New Books Network William Cooper, "The Trial of Donald H. Rumsfeld" (Dlnp, 2025)
Oct 29, 2025
William Cooper, author of The Trial of Donald H. Rumsfeld, dives into his gripping alternative history where Rumsfeld is tried for the 2003 Iraq invasion. Cooper discusses how the events of September 11 fueled his interest in politics and led to this fictional trial at the International Criminal Court. He shares insights on Rumsfeld's rise, a dramatic plotline involving a fictional Iranian war, and the nuanced portrayal of powerful figures and their fallibility. Cooper also hints at potential future projects, including trials of other notorious figures.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Formative Moment Of 9/11
- September 11, 2001 sparked William Cooper's deep interest in politics and international affairs.
- Watching Donald Rumsfeld as Secretary of Defense motivated Cooper to write the novel.
Mixing Fact With Fiction
- The first third of the book accurately charts Rumsfeld's real rise and varied career roles.
- Cooper uses factual background to ground the novel before diverging into alternative history.
Why He Chose Fiction
- Cooper chose historical fiction to avoid nonfiction's constraints and allow creative exploration.
- Fiction lets him dramatize contemporary lessons about power more freely than strict history would.
