Book Description

A bombshell exposé of how a self described "media creation" gets caught up in an illicit "axis of amorality" and a right-wing revolution that’s divided and betrayed the American people and belittled our standing in the world.

From George Bush’s days in the busted oil fields of west Texas, to becoming Enron’s bagman-in-chief, to the real war on Islamic extremism, Saudi ties to terrorism and the WMD deception, the true character of W. Bush, his greed driven politics and the absolute lie of his war on terror are exposed in a clear concise language that all Americans can relate to and understand.

Bush Unplugged is not about tired, old, right-versus-left political bickering and backstabbing. It’s about right vs. wrong, according to time-honored American values and the fundamental principals that 99% of us chose to live and abide by. You won’t find any wild conspiracy theories here - only the little-known, yet documented truths behind the most controversial and divisive figure of the modern age.

Only by coming to terms with who Mr. Bush really is can all Americans honestly evaluate the deceptive, divisive nature of his government—of his special interests, by his campaign contributors and for the top 1 percent wealthiest Americans. And ultimately make a stand for building a renewed sense of American community based on truth, justice and the American way.

"In framing my thesis I took the advice of none other than Rush Limbaugh himself," says Author, Marc Umile. "When listening to Rush during the Clinton years, whether he was talking about Whitewater, Travelgate, Troopergate, this gate, that gate or even the Vince Foster suicide episode, ol’ Rush was always quick to tell his listeners, ‘if you ever want to get to the bottom of any political intrigue, my friends, follow the money! Follow the money trail!’"

In the finest traditions of the right-wing attack machine, Umile takes Limbaugh’s advice and follows George W’s money trail back to his days as a west Texas oilman. And like a bloodhound on a hot scent he follows that trail all the way to the mother of all oil reserves in Iraq. After all, there is simply no better way to evaluate a man’s character, his leadership capabilities, and where he and his folks are really coming from than by FOLLOWING THE MONEY. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Please get off the fence and read this book!!!!
Bush Unplugged is a concise but encyclopedic collection of wrongs that GW, his family and his ilk have perpetrated on the American people and the world. This is truly a mind-boggling, eye-opening book. The research is valid and powerful - all culled from mainstream press and yet, strangely, completely overlooked by the American people. Lately, it seems the pendulum is beginning to swing back to normalcy and this is just the kind of read we need to inspire us to take back our country.

This is not a book for leftist wackos or right wing doughheads. This is a book for real Americans who genuinely care for this great country and are curious as to whether or not it is being shepherded as well as it truly can be?

Ben Franklin would have been PROUD to print this book. This is the exactly the kind of publication one would expect to have seen coming off his press when we were fighting that other enemy who believed in Elitism and Entitlement.

Amen, Mr. Umile. Amen. This book is definitely the medula oblongata of my collection. Thanks.

hardhitting journalism
Marc Umile's "Bush Unplugged," hits the bush administration right between the eyes with a 98 mph fastball. writing in a clear crisp, hardhitting style not seen since the days of the great gonzo journalist,Hunter Thompson, Umile strips the skin off George w Bush and reveals the ugly, dark, deceitful nature of the inner man who is now president of the united states. this honest, articulate assessment of George Bush is must reading for every patriotic american who believes in the america that our forefathers fought and died for. This book will light a fire underneath every American who reads it and inspire one and all with this overriding message: the american people must take back their country from the greedy, corrupt politicians and the powerful monied interests that put them into power. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

"Call the Briefing" Puts You in the White House
"Call the Briefing" by Marlin Fitzwater puts you in the White House. The reader is brought right to the Podium, fielding questions from a voracious Press Corps ready to do almost anything for a story. And you are there with the President and the Cabinet, discussing strategy and estimating every action's media reaction.

It was hard to put this book down. You meet the very idealistic Ronald Reagan and the very professional George H. W. Bush through the eyes of the man who served a Press Secretary in both Administrations. Mr. Fitzwater's longevity in that position attests to his skill at working with the White House insiders and the news media. Many of the events covered are specific to the Reagan and Bush days, but you also experience the many duties of the White House Press Secretary, a role that could give ulcers to almost anyone. This gave me a real appreciation of the "24/7" crises White House Staff in any Administration, must battle every day.

I especially liked Mr. Fitzwater's writing, honed through years of experience. I liked his ability to paint events in a terse yet rich way. All the journeys of Marlin Fitzwater come alive, starting as a farm boy in Abeliene, Kansas and a reporter and editor in small-town Kansas newspapers.

Although he had originally wanted a career as a journalist, his opportunity came on the other side of the podium, handling public relations at Government agencies. Mr. Fitzwater got his baptism by fire at the Environmental Protection Agency, handling the hot potato of the Three Mile Island Nuclear leak. I think most people in this country know that it is ultimately the news media which ultimately decides what is news and how that news is presented to the public. But their power is even greater than we perceive. They can choose to make any particular event, such as a Presidential Speech, front-page headline news or bury it on the Obituary page.

Mr. Fitzwater handled his dual challenge very well: to communicate the Administration's activities in the most favorable light, and at the same time building trust among the White House Press Corps by being fair and honest. One sees the successes, such as the Summit Meetings held by both Presidents Reagan and Bush with Premiere Gorbachev of the Soviet Union. And you see the bad times, such as the unfortunate illnesses suffered by Mr. Bush at Camp David and again in Japan, which caused many people to question his ability to finish his term. The reader also learns about the successes and failures of the Movers and Shakers in the White House, from Caspar Weiberger and Iran-Contra to the rise and fall of the autocratic Chief of Staff John Sununu. And of course the Media are happy to make a story at anyone's expense.

Definitely five stars, and recommended for anyone who wants to know more about what happens in White House and how it affects the Nation. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Summaries of ten recent Presidents.
This is a composite book from ten different authors about ten different Presidents. Since these are all well known authors, the writers know their subjects and boil their personalities down in twenty to thirty pages. One cannot get more well known than David McCullough and Steven Ambrose. The writing is great and flows well.
If I have any problem, it is that some of the authors are more generous than others. Reeves makes Kennedy look pretty low on the morality issue and Noonan inflates Reagan a little too much. Of course, this is subjective writing, and since the authors know their subjects well, one can probably count on some bias. All in all a great read on some of our more recent Presidents, with the exception of Clinton and Bush II.

Informative, entertaining, worth rereading many times
We all have a book or two that's a favorite; one you cherish a bit more than others. This book is that kind for me. Studying our country's presidents is a hobby of mine so I snatched this title up at the local bookstore a few years ago. Even today, I still read specific sections about any one of the Presidents from FDR to George Bush. This is the perfect book for your summer reading list. You'll get the insights into each President that never appears on the evening news. An excellent book!

mistake, I believe
You have 'Character Above All' listed under the writings of Robert Anton Wilson. I believe this is incorrect.

Excellent writing and interesting insight
Some of the best biographers/historians/speech writers put together one very well written book. My favorites were McCullough's Truman piece, Doris Kearns' FDR section, Ambrose's Ike selection, and the section on Carter. While most of the authors are a bit biased towards their president/topic, they write well and make many good points. The book is a fast read. Noonan's piece on Reagan, also incredibly well written, simply bipasses the Iran-contra scandal with but a mention of what Reagan tried to do for the Contras. That is all well and good but it is difficult to read something about a president's character and the biggest scandal of that president's administration is conveniently left out. That would be like discussing Nixon's character and never bringing up Watergate or mentioning Clinton and not the Lewinski scandal. Fact is, those events are integral parts of a president's tenure. Such is life; still incredibly fun to read. ... Read more

Book Description

Margaret Carlson -- widely read Time columnist, regular CNN panelist, political insider, and hostess of A-list but scarcely traditional Washington dinners -- has been commenting on American life for over a decade. In Anyone Can Grow Up, she expands on her writings about presidents, politics, morals, children, family life, and lessons from her own life.

In the section entitled "Presidential Material," Carlson reflects on what it takes to be president by looking at those who choose to pursue the office (and by extension, those, like her, who choose to cover the pursuit). She looks at the hard facts (offices held, speeches given, money raised) and the soft, sometimes determinative, ones (how the candidates talk and look, how they perform under pressure, who they marry and divorce when no one is looking, and how they get into -- and out of -- scrapes). The best man doesn't always win. That's why those who've lost, and those who almost run but don't, are covered as well. Bush Sr. and son, and Clinton in his scandalous term, are here. Carlson also takes a look at those whom have thought of running, like Donald Trump, those who America wanted to run, like Colin Powell, and those who've run and lost, like John McCain.

Carlson draws from her own life in the "Family Matters" section as well, commenting on subjects relating to children, women, and men -- from abortion to balancing work and family, from feminism to sexual harassment.

Finally, in the last section, we read about what makes us who we are and what makes us do what we do. From breaking down how congressmen make money on the side to what cost Newt Gingrich his job, from days in court trying the Menendez brothers to a memorable three-hour lunch with Katharine Hepburn that didn't turn out the way she imagined, Carlson finds the strength of character, or lack of it, in Americans famous and not.

Carlson gets as many as a hundred letters a week from readers who say, "That's exactly what I was thinking." In the vein of Anna Quindlen, Ellen Goodman, and Bill O'Reilly, here is a wise and witty book from a writer who knows what makes us tick. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Yawn. Avoid this book.
Yawn. Is this woman really a writer? Does she have a brain? Dull, boring and stupid. I was not able to finish this poorly written book. Avoid.

Dreadful, dumb, yet interesting!
How this woman ever got to be a reporter is beyond my understanding. I take it that she is good at being able to spot things that interest the casual reader of Time magazine. Her analysis of the Bush Gore election is that Bush should win because he served better food than Gore. In the end, this book is dreadful yet interesting because it speaks volumes about what passes for thoughtful 'political commentary' theses days.

Top-Notch Reporting
When I learned that TIME's Margaret Carlson was publishing a long-overdue compilation of her "Public Eye" columns, I knew immediately that this book would be well worth its cost. Having enjoyed reading Carlson in the pages of TIME over the years, I've developed great respect for her insightful reporting and commentary.

Margaret Carlson is an honest writer; she is one of the few commentators who have transcended partisanship to objectively evaluate the issues. Her unpretentious columns chronicle the people and the issues that have shaped our nation over the past decade and a half. Even though she leans left on social issues, the book is anything but an apology for Democrats. With sharp wit and exacting turn of phrase, Carlson takes on both sides of the political spectrum as she searches for those politicians with authenticity, candor, and courage. As an added bonus, Carlson has written several pages of fresh autobiographical material for the book revealing the fine, intelligent woman behind the reporter.

It is disappointing to hear reviewers carping about this book not for its quality but because they didn't notice that the book's description clearly states that the book is a collection of Carlson's best columns. If you saved your back issues of TIME, save your money on this book. If not, perhaps you, like me, will enjoy rediscovering the most captivating stories of our time as told in Carlson's perceptive, engaging prose. For any lover of news and politics, Margaret Carlson is a must-read reporter, and this book is a must-have collection of the columns which so eloquently narrate the history of our generation.

Too Easy
All too often, it is all too easy for Washington insiders to fall prey to common opinion of their peers and colleagues. Carlson bucks this trend by inviting us into actual dialogues taking place as decisions are made and implemented. Her book allows us insight into the workings of Washington and the minds of the very people responsible for decisions and policies affecting the direction of our country and our lives. A must read for those who wonder what drives our leaders. Like it or not.

Margaret's opinions are an inch deep and a mile wide
Take a bunch of old TIME magazine columns, string them together with anecdotes (meant to be heart-tugging) about Carlson's brain-damaged brother and working-class Irish-Catholic parents, and slather them with goo intended to soften her sharp elbows deployed during her singleminded ascent to the tippy-top of Georgetown s**thouse aristocracy.

Whadda we got? The unfortunately buyer gets a book that in truth merits no stars at all.

Carlson's brownnosing of the Washington Post's Katherine Graham is sickening enough without a half-dozen mentions of how Carlson's daughter was married at "Kay's" Georgetown mansion. Did you catch that? If you didn't, Carlson will remind you.

Oh, and George W. Bush made silly faces and served fancy food on his campaign's press plane. Maybe that's how both he and Margaret, as the book's subtitle reads, "made it to the White House." By being dim and opportunistic? Must be. ... Read more

Book Description

A scathing expose of the political and cultural legacy of Texas, which tells us all we need to know--and fear--about George W. Bush.

Everyone knows that President George W. Bush is from Texas. But few of us know the role his home state plays in his presidency, and our country. In this vivid dual biography of man and state, Michael Lind confronts the signal crises facing Bush--the economy, the Middle East, and religious fundamentalism--and traces their roots back to Texas, a state, Lind argues, that yields salient clues to the future course of our country.

Widely praised as an iconoclastic and brilliant political observer, Lind, a fifth generation Texan, chronicles the unique ethnic clash that produced modern Texas, the well-known plundering of the state's natural resources at the hands of the elites, and finally the deep strain of "Old Testament religiosity" which, having originated in Texas, now reaches all over the globe in the form of Bush's foreign policy.

Lind delves deep into the president's home state, and his record in office, provoking us to consider the history of the state of Texas as a kind of morality tale for the political and cultural legacy of Bush's presidency. In the tradition of Gary Wills's Reagan's America, The Texan Mind of George W. Bush will provide both authoritative biography and wholly original cultural history which will change the way we understand not just our president, but our country. ... Read more

Reviews (27)

A sobering view of our 43rd. president.
First, to be honest, I did not vote for George W. Bush. Probably like many people I viewed him as well-meaning but under-informed, an underachiever in life who was handed the reins of power through pure luck and powerful connections. I was sure, with the help of his father and the elders in the Republican Party, he would surround himself with competent advisors and ultimately pursue a course of moderation and good sense in both domestic and foreign affairs. Therefore, when some of the early initiatives out of the White House seemed counter to earlier expectations (abrogation of important treaties, anti-environmental positions, unilateralist and militaristic approaches to complex world problems, a dangerous and unbalanced approach to the Middle Eastern crisis) my visceral discomfort with this man has evolved into alarm. This book by Michael Lind confirms my worst fears. It is a scholarly and objective survey of the culture from which our president arose. As Lind points out, we have had southerner presidents who were liberals and northerner presidents who were conservatives, but never since Andrew Jackson have we had a southern conservative holding the most powerful office in the land. Lind does a thorough job of analyzing the state of Texas from the demographic standpoint, pointing out that the majority of the population reside in East Texas which is intrinsically part of the deep south. These people largely originated in Scotland and Northern Ireland (Scots-Irish) and brought with them to this country a 17th and 18th century British outlook on class and empire, typified by the attitudes of a land-holding aristocracy. In an economic sense their ancestral model is Thomas Jefferson. In a chapter entitled "Southernomics" he describes how this region evolved on the plantation model of extraction of raw materials (oil, cotton, minerals, etc) and the exploitation first of slaves and more recently of low wage and undereducated menial workers (modern day "serfs"). This model favors "free trade" and opposes tariffs in order to maximize profit in the exportation of commodities. It places low value on preservation of natural resources while promoting their extraction and utilization. Lind contends that this model has shaped our 43rd president's thinking about economics. He contrasts an "old boy network" style of management and connections peculiar to the deep South with the traditional culture that shaped most of the rest of the country, one that is based on an economic model of meritocracy, emphasis on the creation of ideas, the valuing of higher education as the key to economic development. Lind is careful to avoid over-generalization as he points out that Texas is a diverse state, and that these two economic models both exist in the state and are in fundamental conflict. For example, he points to many Texas leaders who typify modern liberal enlightenment attitudes, people like Lyndon Johnson, Sam Rayburn, Wright Patman, and Ross Perot.

The most disturbing aspect of this book for me begins with a chapter entitled "That Old Time Religion" which exposes the influence of the southern Protestant fundamentalist religious culture on George W. Bush, and how this in turn has become a driving force in the almost messianic identification of this president with the right wing in Israel and Mr. Sharon. This plays into fundamentalist dispensationalist dogma about the End-times, Armageddon, and The Second Coming. It further sheds light on the peculiar alliance of these mostly southern Protestant militaristic and fundamentalist masses (who provide the electoral clout) with a powerful intellectual neoconservative elite (who provide the brains) and who now control our defense department. These people hold a radical and fundamentally new view of American foreign policy, one that promotes a doctrine of preemption and the aggressive exercise of American military power. They are tightly allied with the Zionist movement both here and in Israel.

This is a powerful and very disturbing book. Michael Lind has tried not to over-emotionalize this information but he obviously feels passionately about these issues. He has given us a well-researched and thoughtful expose' of the real forces that are driving this president. Everybody should read it!

The Wrong Man
Michael Lind and David Frum are arguably the best writers on American politics today. While Lind is a liberal (from Texas!) and Frum a conservative (from Canada!) they share three things in common: impressive intelligence, brilliant writing, and a deep knowledge of history. Now, they share something else, too: they have both written books about George W. Bush, the Republican 'New Right', and America's political future. Frum is adulatory of Bush and the conservative agenda; Lind is highly critical of both. Frum's book is titled 'The Right Man'; Lind's might be titled 'The Wrong Man' (:

While Frum claims that 'W' moderated the hard-edged Republican agenda, giving it mainstream appeal, Lind argues that Bush's moderation is chiefly rhetorical and cosmetic. Given Bush's record so far (rejection of international treaties on health, the environment, and law; big tax breaks for rich investors, hikes in defense spending, caps on social spending, the purge of all moderate Republicans from his cabinet-excepting only the too-popular-Powell; and most of all, the monomaniacal pursuit of 'Satanic Saddam'-and his oil fields) I am inclined to agree with Lind.

'W' is well to the right of his father-that is obvious.
The question is, why? And how does he get away with it?
It is in providing the answer to this perplexing question that makes Lind's book uniquely valuable. 'Made in Texas' investigates the geographical, social and historical background that shaped Bush II and the Southern-dominated Republican party of today.

I am not going to give a lengthy description of this book, because that would be both boring and redundant. Instead, I will point out the strengths of Lind's book (which many reviewers are too angry/skeptical to admit) and its one major mistake (which no one, apparently, has noticed at all).

The main thesis of 'Made in Texas'-that there is a peculiar 'Southern-Oligarchial' tradition, and that it now dominates the Republican party and the Federal Government, is a pretty controversial idea; but it happens to be true. Lind's sources on this point are quite reliable (see the work of D.H. Fischer Fehrenbach, Luraghi, Joseph Fry, and D. W. Meinig, and others). A history of violence, fear and suspicion of government, religious biotry, racial domination and economic exploitation-'the inequities of the selfish, and the tyranny of evil men'-camouflaged by clownish, ranting rabble-rousers-this is all a shameful, tragic, but ultimately undeniable part of the Southern/Texan heritage-'W''s heritage.

Lind's depiction of a rival Souther political tradition-the 'Progressive-Modernists' of Woodrow Wilson's Cabinet, and the administrations of FDR, Truman and LBJ, is also accurate-and cause for hope. Hairsplitters may question such a stark dichotomy (obviously, politics is the 'art of compromise'); but overall, Lind is correct.

Skipping forward to 1980-2000, Lind shows how the Republicans improved their propaganda by co-option; while its voters and politicians may be predominantly southern, its money and brains are largely foreign/northern. My favorite parts of 'Made in Texas' were the passages on the alliance between the Neo-Cons and the Southern Republicans: 'Incapable of producing intellectuals of its own, the Southern right borrowed some from the East Coast left...by the year 2000, a Frankenstein operation had stitched the bodiless head of Northeastern Neo-conservatism onto the headless body of Southern Fundamentalism.' Priceless! I only wish that Lind had included more about the links between the new reactionary media barons (Rupert Murdoch, Conrad Black, Sun Myung Moon) and the ascendant right-wing media.

All well and good-but something is missing. Why did the South
go from Liberal stronghold to Conservative bastion? Lind puts the blame on LBJ's Civil Rights act, which unleashed a racist backlash against the Democrats. I don't buy this. No, there is something missing-an entire decade, in fact: the 70s.

It was the 70s that lifted the 'new right' from its despised, marginal Dixiecrat/George Wallace status to control of the GOP. Just about everything went wrong in the 70s, and the few things that went right (increased opportunities for women, emancipation of minority races and homosexuals from their subservient/pariah status) made a lot of people angry. These people were largely white, rural, southern, male and religious-the 'hard core' of the modern GOP-often the same people who voted for Truman and LBJ!

*It was the chaos of the 70s that disenchanted the Neo-Cons from the left, scared the rich into bankrolling the Right, and enabled the Southern Oligarchy to stage a political comeback-now nationwide-with a triple program of social conservatism/hawkish foreign policy/supply-side economics.* Limited between 1980-2000 by moderate presidents and a democratic congress, this program is now being implemented full force. The gurus of the right are still fighting ghosts from the 70s: Stagflation, Vietnam, and 'Irreligious Hedonism'.

Lind tells us the beginning and the end of the story-but skips the middle! The best account of it I can find (ironically) is by conservative David Frum, in his history of the 70s (a better book than his own Bush bio). Lind predicts that Bush and the Southern Oligarchy will destroy themselves by leading the nation to military defeat and economic disaster. It remains to be seen whether Lind, or Frum, will have the last word.

Great ... but ...
I have had the good fortune to attend Michael Lind's class at Harvard Law School, and I have to say that I agree with most of what he says (as usual). His analysis of Texas and its influence on George W. Bush, while quite stereotypical, strikes a chord. Lind's on to something. The focus on resource exploitation rather than resource development is an all too familiar characteristic of the Bush administration. Similarly, Lind's analysis of Bush's wholesale adoption of the Likud party's war-hawk political agenda rather than the Labour party's more reasonable agenda is right on target. No other factor has contributed more to the violence in the Mideast that Bush's Protestant fundamentalist/Jewish zionist coalition (the only true "coalition of the willing"). Ariel Sharon is little better than Saddam Hussein, and Israel's build-up of the sixth largest nuclear weapon stockpile in the world continues to destabilize that region. Right after we get Bush out of office, Ariel Sharon should be next.

Having said that, I think Lind's analysis is a bit incomplete. While Lind castigates the conservative Southern Republicans for their views on abortion, homosexuality, and embryonic research (all admittedly out of step with the majority of Americans), he never addresses the fact that the majority of Americans' views on these issues are equally out of step with most of the rest of the world (like Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Mid-East). So in one sense, Lind is right to argue that the Bush administration should not be able to hijack the rest of the country's social values, but then, Lind (intentionally or unintentionally) skirts the corollary to that argument -- the United States should not be able to hijack the rest of the world's social values through World Summits, UN resolutions, and mass media blitzs.

Lind's proposal to transplant people to the Midwest is also poorly thought out (though absolutely necessary given the high housing prices and terrorist threats the United States faces today). While Lind is quite right about the Midwest not being a source of major racial tensions like the South and coastal regions, he also fails to consider that few minorities moved to the Midwest before or after the New Deal. After WWII, most of the minority movement was to the coastal cities. So the fact that there weren't many race riots in the Midwest in the past is no guaranty that Lind's proposal to move people to the Midwest won't generate race riots and other acts of violence now. If Lind were to couple his Midwest transplant project with his more creative ideas on affirmative action (changing the criteria from race to economic class), then his theory might be more credible.

Those are my main criticisms. I think larger taxes on gasoline (with subsidies to low-income families) would provide better incentives to American companies to come up with fuel-efficient cars and heating systems and get the United States off its dependence on Mideast oil. I also think that the United States should impose wage tariffs on goods made in countries like China and Mexico that dump cheap goods on the American market (the tariff should equal the difference between what it would cost to make the goods in the U.S. and what it would cost to make the goods in China or Mexico). But now I'm starting to write my own book, so I'll stop. Overall, Lind has done a good job yet again!

The Truth Hurts
Clearly, this book has a message that many people would rather not hear. But Michael Lind insists on revealing the slime hidden beneath the rock. It is not always a pretty picture. However, this is still a fascinating exploration of the peculiarities of Southern politics. Also an important one, because the phenomenon has now been nationalized thanks to corrupt campaign financing and the quirks of the electoral college, which denied the White House to the candidate who won the popular vote in 2000. Anyone who is interested in how and why the United States is overextending and bankrupting itself to the brink of national suicide will find many answers in this book.

Unfair Assessment
Michael Lind haphazardly jumbled facts and figures with excessively inaccurate statements to compile a 184 page disaster. In one example, Lind mixes the beginning of the twentieth century with the end of the twentieth century and argues that the social impetus for racism over that period has remained stagnant is unfair and indicates a palpable lack of reliable research by Lind. He seems to have potential to form and address an argument, however, in Made in Texas there is little rational thought or intelligent theses pertaining to Texas politics. ... Read more

Book Description

In many ways George W. Bush did not seem built for the presidency or the paces necessary to win it. He was a laid-back good-time guy with little appetite and limited talent for formal oratory, someone who often projected affability more easily than authority. He was a homebody who seemed to prefer surroundings and situations that were utterly familiar to those that were risky and unpredictable. His interests could be narrow and his efforts to expand them only fitful.

But he got there, and after September 11, 2001, confronted a challenge more daunting than many of his predecessors had faced. In the wake of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Bush was left with the responsibility to lead Americans through a time of unusual anxiety and uncertainty, to inspire and reassure them. Could he do it?

In Ambling Into History, Frank Bruni, who covered Bush's presidential campaign and first eight months in the White House for the New York Times, mines the countless hours during which he observed and interacted with Bush to explore that question,and to present sides of Bush that readers have never encountered. He looks to small moments for big truths, going behind the scenes and offering fresh insights into Bush's oft-chronicled weaknesses, sometimes overlooked strengths, and his journey-alternately earnest and reluctant-from an innate levity to a newfound gravity.

Bruni also takes readers on his own trip through the strange maze of presidential politics, wryly chronicling life in the insular "bubble" of political reporting and its frequently dispiriting effect on the coverage that politicians get. It is a candid, eloquent, and illuminating adventure that shows why Newsweek called Bruni "probably the most influential" reporter on the Bush beat. ... Read more

Reviews (55)

A first-rate portrait
Frank Bruni accomplishes what few journalists have been willing or able to do. He gives readers a true sense of George W. Bush, contradictions and all. During the campaign, most of the media portrayed Bush as a dim, inexperienced fool whose family lineage was his only qualification for the Presidency.

But that caricature is debunked by Ambling Into History. Bush is far more complicated than that caricature, and Ambling literally takes the reader on Bush's odyssey from the Texas State House to the White House. From the earliest days on the campaign trial to those intense days after Sept. 11, we have a front-row seat as Bush grows from a reluctant and awkward candidate to a supremely confident, yet still awkward, wartime president.

I was especially struck by the chapter about Bush and his father. Bruni brings alive their complicated relationship -- the anger Bush felt at his Dad's loss in 92 to Clinton, as well as the deep pride and protectiveness that the former president felt for his son during the bruising campaign. In particular, Bruni's description of the pride the two men have in each other's accomplishments is as touching as it is poignant.

The book is also an illuminating look inside the modern presidential campaign. Better than anything I have read, it shows how and why reporters become tired of writing about issues, choosing instead to devote so much airtime and print to the candidates' personal styles and verbal gaffes.

Bruni is a first-rate writer with a keen eye for those small, often humorous details that tell so much about a person or a moment. Like its subject, Ambling Into History cannot be easily shoved into this category or placed in that box. But I am sure you will agree Ambling Into History will explain George W. Bush better than anything you have read. And, here is a bonus: it is almost impossible to put down.

He may be a nice guy, but can he become a great President?
He refuses to travel anywhere without his cherished feather pillow. He has a habit of addressing individuals around him by affectionate pet names-even those he has only known for a short time. He enjoys drinking non-alcoholic beer, having given up the real thing over fifteen years ago. Once, he almost lost his temper at a reporter for accidentally eating his peanut-butter and jelly sandwich.

Observations and anecdotes such as these are the focus of New York Times reporter Frank Bruni's "Ambling into History: The Unlikely Odyssey of George W. Bush". Bruni was among a select group of journalists who had been permitted to accompany Bush on the 2000 presidential campaign trail. Wherever Bush traveled, whatever rallies and events he attended, Bruni and his colleagues were there, notepads and tape recorders at the ready. They rode with him on the campaign bus, flew with him on his chartered plane, and slept in hotel rooms close to his. Being in such close proximity to "Dubbya" over such an extended period of time gave Bruni a rare opportunity to study the man up-close, providing him with insight to the finer details of Bush's character that few outside of his family and campaign staff ever got to see. Thus, rather than offer an examination of Bush's campaign strategy or revisit the election scandal that will forever remain an unpleasant footnote in our nation's history, Bruni instead chose to make his work an exploration of "the personality behind the policies and the often offbeat character that flickered through the frippery and pomp."

"Ambling into History" is certainly less interested in the politics than in the politician. Bruni is particularly fascinated by the little quirks exhibited in Bush's behavior throughout the campaign, character traits that in Bruni's view simply beg interpretation. Hence, Bush's frequent bouts of homesickness while on the road equate to a longing for traditional and familiar values. His recovery from alcoholism and fondness for daily exercise makes him a model of personal discipline and self-improvement. His penchant for mid-afternoon naps and insistence on a certain amount of "personal time" each workday indicates an inherent understanding of the need to properly pace oneself to get through the long haul.

Not that Bruni's observations are always flattering. Indeed, the overall portrait Bruni paints of Bush resembles something of a cross between a frat boy prankster, an overly sensitive man-child and an uncultured yahoo. That is not to say that Bruni dislikes Bush. In fact, when compared to Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore-who Bruni portrays as "someone so intent on success that he would shift shapes and betray his principles to achieve it"-Bush comes out looking downright wholesome. It is quite apparent that Bruni has developed a certain affection and respect for Bush after spending over a year in his constant presence. He describes Bush as "fetchingly down-to-earth", someone who can often seem childishly playful but also serious and focused when the situation (such as Sept. 11) demands it. He describes a man with commendable family values, a solid display of integrity, and yes, even a strong sense of compassion. And if he isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, well, at least he gets points for trying.

Perhaps the most surprising revelation in the book, however, is Bruni's observation that Bush may not have been as zealous in his quest for the presidency as one might imagine. Bruni contrasts Al Gore's near-obsessive drive to win the election with Bush's at times almost "half-hearted" attitude about becoming president. Bruni furtively suggests that Bush's decision to run was not so much driven by political ambition but rather by a desire to gain approval from his parents (who, it is hinted at, had always thought of brother Jeb as the brainier, more motivated one out of the two) and restore a sense of pride to the family name-specifically referring to the elder Bush's defeat to Bill Clinton in the 1992 presidential election.

But the most important question of all is whether Bush has the makings of a great president, for as we currently enter into a protracted war against a new kind of adversary and our homeland security is under constant threat, we cannot accept anything less than greatness from our Executive-in-Chief. Bruni's answer is indecisive at best. He demonstrates that at times Bush can be a lot smarter than he appears but, more often than not, when the media suggests that he is doing a good job, it is merely a euphemistic way of saying he hasn't screwed up, that he has exceeded the expectations of his detractors. He may be competent, but is George W. Bush capable of leading our country in these uncertain times? Bruni is content to let history decide that. Meanwhile, the fate of our nation sits in the hands of a man who is decidedly decent and respectable but, ultimately, is still untested in his potential for true leadership.

A " misunderstimated" account of election 2000
On the 3 July 2004 Fox News Watch member Neal Gabler implied that Frank Bruni was something of a cheer leader for George W Bush in the 2000 election.

That is not something a dispassionate reader would claim after reading Bruni's account in this book, essentially a campaign journal of Bruni's travels on the 'Zoo plane,'and elsewhere during that frantic presidential election.

Overall Bruni is mildly critical of his subject, but often in a funny way, particularly with the then Republican candidate's mangling of the English language -something that Bush is able to laugh at himself over (a good trait).

The book is not a must-read, and is now dated being published in early 2002, but it does give some idea of how manic and maniac campaign life is for both journalists and candidates.

Bush is revealed as a man with an impish sense of humour but also one that developed newfound gravity after the horrific attacks on his country, in September 2001, and a leader who takes the trappings of the presidency seriously. On one occasion he forgot to salute a marine as he boarded his helicopter, Marine One, to go to Camp David but once inside he remembered his failure and so returned to salute the startled guard!

If you like a gossipy style account of elections then this book is an enjoyable enough light read

Sneaking Into The Positive Column
I am not a big fan of President Bush and I really only picked this book up to find out more of what the campaign was like covering Bush. The author details out the year plus that he followed Bush through the campaign and then the first year of his Presidency up to December. My first impressions of the book was that the author was very quick witted, humorous and an excellent writer. The book really flowed well and I found I would lose track of time, as I was so into the book. The next impression I came away with was that I was starting to find a soft spot for this Bush character. The author does a great job of detailing out who the real G. W. Bush is. The reader comes away with a view of him that is not like the current partisan one-sided comments that fill up the media.

The author spends the time to provide stories and antidotes that get past the superficial view of the President and presents a man that has a full helping of charisma and is one of those kind of people that everybody who meets them wants to spend more time with him. Again I am no fan of President Bush and do not plan on becoming one, but this book knocks off some of the negative side of the perception I had of the man. That is not to say that this book is some sort of pro Bush propaganda puff piece. I think it details just the opposite. There is no end to the mistakes and overall questions about G.W. that the author details in the book. He spends a good deal of time talking about the relationship G.W. has with his father and Jeb and the picture is not always positive. The author also does a good job off covering the questions of if G.W. was up for the job both intellectually and stylistically.

You can tell the author gains more respect for G.W after the 9-11 attack. He starts to feel that Bush has earned the positive opinion that the author has generated for him. It is interesting that the negatives the author brings out do not stop. Through the full book the author never shies away from less then positive issues for Bush and comes to some conclusions that the rabid Bush supporter would cringe at. It is just that he presents Bush is such a warm and personable light that you want to look past the negative items and just see the good side of the man. This is probably the key to any politician and Bush is in the right line of work. To be a complete review I would say that this book is not an in depth view at the politics of the campaign or of the first year of Bush's Presidency, but rather an good look at the personality of the man. Overall the book is interesting and a very enjoyable read. If you are either a fan of President Bush or have an open mind about him then you will probably enjoy the book as much as I did.

By A Reporter Who Was There
Good book by a New York Times reporter who traveled with Bush as he ran for President. Book is well written. It shows a side of Bush that one doesn't see on television. He has a bit of ornery side. The book is really funny at times, especially when reviewing some of the President's bloopers with the language. Whether you like or dislike Bush I think you'll enjoy the book. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

PRESIDENT BUSH'S FIRST YEAR
GEORGE W.BUSH :A HEROIC FIRST YEAR IS A MUST FOR EVERY AMERICAN WHO WANTS TO RELIVE THE HEROIC YEAR OF PRESIDENT BUSH AS 43 PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FROM JANUARY 20,2001-SEPTEMBER 11,2001. GEORGE W.BUSH :A HEROIC FIRST YEAR HAVE COLOR PHOTOS.

THIS BOOK IS A TRUE COLLECTORS EDTION.

great pictures
As you can bet this is a pretty biased book. Although everything in here is true I have a feeling there were some things left out as well. This book covers the legislation that Bush passed before 9/11 and the changed administration after 9/11. The best thing about this book is the pictures. They are in color and they are great. They alone are worth the cost of the book. ... Read more

Book Description

For a decade, Marlin Fitzwater was White House Press Secretary for Presidents Reagan and Bush, a remarkably long sojourn in that high-pressure post.His longevity was a testament to the unique combination of talents he brought to the job.And his long tenure gave him unparalleled insight into the way the press and the presidency collide in today's Washington. CALL THE BRIEFING is an insightful memoir of the Reagan/Bush years that provides a richly detailed account of both Presidents, their lives, and their power.It is essential reading for students of journalism or politics, those who loved two of our greatest Presidents, or those who admire the life of a remarkable press secretary. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Payback Time
I have read my fair share of political memoirs and to me they always seem to all into one of two categories. It is either the disgruntled guy that maybe did not leave on such good terms who is going to put as much venom as possible into anyone that slightly crossed him during his time in the administration, or it is the guy that thinks the President he served walked on water and is wondering why the American population did not create a monarchy with his President as the King. This book falls into the later category. I am not apposed to these types of books, I tend to like them if I liked the President so I was ok with the authors glowing review of Reagan and Bush. I just wished the author had given us little more meat with his comments. Most of the book reminded me of a rambling conversation you might have with a friend where, at the end, you really do not know what was talked about. One thing did come out very clearly, the author loved working for these two Presidents and there is absolutely no criticism, fair or unfair, within these pages.

The one thing that I did get a little annoyed at was the author's attacks on the Clinton administration. I could understand the comments about the 1992 election and those comments were fair, but what was with the comments of what the Clinton team was doing in 95? These looked to me as nothing else but simple-minded attacks to help a bruised ego. As the book went on into the Bush administration this author started to really tear into the press. On and on he would spout off about the liberal press that was just out to get good old George when maybe the author should have realized that it was the Bush team that was losing focus and was losing the election one day at a time. The author hardly ever admitted that the Bush administration made mistakes; the No New Taxes issue was not even discussed. And as other reviewers here have mentioned, the author did not touch on the two military actions undertaken during the Bush administration. Overall the book was light on new facts, but had some interesting parts about the press and some internal meetings and issues. I could not get past the petty attacks on the Clinton administration and the obsessive mantra about the negative, unfair liberal press.

Outstanding Insider's View of the White House
Fitzwater's book is perhaps one of the finest insiders views of the White House and the White House press corps to ever be published.
Fitzwater details the inner workings of the Reagan White House like none other, including the scandals and how they did not affect the inside of the White House regardless of the pressure from the media. His admiration for Ronald Reagan is palpable in this book, however he's not as favorable to George Bush. While it's clear he personally likes Bush, it's also clear that he did not agree with Bush's policies and the rest of the Bush White House team as much as he seemed to agree with much of the Reagan White House. However, overall the only person to come out of Fitzwater's book looking bad is John Sununu the former Chief of Staff. He comes off as paranoid and really a generally nasty guy.
Fitzwater also writes probably the finest view of why Bush lost the 1992 Presidental race and the bungling inside of the White House that caused it. Unfortunately he avoids writing much about the invasion of Panama and Desert Storm, two of the biggest events of the Bush Presidency. Fitzwater rationalizes this by stating many other books will be written on those two events, however I would liked to have known how he handled it in terms of the briefings and the announcement of the invasion of Panama and the beginning of Desert Storm.
Overall, this is a fine book and should be read by anyone who wants an insider's view of what the Washington Press Corps and their relationship with the White House is really like as well as anyone interested in how Bush managed to turn huge popularity raitings during and after Desert Storm into a political defeat in 1992.

Riveting Tale of Real-Life Politics
"Call the Briefing" by Marlin Fitzwater puts you inside the White House. The reader is brought right to the Podium, fielding questions from a voracious Press Corps ready to do almost anything for a story. And you are there with the President and the Cabinet, discussing strategy and estimating every action's media reaction.It was hard to put this book down. You meet the very idealistic Ronald Reagan and the very professional George H. W. Bush through the eyes of the man who served a Press Secretary in both Administrations. Mr. Fitzwater's longevity in that position attests to his skill at working with the White House insiders and the news media.

Many of the events covered are specific to the Reagan and Bush days, but you also experience the many duties of the White House Press Secretary in any Administration, a role that could give ulcers to almost anyone. This gave me a real appreciation of the "24/7" crises White House Staff in any Administration, must battle every day.I especially liked Mr. Fitzwater's writing, honed through years of experience. I liked his ability to paint events in a terse yet rich way. All the journeys of Marlin Fitzwater come alive, starting as a farm boy in Abeliene, Kansas and a reporter and editor in small-town Kansas newspapers.

Although he had originally wanted a career as a journalist, his opportunity came on the other side of the podium, handling public relations at Government agencies. Mr. Fitzwater got his baptism by fire at the Environmental Protection Agency, handling the hot potato of the Three Mile Island Nuclear leak. For better or worse, it is the news media which ultimately decides what is news and how that news is presented to the public. But their power is even greater than we perceive. They can choose to make any particular event, such as a Presidential Speech, front-page headline news or bury it on the Obituary page.

Mr. Fitzwater handled his dual challenge very well: to communicate the Administration's activities in the most favorable light, and at the same time building trust among the White House Press Corps by being fair and honest. One sees the successes, such as the Summit Meetings held by both Presidents Reagan and Bush with Premiere Gorbachev of the Soviet Union. And you see the bad times, such as the unfortunate illnesses suffered by Mr. Bush at Camp David and again in Japan, which caused many people to question his ability to finish his term. The reader also learns about the successes and failures of the Movers and Shakers in the White House, from Caspar Weiberger and Iran-Contra to the rise and fall of the autocratic Chief of Staff John Sununu. And of course the Media are happy to make a story at anyone's expense.

Definitely five stars, and recommended for anyone who wants to know more about what happens in White House and how it affects the Nation.

Riveting Tale of Real Politics
"Call the Briefing" by Marlin Fitzwater puts you inside the White House. The reader is brought right to the Podium, fielding questions from a voracious Press Corps ready to do almost anything for a story. And you are there with the President and the Cabinet, discussing strategy and estimating every action's media reaction.It was hard to put this book down. You meet the very idealistic Ronald Reagan and the very professional George H. W. Bush through the eyes of the man who served a Press Secretary in both Administrations. Mr. Fitzwater's longevity in that position attests to his skill at working with the White House insiders and the news media.

Many of the events covered are specific to the Reagan and Bush days, but you also experience the many duties of the White House Press Secretary in any Administration, a role that could give ulcers to almost anyone. This gave me a real appreciation of the "24/7" crises White House Staff in any Administration, must battle every day.I especially liked Mr. Fitzwater's writing, honed through years of experience. I liked his ability to paint events in a terse yet rich way. All the journeys of Marlin Fitzwater come alive, starting as a farm boy in Abeliene, Kansas and a reporter and editor in small-town Kansas newspapers.

Although he had originally wanted a career as a journalist, his opportunity came on the other side of the podium, handling public relations at Government agencies. Mr. Fitzwater got his baptism by fire at the Environmental Protection Agency, handling the hot potato of the Three Mile Island Nuclear leak. For better or worse, it is the news media which ultimately decides what is news and how that news is presented to the public. But their power is even greater than we perceive. They can choose to make any particular event, such as a Presidential Speech, front-page headline news or bury it on the Obituary page.

Mr. Fitzwater handled his dual challenge very well: to communicate the Administration's activities in the most favorable light, and at the same time building trust among the White House Press Corps by being fair and honest. One sees the successes, such as the Summit Meetings held by both Presidents Reagan and Bush with Premiere Gorbachev of the Soviet Union. And you see the bad times, such as the unfortunate illnesses suffered by Mr. Bush at Camp David and again in Japan, which caused many people to question his ability to finish his term. The reader also learns about the successes and failures of the Movers and Shakers in the White House, from Caspar Weiberger and Iran-Contra to the rise and fall of the autocratic Chief of Staff John Sununu. And of course the Media are happy to make a story at anyone's expense.

Definitely five stars, and recommended for anyone who wants to know more about what happens in White House and how it affects the Nation. ... Read more

Book Description

Ever since George W. Bush began running for public office in the 1990s, questions have been raised in the public eye about his service in the Air National Guard during the late 1960s and early 1970s -- when countless American soldiers (John Kerry among them) were serving heroically in Vietnam. By the time of the presidential race in 2000, it was clear that Bush's record of service contained several troubling gaps -- especially in the pe-riod between May 1972 and May 1973, when Bush was supposed to have transferred to the Alabama Air Na-tional Guard.

In early 2004, as the election season heated up, the White House bowed to pressure and released a host of documents related to Bush's service, promising that this disclosure would put the matter to rest. Yet the documents raised as many new questions as they answered. Now, for the first time, the comprehensive written record of George W. Bush's military career -- more than 250 pages in all -- is presented in book form. In his introduction and commentary, longtime activist and author Glenn W. Smith, the founder of Texans for Truth, highlights such questions as:

• How did Bush secure his acceptance into the National Guard, despite a long waiting list? Did his father pull strings, as some have alleged, to help him avoid the draft?
• Why did Bush suddenly stop performing his Guard service from mid-1972 to mid-1973, as the documents show?
• Did Bush truly perform sufficient duties to qualify for the honorable discharge he received, or was he given special consideration?
• In the summer of 1972, Bush failed to appear for his required physical, and was consequently suspended from flying. Why didn't he take the physical? And why has he claimed that he kept flying for the Guard?
• If Bush was present at the National Guard base in Montgomery, Alabama, during the disputed period, why has no one accepted the White House's pleas to step forward and confirm that he was there?
• And how do the now-discredited “Killian documents,” first aired on 60 Minutes in September 2004, affect our understanding of Bush's Guard status?

Unfit Commander also tracks the Bush administration's efforts to defuse the controversy, from Bush's own claim that he “put in his time,” to the White House's record of unyielding non-denial denials despite the persistent questioning of the press. And at the heart of the book are the documents themselves: from Bush's agreement that “failure to satisfactorily complete [full] pilot training will result in my being discharged,” to his supervisor's statement that “Lt Bush has not been observed at this unit” during the critical period.

A provocative exploration of this commander in chief's spotty record of personal military service, Unfit Commander is the place to start for anyone interested in getting at the truths of President Bush's character.

Book Description

Deserter looks objectively at the military record of George W. Bush, his role in the armed forces, and his treatment of them. Over the past year, Bush's military poses have been contrived to convince the American public that he is a National Security President. Others have found his playacting less convincing. While George W. Bush supported the Vietnam War, his contribution was to enlist in a nepotistic unit of the Texas National Air Guard, which, short of World War III, was guaranteed never to see military action. Even in this safe position, Lieutenant Bush broke under the strain and went AWOL for the best part of a year. In contrast, American National Guardsmen have not only been called up for frontline action in Iraq, but they have had their terms of service extended. While the military budget soars, the war is being fought with a dangerously inadequate number of troops. The dead and disabled are shipped home under cover of darkness; those who eventually return in one piece find that their veterans' medical benefits and facilities are being axed. Deserter strips away the illusion of Bush as "commander-in-chief" to reveal a hypocrite who has betrayed his troops and his country. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Examines the Lasting Impact of FDR 55 Years Later
Leuchtenburg, and esteemed historian of the Roosevelt era, examines the profound, lasting impact of Roosevelt's policies on America for many decades following his presidency. The book reviews the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt so you can understand his lasting legacy.

Roosevelt still runs the White House. ... Read more

Book Description

This book profiles eighteen of our funniest elections, from 1828, the first election in which all states had electors, to the election from hell in 2000.The book also includes chapters on Watergate and impeachment, and a gallery of official photographs. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Interesting biography of an underestimated president
To me as a non-American it has always been a puzzle why George Bush is generally regarded as mediocre and after reading the thoughtful and very complete biography by mr. Parmet I have not found the answer.

Bush has been a succesful businessman after a distinguisged service in the Air Force during the war. He has served as a Senator, as head of the CIA, as the Ambassador to China in an extremely interesting period in Sino-American relations and, finally, as a Vice-President to a very succesful President. What more can you ask as preparation for the most powerful job on earth? It is true that he failed to get elected twice, but is it not a credit to any man when he overcomes defeat to embark on such an interesting career?

The view which I get from this biography is on a balanced man who understood politics very well and also had the gift of personal integrity unmatched by most of his predecessors and certainly not by his successor.

It is true that he was not the greatest of communicators and PR guys, but there one should not forget that he had a very difficult, if not impossible act to follow. It is to his credit that he did not even try to imitate Reagan, but that he led the country in his own personal style.

One should forgive for being biased, as a European, to his Foreign Policy, since my understanding for and interest in the domestic scene is limited.

Bush Presidency can be characterised by formidable leadership in two distinguished events. His conduct of the events of the Gulf War was exemplary. Powell get's a lot of the credit, but I feel that is, partly, undeserved. It was the President's deciding leadership which effectively stopped Saddam's adventure in Kuwait. Of all the wars in which the US got involved after 1945 the handling of the Gulf War was the most succesful. It has been an act of extraordinary diplomacy and brinkmanship to get e.g. Saudi Arabia and Israel on one line. Haven't we all been worried about the Tel Aviv reaction after the first scud missiles hit the country? Personnaly I will not forget the relief I felt when, in the middle of the night in Europe, I saw and listened to Bush anouncing the invasion. This was clearly a leader who believed in what he was doing and who felt to be in full control, aware of the risks of his venture.

A second event has been the unification of Germany. After all the rhetoric of the Reagan administration, it was under Bush that this extraordinary process was done swiftly and with great succes and, most astonishing, without bloodshed. I am aware that the prime players were Kohl and Gorbachov, but it could never have been done without the full support and the tacit agreement of the US. Indeed, by taking a silent and , overtly, modest role Bush did exactly the right thing. I don't think under Reagan, it would have been as smooth.

All this is reconted in this book in fine scholarly detail, which distinguishes this author from the many, more sensational, political writings one sees so often these days.

I think this is a fine book about a succesful Presidency and a man of integrity one could only wish would emerge more on the political scene.

Life of one of America's worst presidents.
George Bush was a paradox. Prep school- and Ivy League-educated son of an aristocratic, rich Connecticut US Senator, he transplanted himself to Texas and (with a resounding lack of success) tried to re-invent himself as an old-school Texan. He lost two consecutive attempts to become a US Senator himself, and would have been a completely forgotten political wannabe had it not been for the charitable help of Presidents Nixon and Ford, who appointed the "wimp" to some key positions, which obviously made Bush think he was competent enough to become president, because he then ran in 1980. After being destroyed by Reagan in the primaries (and denouncing Reaganomics as "voodoo"), he then received some more remarkable charity when Reagan picked him for his running mate. After eight years as Vice President, Bush finally won the presidency (although he never would have won if he hadn't have been Reagan veep) and soon proved as incompetent at that job as Dan Quayle at a spelling bee. In short, Bush was a politically unsuccessful, rich New Englander who happened to have been picked for the right jobs by a couple of America's other worst presidents, and was then able to become President himself. An uninspiring, dull story and an OK book at best.

An Uncritical Look at an Unimpressive Presidency
The biographer was a distinguished scholar at the Conference on the Bush Presidency at Hofstra University in April 1997. Although this book was essentially finished by the time of the Conference, there is at least one footnote (Steven Burgess) referring to a paper presented at Hofstra. This reviewer suggested that Parmet look at the critical books by Jack Matlock on Bush's foreign policy and Monica Crowley's book on Nixon's devastating appraisal of Bush, but there is no evidence that this occurred. P More importantly, Parmet is weak when it comes to explaining the Bush stagnation. Despite the Persian Gulf War, there ensued the slowest four-year growth period in the postwar years. Thus, it is more appropriate to refer to the Bush stagnation rather than the Bush recession. P Whereas it is possible to describe Reagan's supply-side economics as a version of "commercial Keynesianism," there would seem to be no Keynesian bones in George Bush. Bush raised taxes in 1990, in collaboration with Tom Foley, as the economy headed downward. Later he refused to sign a reasonable tax cut coming out of Congress in March 1992. Instead he relied primarily on a change in withholding of income taxes which produced a brief upturn in the fourth quarter followed by sluggish growth in early 1993 when the tax rebates were smaller due to the previous tax cuts in 1992. P Readers interested in a critique of Bush's economic policy may want to read the contribution of Timothy Canova after the publication of the proceedings by Greenwood. 92. P ...