sight. But then over 11 microbiologics have died under mysterious circumstances in the last couple of years. (Google it!)

What does our government have planned for us? I'm looking at FEMA and the Patriot Act in a whole new light. What happened to our constitution and our Bill of Rights? Most people are only too happy to tune in to their latest soap opera or People Magazine and zone out. Don't want to know...don't care..just leave me alone...attitudes.

Americans have to get involved and read what's really going on regarding globalism. And not from the corporate owned publications or watching the corporate owned networks but by reading independent books and watching independent films. Then do your own homework. This is the only way people will come out of their stupors and start asking important questions.

Cynic that I am, I doubt this will happen and we will watch the world disintegrate. The next war will be Iran. Why? Read the book!

Michael Ruppert was fully conscious that 9/11 was aided and abetted by insiders in our government on the day the towers went down. His work tracking corruption in our government since the 1970's put him in a position to track all the inside workings needed to present a jury ready case against the Bush administration. This book is a must read. If the United States has any hope of returning to it's original Constitutional Government, the people have to know what is really happening. Ruppert knows how the corruption works and he has laid out just how low our leaders will go to maintain the cash cow our Nation has become to them. Buy a copy of this book for everyone you know.

I really enjoyed this book and, yes, actually read the whole thing. I think it is well worth buying and reading for a number of different reasons. That said, let's address the author for a moment. My only concern is that Mike Ruppert is obviously--and now that his meltdown is complete (see the "From the Wilderess" website for details)--a swindler at heart. This new information detracts from the credibility of his work, especially since many of his claims cannot be independently verified. Now I know that his minions will arise and slay me for such slander (and undoubtedly claim that his downfall was a government conspiracy), but--as someone who relies on empirical evidence to make decisions--I think he has played his last snake-oil card.

Author states the obvious - USA very powerful, controlled by our most powerful citizens, they fight to maintain our wealth and dominance, many suffer from a lack of ethics, and the fight over a precious resource (oil) remains a main source of conflict. Author ignores the ingenuity, optimism, and resolve of the American people to consistently do what is right and necessary. We will get rid of bad leaders, solve the oil crisis with new technologies, and continue to lead.

Very well written and researched (I am even on one page re: my online article on Secret Service agent Emory Roberts). Michael Ruppert is to be commended for his bravery and his integrity. Do yourself a favor---get this!

I've known authors of this type. Their compulsive personalities make them extraordinary at gathering information from a wide range of sources. But their tragic flaw is always the same: When it comes down to putting the information together and formulating logical theories, they fall way short of the mark. I've only read one sixth of the book, and already I can mention a dozen examples of hearsay, fiction and blanket acusations. He seems to think that the CIA controls Wallstreet. I don't believe that. And neither should you. Shame if you do. Now: Is there a lot of drug money in Wallstreet? Yes there is. Why? People like money. Period. Second. He says that the CIA controls the world-wide drug trade. As if it is a nationally-sanctioned enterprise. Instead of seeing it for what it is: To avoid 'international incidents', the CIA routinely uses mercenaries (easy to disavow). These mercenaries have their little side-businesses going. The CIA looks the other way. Period. National Security is a Prime Imperative. Drug Enforcement is not part of the CIA's charter. That explains Oliver North. He was a 'handler' for a group of mercenaries, and it blew-up in his face. Ruppert even goes so far as to include Clinton in the festivities. Can you picture Bubba eating a Bic Mac and running black ops from the oval office? This is ridiculous. Every political scientist worth his salt knows there was animosity between his White-House and the intelligence/military community.
Having said that, his Peak Oil info is DEAD-ON. (Even though his grim sociological forecast is a joke). No sir, the future will not be 'Mad Max: The Road Warrior'. It will be more like WWII, when people were rationed. There will be a curfew. There will be martial law in a few cities. We will have few material goods and a centrally-controlled economy. In other words, it'll be like living in 1950's post-war England. America will have then reached maturity in an age of scarcity and scary environmental change. BUT WE WILL SURVIVE.
There is one eerie part of the book. VERY EERIE. He mentions that global economic decline due to oil shortages will mean that four billion people have to die. He mentions that the governments of the world have contemplated dealing with the matter in ugly and pragmatic ways. THAT, I BELIEVE. Because logic dictates that national-security-contingencies-protocols are obligated to deal with every foreseeable threat. And mass genocide might be in the cards, before the century is through (selective, rather than random and chaotic thinning of the herd, as a preventive measure). Some acuse the European Union and the USA for doing just such a thing in Africa, by going out of their way to prevent Africans access to AIDS medications and treatment.
He mentions that Cheney has 45 million dollars worth of Halliburton shares in his portfolio. B. S. It's six million. He's disclosed it. He's not as wealthy as many think.
Also. Did Bush and Cheney plan 9-11? No. Not necessary. If, theoretically, someone wanted to give the nation a wake-up call, to prepare it and retool it for way-larger disasters to come, all they would have to do is look the other way to one of the dozens of threats that are thwarted each year (and that we never find out about). So, it is plausible that the right-wing elements of the CIA and NSA might have misplaced a memo or two on-purpose, but the whole thing about remote-controlling those Boeing jets is just stupid. Another reason why the 'did Bush plan 9-11' myth is implausible is for the following reason: Republicans run the Executive Branch based on the theory of 'Plausible Deniability', so as not to suffer another Nixon fiasco. What does this mean exactly? They govern by comittee and have one man that is out of the loop and is basically a friendly spokesman. THAT man, is called The President. Ask any Political Scientist at your local college. They'll agree.
Is the book worth buying? Sure. It gets us talking, so it's doing it's job.
Bye, I'm off to read the other 500 pages.

This book is not for those who are looking for a quick read. It takes awhile to get through if you want to absorb and digest all the information it contains. However, if you do make it through it you will look at our government, and how we live our lives and the use of petroleum based products in an entirely new way. Some may call it conspiracy theory, fear mongering, or downright treasonous, but the footnotes are there to check the authors work. After reading it I had many doubts about our government, and many unanswered questions.

Ruppert's book pulls a lot of stuff together -- maybe in the end, too much. I was weary of it after 590 pages, and his concluding argument "summation to the jury" was to me the weakest chapter in the book. Perhaps it is just not possible, yet, to boil down Peak Oil, Patriot Act shenanigans, govt complicity in 9-11, PROMIS software and the kitchen sink into a single Theory of Everything. However, the author deserves a high grade for trying and is certainly worth reading.
Conspiracy theories are always interesting, but ultimately become just a weird dream. The world as observed every day is just not that organized. It is very competitive, full of lots of motivations: selfishness, greed, altruism, power, weakness, lust, and lots of other adjectives in myriad languages and civilizations, which makes a difference. Could even Dick Cheney could rule this world? The author seems to view Cheney as an extraordinarily powerful, evil genius, heading up a strategic, technological and imperial marvel. Does the daily evidence prove this out?
The book might've actually been stronger had the author not tried to pull it all together!
However, it isn't fair to this book to derisively call it a "conspiracy tract." The book leaves the reader with much to think about, including an alternative view of the history of what happened with Afghanistan and the whole Central Asian region during the last 20 or 30 years. People who think this region disappeared from the U.S. strategic map after the Soviet Empire fell are very wrong.
I'd have to read a lot of other opinions about whether Peak Oil is what Ruppert says it is, but his view of how the govt and oil industry would react doesn't seem unlikely. Whether these "powers" would drive 9-11 to force the U.S. to "send in the cavalry"....not at all convinced. Ruppert doesn't seem to give much credence to the ambitions of those currently identified as the perpetrators. This seems like a huge blind spot: perhaps one caused by too rich a view of the West's power and endless hegemony.
However, the author does open eyes to the complexity of 9-11 in terms of what would motivate such an obscenity and how the event would, and has played out in the machinations of various interests around the world.

Crossing the Rubicon was one of the first books I read in this subject area, but I've subsequently realised it is the best. Michael Ruppert was someone I found out about when, like many, I tried finding out about the realities of 9/11 and the politics and manoeuvring behind the scenes. I watched one of his lectures delivered at a University in which he covers, at a high level, all the major topics addressed in Crossing the Rubicon.

Rupert uses the massive interest in the attacks of 9/11 to get the reader interested, and then begins on his analysis. The core issues discussed in the book are:

- The role 'Peak Oil' plays in the geopolitical world
- US markets dependence on the 'liquid cash' of drug money
- Links between wall street and CIA - to the point where he concludes 'wallstreet is the CIA, CIA is wallstreet'.
- CIA drug trafficking and money laundering, including details of covert operations and how they were covered up.
- US tactics used to destabilise governments and support coups in strategic areas
- Mike Vreeland - who predicted the 9/11 attacks in details months prior and tried warning the government - something that is officially recorded.
- PROMIS software and the its role in the world of high tech crime.
- Blow-by-Blow analysis of the events of 9/11, and the best timeline I have read to date. Ruppert details the chain of command on the day, other events scheduled for that same day, the role of war games being played out on the day also.
- Biological warfare is looked at, exploring who was behind the 'anthrax' samples spread to people in the US via mail, and a look at the scary world of forced vaccinations and their results
- We end with another look at 'Peak Oil' and predictions about where the 'war on terror', which is really a 'war on oil and drugs', will go next.

This book has been a massive education for me. It is a disturbing book and its details will make readers very uncomfortable and at times just plain angry that such information is not being broadcast to the masses on TV. I cannot say that I checked all the hundreds of references in this book, but the ones I did check out were all credible. Reading this books gives you a much clearer picture of what is really going on in the world today and what are its driving forces
and who are the key players.

Many people are misdirecting their criticism of the 'war on terror' and as a Muslim I know many feel its a war on Islam. After reading this book I can know say confidently 'Its not a war on Islam, as the US need Saudi Arabia as a strong ally to get at Saudi oil, to have them as a key supporter of it Persian gulf area. They are key as approximately $700 billion of Saudi Money is invested in the US economy'. Before reading this book I could not have given, nor would have given that answer.

There are two small things that detract slightly from this book in my view and they are the following:


1. Using 9/11 to get people interested.
Ruppert talks about a lot more than 9/11, but he continually refers to it to keep the readers interest. The same can be seen in his lectures. This is a minor point, but at times it is a bit irritating for the readers who are prepared to wait and do not need to hear 'ok - we are going to get to the juicy part in a few pages!' constantly.


2. Self Importance + Promotion of From the Wilderness Magazine

Ruppert is constantly quoting from his magazine 'From the Wilderness' which is a subscription only publication, and many times he talks about how his predictions were right, how 'From the Wilderness' readers had this information in advance, and there is a lot of self promotion. This, again, is a minor criticism as he is selling products, like all of us he has to make a living etc. It does not detract from the material, but at times it can be frustrating.


Its interesting to note that in the US this book on Amazon has mixed reviews from readers, with some angrily opposed to its content. In the UK based Amazon reviews its has 100% 5-star record. The reason is simple - the book paints a very negative picture of the US government, and its foreign policy, and for some this is just too much to deal with. Denial is then the only path to avoid massive guilt for Americans who support - or have supported - the current administration.

To conclude this book is a must read for everyone. Its 600 pages, so that will immediately limit its appeal, but its the most rewarding political book I have read to date. Its analysis fits world events and it opens the readers eyes to the real issues in the world today.

I recommend anyone considering this book should buy it read it right till the end - as there are some special bits of information saved till the very last chapter.

Michael Ruppert's book, "Crossing the Rubicon" rips veil after veil away from your eyes. It is well written and well edited, and flows along briskly. I couldn't put it down. His ideas are backed up by hundreds of footnotes, which serve as a springboard for your own research. If you are happy in a make-believe world, don't bother reading this book. If you want to take the "red pill" and see the matrix, buy this book. I am recommending it to every one I can. Entertaining and horrifying at the same time.

There are a vast multitude of books in the marketplace concerning the attacks of September 11, 2001. Some are worthwhile, offering up new sums of evidence and reasonable speculation worthy of inquiry. Still others are riddled with disinformation and misinformation, losing valuable facts in snowdrifts of paranoia that serve to distract readers from more important issues, whether or not by design (ie The Pentagon "missile" myth, controlled demolitions, etc). I was hesitant to fight my way through Ruppert's screed at first until I read a statement from him on his website that correlated my own belief: While the idea of demolitions or substitutes for aircraft are interesting, they will never be proved in the long run due to the destruction of physical evidence, much like the argument over the possible shootdown of Flight 93. Ruppert instead focuses on documents, news sources, eyewitness testimony, firsthand experience, and more to build his case.

Ruppert's hypothesis: The world is running out of hydrocarbon energy. Oil production is at or close to its maximum level of production; Once that level is crossed, you will never be able to pump that much oil again--ever. This theory is known as "peak oil," and there is an abundance of literature available on this topic as well. Ruppert shows that members of the Bush administration, well linked to the oil industry, are concerned about the effects of such a shortage. The one person he proves is knowledgable about peak oil is Dick Cheney through the text of a speech Cheney delivered in 1999.

Ruppert then moves on to show that the reason for concern isn't necessarily for the well being of the American populace or even the world at large, but for the survival of the corrupt American empire, a behemoth built on laundered drug money, black ops, CIA initiated coups d'etat and assassinations, rigged elections, and propaganda. Oil is what makes the system stay alive--and thus, it keeps the way of life for the elite powers alive.

Mike Ruppert continues further to show how this empire, frightened of the possibility of its demise, began planning to invade Eurasia as early as the late 1990s, as evidenced by neo-con motivated texts such as Brzezinski's "Grand Chessboard" and Rebuilding America's Defenses from the Plan For A New American Century. Their reason? To secure the last remaining oil reserves on Planet Earth, located in an area west of Iran that includes most of Iraq and the UAE. This happens to be the same area that Dick Cheney's Energy Task Force focused on when meeting just after coming into office in 2001--a fact that is pretty damning.

The writer goes on to show how the attacks were set up through Bin Laden, who the author believes was and still is a CIA/Wall Street asset, a mercenary for hire of sorts for the corporatocracy, which gives Nafeez Ahmed's findings of al-Qaeda being used in Western military campaigns a little more credence. Setting up the attacks through various fronts including al-Qaeda, the CIA, Pakistan's ISI, and others, the real question was ensuring the desired result. In other words: Shutting down defense and investigations through moles and republished directives on procedures.

Ruppert also makes one of the best cases for the influence of multiple war game exercises being responsible for the paralysis of air defense, and his research into the links between insider trading of affected stocks in the 9/11 tragedy with CIA Executive Director Buzzy Krongard, formerly of AB Brown, a bank linked to the insider profiteering.

All of this information is condensed by Ruppert to show a willful manipulation of both the defense and law enforcement sectors to ensure that 9/11 would transpire in order to provide a sufficient pretext for the War On Terror, which will likely become a decades-long crusade for energy and resources. He also makes a good case for the development of Homeland Security and the USA Patriot Act as a means to control dissent and populations once energy shortages become more apparent and civil disorder becomes likely.

What makes the book even better is the amount of sourcing and annotated footnotes he provides at the end to show that he's not just making this stuff up out of thin air.

Indeed, it is still a very circumstantial case. I don't think it would convict anyone where it stands. However, it's a great start. With sufficient inquiry and subpoeanas from uncompromised investigators and legislators, the blanks could be filled in.

Overall, Ruppert's presentation is well done. He is articulate, writes in a prose that is not overly academic, and shows he has a well-versed knowledge of covert operations and geopolitics.

Despite this, I fault some of his conclusions, such as his belief that remote control technology was used to pilot the 9/11 planes in their final moments. It's an interesting hypothesis, and he provides sufficient evidence for further investigation, but I personally find the ability to successfully implement it without obstruction or observation unlikely. This doesn't deter the book from being the most important book of the 21st century, however.

Taken in with other 9/11 activist books such as Sander Hicks' "The Big Wedding," Paul Thompson's "The Terror Timeline," and Nafeez Ahmed's "The War on Freedom" and "The War on Truth," this book shows that the 9/11 Commission didn't answer anything, but instead were merely put in place to whitewash and spin the public into thinking a real investigation took place.

Again, the most important book of the 21st Century, one that has been of the highest assistance with understanding continual developments in the world today. Want to know why tensions seem to be growing with Russia and China? Read this book. Want to understand why Venezuela and Cuba are in the picture again? Read this book.

Other reccomended titles similar to understanding the corporate empire: "Dark Alliance" by Gary Webb; "Drug War" by Dan Russell, "Cocaine Politics" by Peter Dale Scott; "Powderburns" by Celerino Castillo; "Deep Politics and the Death of JFK" by Peter Dale Scott; "Politics of Heroin" by Alfred McCoy, and "Barry and the Boys" by Daniel Hopsicker.

Essential!

First of all the research that went into this book is astounding. Both his resources and grasp of geopolitics seem limitless. This book is choc full of (very often cited) information. And to his credit, Ruppert says right from the start that he is merely formulating a THEORY of what happened based on the the resources available to him.

Now, The Form:

Since there is SO much data here, I find him going off on long and hyper-detailed arguments where at the end of the chapter, I have no clue (until the end of the book) as to where this fit in to his final, meta argument. In fact, I never knew precisely what his argument was until the end of the book.

For example; for a while he will talk about the CIA and drugs and then he talks about peak oil and then he talks about US foriegn policy in Asia and so on and so on... Its all very interesting but but not entirely clear where he is heading with it all.

The Content:

If I understand him correctly, basically 9/11 was no accident. Worse, it was orchestrated by a handful of people in power as a pretext for taking control of the Middle East and it's oil because, (Surprise Surprise!), its about to run out.

Personnally I can't swallow the idea that the CIA (no matter how corrupt) and al Qaeda worked together for 9/11. Its even more absurd a notion than as Saddam working with al Qaeda.

However, did certain people in power know that an attack was eminate and allowed it to 'go down' for a geopoltical ends? Perhaps. Did Mossad, know? They would have to have been stupid not to have know, and Mossad is far from stupid.

The thing is, one could gather thousands of documents supporting any theory you choose, (especially with a notoriously opaque White House) but in the end it is still just speculation.

Quick Version of My Review (and method of evaluating reviews):
Read all the negatives and decide if they sound reasonable and persuasive. I did, and they were not enough to dissuade me from buying this book. It arrived yesterday, and I've been enjoying it thoroughly since then. I'm happy to have disregarded the negative reviews.

Full Version:
As a person who spends a great deal of time using a computer for work, it is inevitable that on the occasional break I also use it for personal reasons such as shopping. Early on, it became apparent to me that one of the most useful methods for evaluating a product was using the customer reviews--but in a very specific manner; that manner being, read the negative reviews *first.*

In my experience, doing so will help you save a great deal of time and potentially, frustration. By reading the negative reviews first, I am typically able to answer a very important question quickly. That question is, "Does the problem lie with the product/service in question, or with the end user/reviewer?"

A great example of the usefulness of this sort of examination would be examining the reviews for nearly any technology product. Any tech company that sells products to the general public is forced to dedicate an extraodinary amount of resources in dealing with the ignorance of the general public and their inability to effectively problem solve. Do a quick search on Google regarding tech support issues, and you'll almost always find (like all tech companies have found) that the single greatest issue with any product is user error. A great example for the flip side of the same coin would be the Apple iPod. A device that is so simple that a person with severely impaired mental capacity is able to use and enjoy it. While the iPod is undeniably a great product, it is not the standard by which all others should be evaluated. If that degree of product usability were required for everything prior to their release, then we'd see a massive reduction in the variety of goods, as well as an enormous slowdown in their rate of development/deployment. Not everybody needs or wants a product to be simplified to such a large degree.

The point here being, a lot of people are perfectly willing to leave a negative review, completely disregarding the possibility that the problem is not with the product or service, but with themselves.

So, I have found that when evaluating a product or service, a quick scan of the negative reviews is often the very best source of information for what I can expect. If the negative reviewers have objective complaints (like: "the battery life is only 2 hours on a full charge when it was advertised to be 8 hours"), and they are consistent and overwhelming then it I often choose to respect the experience of others and avoid that product. However, if the negative reviewers have primarily subjective complaints (like: "this is hard to use," or "I don't like it") then I have to attempt to determine how much the reviewer is like myself. Most of the time, those negative reviews are from people who seem to be, in my opinion at least, unqualified to be reviewing the product in question.

This method has proven very useful, and I've found myself to be very pleased with the purchases I've made based upon reviews posted on the internet. I think for anybody considering the purchase of this book, it would be a particularly instructive exercise and a productive use of your time. Read the negative reviews first and ask yourself:

1. Did this person acutally read the book? (surprisingly, it appears several negative reviews were from people that had *never* read it)

2. Does it appear this person had a complete grasp of the materials presented?

3. Does this person appear capable of providing objective insights into the quality of the material, or are they primarily reacting to it?

4. Does this person clearly express their ideas, applying a thought process (and using a vocabulary) that I can identify with?

By this point you should have a pretty good grasp of whether or not the review is credible and if it is useful to you personally. Now this probably is not a novel solution, and I do not claim to be the first person to apply it. But in my cursory examination of the negative reviews for this book, I did not find them to be overwhelmingly credible or persuasive. Any negative reviews consisting of one or two lines only were discarded summarily since they consist of nothing but opinion--typically one that was poorly reasoned and expressed. Longer reviews were read and considered. Jill Malter's review sounds too personal for me to take seriously--she sounds sincere and I have the impression that she may be a very likable person--but her review is full of emotion, the type of reaction that reveals more of a dogmatic *reaction* to the book than a thoughtful rejection of it. Harold D. Smith provides a more thoughtful, objective and nuanced review--one that I look forward to comparing with my own experience.

This sort of book requires you to intentionally assume a highly skeptical position and to evaluate the concepts and "proof" presented with a critical eye. You have to be able to maintain a certain level of personal indifference, particularly regarding any potentially dogmatic beliefs you may hold about the virtue of governments in general, and of the American government in particular. And you have to be patient. This is not the sort of material you can easily race through and expect to have given it a fair, but critical reading.

If you can do those things, I'd recommend it. One thing, however, is certain: You will get a good mental workout (if you are up to it). If you cannot, chances are very good that you too will feel like those who gave this book an unearned negative review. And like those readers, the problem will not have been with the material per se, but perhaps with a reader who is unable to master it.

I currently purchased this book with cash from my local bookstore because of some "problems" posted by another reviewer of a similar book (the book was stopped at a nearby military base for a short period before being delivered.) I didn't want to take any chances.

The information in this book is nothing short of explosive and, though I am only 160 pages into it, it has officially burst my bubble (a bubble manufactured by the mainstream media's reluctance to be straight with the American people.)

This book, with so many verifiable references, is perfect for us "factinistas" who champion the truth. I believe the American people can handle the truth.

The American people may not be so outraged about oil company profits if they knew that oil company exec's were not just pillaging the American's people's pocketbooks to buy more yachts and summer homes - they're doing it because they need excess profits to invest in alternative fuel sources so that they don't go bankrupt.

As long as American's refuse to see what is right in front of their faces, as long as their realities consist of only what the mainstream media CHOOSES to show them, the American people will continue to be misled and Peak Oil will force the American way of life to become (gasp!) negotiable.

Wake up people and read this book!

1) The moon is made of cheese.

2) Cats and dogs never fight as they are natural allies.

3) Depending upon what the meaning of "is" is, William Jefferson Clinton "is" the most honest man in America; he never inhaled when he smoked his joints.

4) George W. Bush is a master linguist who could educate William Shakespeare when it comes to proper usage of the English language.

5) The United States government has never deviated from The Constitution and the intent with which the Founders framed it.

6) The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a hard-core conservative organization bent on stamping out collectivism from the public consciousness.

7) Ann Coulter is a radical Left-wing liberal and a secret card-carrying member of the Communist party.

8) Pedophiles are anathema to the Catholic church which leaves no stone unturned when investigating and excommunicating deviants within its priesthood.

9) The current administration is exceedingly concerned about the negative impact that illegal aliens are having on American society; it is determined to round them up and prevent their unauthorized return.

10) The Federal Reserve Bank is a government entity which was formed solely in order to regulate the American economy, prevent boom/bust cycles, and ensure an equitable financial system that would be beneficial to the U.S. citizenry.

11) The Bill of Rights was conceived and enacted as a safeguard against the personal liberties of the populace usurping power that rightfully belongs to the benevolent and omniscient Federal government. Too much individual freedom tends to interfere with the ability of the elected representatives and government bureaucracies to control and manipulate the nation's citizens for the good of the people.

12) The great tragedy that occurred on September 11, 2001 was entirely unforeseeable, unpreventable, and unimaginable. The disloyal rabble-rousers in America who insist that highly placed government officials had foreknowledge of the terrorist attacks and yet allowed them to be perpetrated for political expediency, should be confined in a communist gulag for their un-American paranoia! All men and women who question the veracity and altruism of U.S. government leaders are not fit to call themselves Americans, nor to fly the Stars and Stripes on the Fourth of July. That flag and that holiday should be celebrated only by citizens who meekly and unquestioningly follow government edicts and media pundits. Books such as 'CROSSING THE RUBICON' present a serious danger to the status quo and ought to be publicly burned along with the unpatriotic drunkards who read them!

I think there was a thirteenth Truth also; something about the health benefits of imbibing 100 proof whiskey. But I can't find my notes at the moment because the room is spinning and my desk is out of focus.

Lots of hard-line and well-researched documentation and irrefutible/undeniable evidence. Everything from the CIA and drug cartels, and dick cheney's enron ties, to the events which led directly to the WTC's (I believe controlled demolitions, I can clearly see through the fascade whoever can not is really neeeding to remove their blinders i.e., the governments bogus front). He has produced an absolute oustanding publishing achievement here, a must read for seekers of the real truth out there. Wake up people, do your homework, it doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out what is really going on and what is un-doubtedly at risk.

This is a in- depth study of why the Western world governments act as they do. The answer is money.Pure and simple. He who controls the resourses, has the power. Who has the power collects the money. The money for these leaders and string pullers, is an addiction which they cannot control.

Mike Ruppert, an ex cop turned answer hunter, has put a great book out there which I reckon everyone in the western world needs to read to see what is really going on in this world. Our world has become a much more scary place to be since learning all this uncovered information that our leaders do not want us to know about. We are facing a huge upheaval in our lives in the not too distant future. Unless something is done to stop the IDIOTS who think they know whats best for us, and especially themselves, we are in trouble.

Peak oil is here. With only a few decades of reserves left, the pressure will be comming thick and fast to controll what is left. Crossing the Rubicon takes a good look at how and why the U.S and friends are setting up to be the big bad school yard bullies to gain domination of the world playground.

When I got interested in the subject of 9/11, I read David Griffins book A new Pearl Harbour. Then Webster Tarpleys Synthetic Terror. Now that I have finished Mikes book, I feel that I am a seasoned veteran on this subject. There is just so much relevant info that crops up every day on the news or in the paper that I can relate to. I've even started writing letters to the editor of the local paper on the issuses that concern me that correspond to this book. Every day the world gets a little bit worse off. Unless we stand up and voice these concerns, nothing will get done. We need a Western World Revolution! Now before its too late. Think of the generations to come.

READ THIS BOOK NOW! READ IT NOW!

This is a compelling piece of work. Ruppert has connected enough dots for any reasonable person to shudder at the ugly truth. I fear that supperficial political affiliation (liberal/conservative democrat/Republican)will be the greatest obstacle to any reader grappling with this book. The truth is that, at the highest level, the powers that run our country run both parties. They control the discourse. Eisenhower warned us about the military industrial complex, because he was compelled to accomodate it. Now we are running out of oil, and the beast still must be fed. read this book and weep.

I came to this book from an interest in Peak Oil, but I was suprised to get so much more. Ruppert dissects the whole apparatus of American Empire here, from Wall Street to the White House to the Pentagon.

Yes, he finds conspiracies. But as a former LA cop, he points out that many successful criminal cases allege conspiracy, and that the charge is common in jurisprudence, despite an unjustified prejudice against it in political analysis. And like a determined detective, Ruppert connects the dots of clearly documented evidence to ferret out the criminals and their likely motives for horrendous crimes that affect us all. He says that 9/11 was orchestrated by our own government.

Incredible. It took me some time to get over the intial shock and disbelief. But it's hard to ignore Ruppert's mountains of evidence. The lesson? Don't count on Washington to solve our problems, and they're big ones. Instead, work with concerned citizens to come up with alternatives that go around the government. That seems like a lesson that could save our lives and leave some hope for our kids. Even if you skim Ruppert's 600 pages, you'll be forever changed.

I thought the discussions on Peak Oil were valid, but some of the conclusions made by the author are a little far out. The first half of the book sounded like a conspiracy call-in AM radio talk show.

Worth the read if you really like conspiracies or if you want a different perspective on much of the news of today. As I mentioned, the arguments on peak Oil were pretty good.

None of us are in a position to know if Ruppert has it 100% right. Given the awesome difficulty of what he has attempted, it would be ungrateful of us to demand it. But as reluctant as I've been to accept that the neocon junta that hijacked the government in 2000 could be so evil as to murder its own citizens, *everything* they have done since seizing power has been consistent with such depravity.

These are the monsters who ordered that Iraqi civilians be herded back into Fallujah so they could be slaughtered with illegal chemical weapons. Who are practicing torture in secret prisons- and are keeping the victims alive against their will by ramming feeding tubes up their nostrils.

Perhaps you think that only people unfortunate enough to live on top of oil that we want will end up on the receiving end of America's "compassionate conservatism"?

Then remember the smirking kleptocrats who strummed guitars and went shoe shopping while the nursing homes flooded in New Orleans - and then left the bodies to rot in the streets. Who imprisoned an American citizen without charge for three years. Who proclaim the right to spy on its citizens without warrant. And who are now giving your money to Halliburton to build domestic internment camps... [This is all public record, folks. Look it up yourselves.]

So any honest examination of possible government involvement in 9/11 has to begin with the acknowledgment that the murder of innocents- even American ones - would pose *no moral difficulty at all* for these ruthless and despicable traitors. Then you simply need to ask the question pertinent to any crime: who had the means, motive, and opportunity?

"Vice President" Cheney, anyone?

ok mr. ruppert, you name the problems, what are YOUR solutions? tell me the 'what-would-have-been' geo-political scenarios under president kerry or gore? those were the choices.

seems to have been researched very meticulosly...and presents very good arguments for most all of its suppositions

Before writing this review, having read the book nearly two years ago now and being somewhat skeptically minded myself, I read all of the one, two, and three star reviews of the book just to get a feel of what real dissent exists on the content of Mr. Ruppert's work. These reviews were quite telling in that they tended to be very brief (lacking any substanitive rebuttals of his work), extremely ad hominem, and even resorting to words like "crap" to convey their opinions. The most common critcism in these reviews, though, was the blanket dismissal of this work as "conspiracy theory". Indeed, these two words serve as a very effective straw man against anyone or any argument that smacks of collaborative corruption within our government or private enterprise. "Conspiracy theory" effectively neutralizes any thesis that begins to question the unimpeachable motives of our leaders. Apparently, though, these people are perfectly content to accept the extremely conspiratorial explainations offered by our government and investigative entities for the events that have transpired over the past five years: Muslim evildoers relentlessly plotting against America bacause they hate our freedom. Enter the current administration with its perfect solution: Fight terror to spread freedom (you know, like buy low, sell high, it's just that simple!) To these detractors, I'd like to point out that no matter what your paradigm concerning current events are, it's fundamentally conspiratorial.

My dissent was, for the most part, echoed in most of the four and five star reviews of the book. The Vreeland chapters could have been axed, the self agrandizing anecdotes and rhetoric could have been toned back a bit considering the subject matter, but more fundamentally, the moral indignation of the entire book I think was a bit overblown and only serves to confound understanding of that day as, perhaps, strategically necessary. Would we be better served by a government who acted "morally" and, in the process, let the economy collapse in the process? My opinion is emphatically no. The practice of statecraft has never been about conventional notions of "good" and "evil" (i.e Machiavelli). Captialism, on the scale that we experience it here in America, is fundamentally tied to war. War requires mobilization. Mobilization requires either a strong sense of purpose, fear, or both. Axiomatically, we arrive at 911. Moral indignation absolves the individual American of self responsiblilty for these acts. Collective ignorance, gulliblily, and the never-ending materialistic lust of the American people are the true culprits of 911. Like it or not, this is your past, present, and future. Regardless, my hats off to Mr. Ruppert. His book served as a mobilizing factor in my life, driving home that I had better live it to it's fullest, NOW! Thanks.

According to Michael Ruppert the evidence points to the fact that the war in Iraq was never about terrorism and WMDs, it was, and is, about securing Middle East oil for use in the United States. Michael Ruppert writes that America is not what it appears to be, and the past revelations of the Iran/Contra affair was just the tip of the iceberg. However, I am not convinced that Ruppert is right saying that the Bush administration knew something was up before 9/11 occurred, and used the attack as a pretext for the war in the Middle East. It could have happened that way, or the attack happened and was not stopped from sheer incompentency, and afterward I can certainly see that it was used as an excuse to invade the Middle East. Jimmy Carter has called the war "immoral", and that is what it is, a filthy resource war. Ruppert documents in detail the attack on the Bill Of Rights with the Patriot Act, and I remember before the war that the Bush Administration tried to make it seem unpatiotic if you were not for the war. The late Carl Sagan warned us of unbridled nationalism (Nazi Germany, a good example), and here we have dangerous nationalism posing as patiotism, and most Americans cannot tell the difference. Ruppert calls the United States the "Empire", and Empires always end badly. There are a thousand points of interest in this book, a real shocker really, with greed and conflicts of interest permeating everything. Michael Ruppert also discusses world-wide peak oil production in depth, and it's implications.

This is the kind of book, that after reading it, I had to let it sink in, and consider the implications. If only 10% of what Ruppert writes is true it would be an incrimination of many things. Also, Ruppert writes that the Bush administration is so far to the right on the political spectrum that they could be considered facist, with unheard of executive powers and corporate interests ruling our country. Much of the book covers the loss of civil liberties in the U.S. and the recent disclosure of illegal domestic spying is one example, Bush even wants to the congratulated for this, the arrogance! I don't believe Ruppert is right in everything he states, for instance, he claims that Bush is "mentally ill", I would disagree and say that Bush, in my opinion, is just ignorant and full of right wing political dogma, mixed with a confused religious perspective, and oftentimes can't tell the difference between illusion and reality. Well, I agree with many that the arrogance G.W. Bush displays is disgusting, very self-righteous, and he tends to see things as either black or white, no in-between, as the world is a complicated place indeed. In the end a person just has to read this book and make up his/her mind.

LAPD officer+journalist. And the product is very good example of investigative journalism.
I've been reading books about 9/11 related issues, but this one is very good summary of almost all matters. This is also the book with the best references. I am not intended to write about the material in the book, but about the book itself.
While the neocons using their own think tanks, Ruppert is on the right way to develop public think tank, open for access to everybody who want to understand the "game" behind curtains. The "game" is very complicated, very illegal and dirty process of controling the earth ressources. Buy this book and read it carrefuly. Then you gonna figure it out that whole our life and life of our children is controlled by bunch of old megalomaniacs, greedy for money and power.
And see the irony in the whole process. We believe them because they have status. We have been trained to believe in people with status and authorities. Buy this book and read it. Read how these megalomaniacs using your votes to kill 3000 innocent americans and thousands of others in the war of oil and global dominance.
I like people like Michael Ruppert and their bravery. They oppening our eyes and helping us to seek the truth. Maybe you will not find the truth in this book, but certainly it will help you to seek it.