Preface -- Introduction: prelude to a war -- Skirmishes -- A slap in the face -- The lady spy -- Settling in -- The "money bill" -- The deal, the "trib" stories, and the meeting -- Confirmation hearing -- The combatants -- The attacked -- The attackers -- Attack! -- Fury and firepower -- Examining Riggs, phase one -- An embarrassing moment -- Behind the lines -- Examining Riggs, phase two -- The stakes -- An annual report -- Examining Riggs, phase three -- The injunction! -- Worries -- Hand-to-hand combat -- The "bad blood" hearing -- Summertime seething -- Indictments "perjury" -- The war's endgame -- Emerging battle plans -- The long wait -- Armageddon -- The aftermath -- Bibliography -- Index -- About the author