“The Secret Service wanted to get me to Air Force One, and fast. As the motorcade charged down Florida Route 41, I called Condi from the secure phone in the limo. She told me there had been a third plane crash, this one into the Pentagon. I sat back in my seat and absorbed her words. My thoughts clarified: The first plane could have been an accident. The second was definitely an attack. The third was a declaration of war.

“My blood was boiling. We were going to find out who did this, and kick their ass…

“While my emotions might have been similar to those of most Americans, my duties were not. There would be time later to mourn. There would be an opportunity to seek justice. But first I had to manage the crisis. We had suffered the most devastating surprise attack since Pearl Harbor. An enemy had struck our capital for the first time since the War of 1812. In a single morning, the purpose of my presidency had grown clear: to protect our people and defend our freedom that had come under attack…”

***
“I am at peace. I was honored to serve the country. I gave it my all. I’m not desperate to try to shape a legacy, because I fully understand that there needs to be time for history to be able to analyze–for historians to be able to analyze the decisions I made. I’m a content guy. I’ve got a great marriage. I’ve got a lot of friends.”