A Charge to Keep: My Journey to the White House [Paperback]

George W. Bush (Author), Mickey Herskowitz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 23, 2001

I was not elected to serve one party, but to serve one nation. The president of the United States is the president of every single American, every race and every background. Whether you voted for me or not, I will do my best to serve your interests, and I will work to earn your respect.

I will be guided by President Jefferson's sense of purpose: to stand for principle, to be reasonable in manner, and, above all, to do great good for the cause of freedom and harmony.

The presidency is more than an honor, it is more than an office. It is a charge to keep, and I will give it my all.

--George W. Bush, December 13, 2000, Texas House of Representatives

In A Charge to Keep, George W, Bush offers readers a warm, insightful, and honest look at the personal and political experiences that have shaped his values and led to his decision to run for president. The George W. Bush who leaps off these pages has his mother's wit and down-to-earth personality, his father's energy and competitive drive, and his own unique style and philosophy.

Written with his long term communications director, Karen Hughes, A Charge to Keep is a revealing look into the background, philosophy, family, and heart of our new president.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The political biography, complete with life-altering turning points and a political philosophy for leading the United States into greatness, has become obligatory for those running for president--just one more thing to check off the "to do" list on the way to the Oval Office. A Charge to Keep is George W. Bush's offering: a light and breezy book mixing personal and political remembrances that proves heavy on chatty anecdotes and light on policy prescriptions. If you read the last chapter you'll sort of learn where George W. stands on most things, but still not really discern how he would actually run the country. There are no revelations, either personal or political: Bush's wild side and youthful indiscretions, like stealing a Christmas wreath from a New Haven hotel for his Yale fraternity, are touched on lightly when he discusses them at all. A Charge to Keep is so upbeat and positive, in describing the Houston woman to whom he was engaged in college and from whom he "gradually drifted apart," Bush says simply: "I still think the world of her, and our parting was friendly. We were very young, we lived in different places, and we gradually developed different lives."

George W. has been labeled a lightweight by some; A Charge to Keep will do nothing to dispel that notion. It features lots of Bush family memories and numerous mentions of George W.'s famous parents, including letters from his president father. George W. has followed closely in his father's footsteps, attending the same prep school and college. He even belonged to the same secret society at Yale, Skull and Bones. From college it was on to flight school and the Texas Air National Guard, Harvard Business School, and then (again, like his father) the Texas oil business and politics. George W. seems mostly in sync with his father on policy issues as well. "A thousand points of light" is transformed slightly to become "compassionate conservative," which pops up in the final chapter more than 10 times. Readers will come away knowing many of the experiences and events that have helped shaped George W., but his future is still an open book. --Linda Killian --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

Despite the subtitle, this book, first published in 1999, does not include any report of the President's 2000 campaign nor the postelection drama of the Florida vote count. Typical of the books that presidential candidates write to introduce themselves to the American public and promote their campaigns, the narrative gives insight into the experiences that shaped Bush's life and his decision to run for president. Co-written with his communications director, Karen Hughes, the book stresses his educational reform successes as governor of Texas and describes faith-based programs supported by the state's agencies as examples of "compassionate conservatism." Bush also offers background and explanations for his decisions on several controversial issues, such as the death penalty and health-care reform. The overall tone of the book projects the "uniter not divider" image. Recommended for public libraries that do not own the 1999 edition. Jill Ortner, SUNY at Buffalo Libs.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (January 23, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060957921
• ISBN-13: 978-0060957926
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (113 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #926,259 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

GEORGE W. BUSH is the 43rd President of the United States, serving from 2001-2009. He previously served as Governor of Texas. He now lives in Dallas, where he founded the George W. Bush Presidential Center at Southern Methodist University.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Book Every American Should Read, August 21, 2010

By 

Carmen A. Hernandez - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Charge to Keep: My Journey to the White House (Paperback)

This book is phenomenal! I came across this best seller for the first time while trying to secure a copy of what I thought would be George W. Bush's first book, being released later this year. In the end, I was glad not to have read it when it first came out because now I have an opportunity to read without wondering whether the author really meant his words, or was simply painting a convenient picture so as to influence the reader with deceit.

Every American that cares about truth and about being fair should read this book. In A Charge to Keep, our 43rd President shares the road and set of values that took him to hold office as the 43rd President of the United States. You will learn about the principles that guide him, such as honesty, persistence, fairness, as well as his ups and downs in business ventures and much more. All this is presented with a frank, fresh sense of humor that will have you not wanting to put this book down for a minute and laughing to your enjoyment while being inspired by President Bush's view of himself and others.

Having held President Bush in the highest regard since I first heard him laying down his vision for America, and saw that straight-forward look on his face, so uniquely his, I still didn't have a factual, from-the-horse's-mouth understanding of him, just my feelings and perceptions. A Charge to Keep gave me the factual insight I was missing.

In a Charge to Keep you will find that there was always a deep conviction behind his decisions and policies. I gathered that his recognition of the dignity in every individual is what guides everything that he does. Standing by policies that encouraged that dignity to the forefront was his way of making us all aware that we all have something to contribute as individuals and should therefore put that something to work for the common good.

In sum, this book is full of personal and political stories through which you will be able to capture a clearly honest picture of the world as he sees it. In the end, you will be sad to know that you have reached the last page. But then, right there, there is a big surprise, something that will keep you thinking and reflecting, putting the mirror right in front of you--Can't tell you what it is, though. Go and find out for yourself. A Charge to Keep is at the top of a list of books to pass on to my beloved nephew as part of a character-building inheritance for him to treasure.

I am one of many Americans who agree with the President's decision to invade Iraq and also believe we are better, safer, because of it. You don't like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's menacing speeches against Israel? Well, I didn't like Hussein's menacing threats, and attacks on his neighbors and his own people year in and out. We paid a costly price for it, but we did it under his leadership and children being born in Iraq these days have a better chance to live a decent life in freedom.

When some political strategists dare to ask, "Do you want us to go back to the Bush years?" hoping that the mindless and ill-conceived noise that existed around us towards the end of 2007 still cloud our good judgment, my immediate response is, "Yes, please do let me." Please do take me back to the time when there was a fragance of dignity in the air, a pursuit of what was good and right, of hope, of expectation from the individual to put their dignifying worth at work, to contribute, to be part of something dignifying. I do remember the Bush years. I do remember how he kept the economy going during time of war, in spite of us being attacked in our own land, his leadership got us through much better off than any other celebrated leaders. He was a man for history. History was what he made; the good kind, that is.

If you are one of those people who may not have honestly agreed with President Bush, or have not heard much good about him, and perhaps have jumped in the "I hate Bush" wagon for the fun of it, without giving it much thought or study, I suggest that you get off the wagon, read A Charge to Keep and reconsider whether with a just heart you deem it appropriate to get back on the wagon. I do believe that you will end up walking firmly with your own two feet instead, on the road dictated by your own judgment.

We all should celebrate each other's dignity and I don't think we have been fair to President Bush in this regard. So, read A Charge to Keep and get to know the man I so highly respect to call my living hero. You don't have to call him so, but after reading this book, I am sure you will be inspired and remember what we had during the Bush years and proudly ask for more. Go and find out what our 43rd President is doing these days and you will find the same man, trying to keep his charge, as we all should be doing along with him.

40 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Candidate to Keep, November 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Charge to Keep (Hardcover)

After hearing so many positive things about George W. Bush, I decided to find out if this man is for real. This book confirms that George W. Bush is a compassionate conservative, committed to helping Americans succeed. After reading this book, I feel as if I know him personally. He is passionate and fervently fights for what he believes in. I highly recommend this book for every voter in America in order to personally get to know George W. Bush.

21 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent look into the mind of the President, September 25, 2001

By 

Clinton Hale (Bellville, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Charge to Keep (Hardcover)

I read the other reviews and thought I should post my own. One review griped about the "shallowness" of the book. Come on, He isn't William Faulkner. It was a completely readable and enjoyable book. I was wavering on whether to vote for him or not last year (I would have chosen a third party candidate) until I read this book. I saw a man that has strong convictions. He is not influenced solely by the opinion polls. He will do our nation proud as its president. I am glad that I read this book and have been his supporter. I will continue to do so.