Our First Scribd Original: Mueller’s War

To understand the special counsel trusted to investigate the most sensitive issue in American politics, we must go back to the military experience that shaped his ideas about honor, duty, and service to the American people.

Now available exclusively on Scribd, Mueller’s War delves into the life of Robert Mueller, the mysterious man behind the Russia investigation and the Mueller Report. Award-winning journalist, Garrett M. Graff, gives us an in-depth account of Mueller’s time as a Marine in the Vietnam War and examines how Mueller’s experience as a lieutenant who led a unit that saw almost nonstop combat shaped him into a smart, decisive, and duty-bound man.

With unprecedented access to Robert Mueller, Graff seeks to help us answer some of the most pressing questions: Who is Robert Mueller, really? What drives him and what makes him tick? And, most importantly, why should America trust the special counsel behind the most important investigation of our time?

Where to find Mueller’s War?

Mueller’s War is part of the Scribd Originals program and is available exclusively on Scribd in ebook and audiobook format.

Want to learn more? Check out this Q&A with author Garrett Graff.

Scribd: You’re known as the preeminent expert on Robert Mueller — when did you first meet Mueller and what, in your opinion, makes him such a fascinating figure?

Garret Graff: I’ve reported and written about Robert Mueller since the spring of 2008, when I first met him while writing a profile of him for Washingtonian magazine, a piece which later grew into my 2010 book, THE THREAT MATRIX. At that time, Mueller was the longest-serving FBI director since J. Edgar Hoover himself but still had a remarkably low profile. When we published the book in 2010, we debated whether to even include his picture on the cover — we worried not enough people would recognize him. Today, of course, years after he thought he was done in public service, he has found himself in his highest-profile and most controversial role yet.

Scribd: MUELLER’S WAR is a captivating look at Mueller’s time as a 24-year-old lieutenant during the most intense years of the Vietnam War. You spoke to several Marines who served under Mueller on the battlefield. What’s the most surprising thing you learned from them?

GG: Frankly, the most interesting thing about his time in Vietnam is that he’s entirely consistent through his life — the things people said about him then are the same people say about him now. What was really surprising, though, was that many of the men I spoke with didn’t realize that the “Lieutenant Mueller” they served with a half-century ago was the same man leading the Russia probe today.

Scribd: You paint Mueller as the ultimate no-nonsense “inquisitor-for-hire,” always focused on the mission at hand. Tell us more about how Mueller’s time in Vietnam informed that mindset, and how you think he’s applied it to the current Russia investigation.

GG: Marines are very tenacious and mission-oriented — and those qualities we see today with Mueller in prosecuting his role as special counsel. Head down, laser-focused, let the work speak for itself, don’t boast. It’s a recipe for success in the Marines and it’s been Mueller’s mantra ever since, too.

Scribd: You draw a lot of parallels between Mueller and President Trump: Both were born of privilege, attended prep school, went onto an Ivy League education. Why do you think Mueller was so strongly drawn to a life of public service, while Trump has (arguably) been most concerned with self-service?

GG: The influence of their fathers mattered a great deal, in both cases. Mueller’s father, a Navy captain in World War II, set him on a path that emphasized the responsibilities of service. Trump’s father, of course, sheltered his son from Vietnam, led him into real estate, and then provided hundreds of millions of dollars to underwrite his son’s career.