Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper describes his book as a catalog of 50 years of American national intelligence, and it is encyclopedic; his memory—or his note-taking—is prodigious, so this book will undoubtedly be useful to future historians of post-Cold War American intelligence. But his last few weeks ministering to President-elect Donald Trump helped him clarify the role and purpose of intelligence as speaking truth to power, telling policy makers exactly what they have observed and letting the chips fall. The book’s title comes from a quote by Gen. George Patton, who counseled generals to assess their facts and fears before going into battle, and if the facts supported war, then they could confidently set fears aside. He is rightly offended by Trump’s insistence on playing fast and loose with facts. “I’ve seen our country become so polarized because people live in separate realities in which everyone has his or her own set of facts—some of which are lies knowingly distributed by a foreign adversary,” he writes.

The last chapter outlines the extensive evidence that media outlet Russia Today and a massive social media campaign swung enough votes to win Trump the election. Whether he colluded in the event or not, his failure to address the danger to democracy is an egregious breach of his responsibility in and of itself.