W: Revenge of the Bush Dynasty [Hardcover]

Elizabeth Mitchell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2000

In the tradition of What It Takes by Richard Ben Cramer, Elizabeth Mitchell, a young journalist, takes an in-depth look at the man many believe will be the next president, George W. Bush. This comprehensive and explosive biography stands as an epic saga of one of the nations leading political families, interweaving a history of the time with insightful analysis and top-notch reporting.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The premise of Elizabeth Mitchell's W: Revenge of the Bush Dynasty is that if you want to understand George W. Bush, you must look at his parents--especially his father. So, it makes sense that Mitchell's book is as much about former President Bush as it is about his son. Mitchell, a former executive editor of George magazine, clearly believes that pleasing his father has been the driving force in George W.'s life, leading him to follow in his father's footsteps almost stride for stride--to Andover, Yale, the oil business, politics, and a run for the presidency. An Andover friend of George W. told Mitchell that he has been resolutely trying "to live up to his father's achievements" his entire life. And that hasn't always proved easy, particularly in school, where George W. excelled in social pursuits rather than academics. "It's the first son syndrome," Mitchell quotes another friend. "You want to live up to the very high expectations set by your father, but at the same time you want to go your own way, so you end up going kicking and screaming down the exact path your father made." His mother, Barbara, even said in an interview that George W. and Jeb's decisions to enter politics "sort of vindicates our life," touching on a recurring theme in the book. "George W. would love to avenge his father's defeat," Mitchell writes. "To some, his political interest seemed ignited less by passion for the issues than by revenge." Full of rich detail and telling anecdotes, W is an important look at a dynasty in waiting. --Linda Killian

From Publishers Weekly

The clever title suggests a more sensationalistic perspective than Mitchell, a veteran journalist, actually provides, but it does capture a central theme--that for Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush, politics is more personal than partisan. A pragmatic conservative, the younger Bush is not strongly motivated by party affiliation, ideology or policy, but he is driven to avenge past slights aimed at--and the reelection defeat of--his father, George H.W. Bush. Mitchell highlights the power of this element in George W.'s life by writing what is essentially a dual biography structured around father-son parallels and emphasizing the formative years of each man's life. To say George W. followed in his father's footsteps is an understatement; through educational, military, business and then political experiences, there are amazing parallels. Tragedy seems to be lurking at the edge of the narrative, however, for George W. never quite measures up to his father's performance until the critical epiphany occurs as he contemplates running for governor of Texas: "George W. probably realized that he might not be as good as his father at baseball, academics, or the oil business, but he was a better politician--the thing George Bush cared about most." Whether he ends up as a more successful politician is yet to be determined, and we are given little basis for judgment by the remarkably scant treatment (one chapter out of 15) of George W.'s tenure as governor. Nevertheless, anyone seeking insight into George W. before his final chapter is written will find much to ponder in Mitchell's presentation. (Feb.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 370 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Books; 1st edition (January 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786866306
• ISBN-13: 978-0786866304
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,406,062 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Elizabeth Mitchell is the author of the nonfiction books, Three Strides Before the Wire: The Dark and Beautiful World of Horse Racing (Hyperion) and W.: Revenge of the Bush Dynasty (Hyperion). Her bestselling e-single, The Fearless Mrs. Goodwin (Byliner) and Lady With a Past: A Petulant French Sculptor, His Quest for Immortality and the Real Story of the Statue of Liberty (Byliner) are reported historical narratives. Mitchell was executive editor of George magazine and features editor at SPIN magazine. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If only the entire media was this fair to everyone, April 9, 2000

By 

Michael J Woznicki "Michael J Woznicki" (Holland, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: W: Revenge of the Bush Dynasty (Hardcover)

It has been said that following in political family steps is often the most stressful way to make a living. You have a responsibility and family name to uphold and you are under constant scrutiny for everything you do. George W. Bush has made a political living out of defying the odds and this book is an excellent example of this.

Mitchell's clear, concise and definitive look and what many are calling the next President is a remarkable story from beginning to the very end. Mitchell gives you a vast look into the man that has revitalized the Republican Party.

The book goes into W's life from his childhood and college years, through his leadership in the state of Texas. What I found most fascinating about the whole book is the way the author remain objective in detailing how George W. learned the political game from watching dad.

The book takes a look into a man the press knows very little about. The book and the author should be congratulated for the outstanding work. I highly recommend this book to anyone working politics or those wanting to get involved. Excellent job!

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good Overview, May 2, 2002

By 

John G. Hilliard (Toronto Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: W: Revenge of the Bush Dynasty (Hardcover)

This is an interesting book that takes a look at George W. Bush and how his life shaped him all the way up to his running for President. The main premise of the book is that GW is following in his father footsteps out of love and admiration for him and a strong sense of duty. The author also gives us about 50% of the book on the first George Bush and his life story which is needed to show you how close GW follows in his footsteps. I would have liked a bit more detail on the other Bush children though, as the author states that all the children have a desire to follow in the father's footsteps.

I really did not expect this book to provide me all the details it did about the first President George Bush. That was a pleasant surprise for me. We get a good run down of his overall life and some interesting details about his time as VP and President. I also enjoyed reading how he felt a responsibility and loyalty to Nixon enough to take the RNC post. I actually came away with a better understanding of the father as both a person and a leader. I thought some of the insights also made the Bush handling of the 92 race a little clearer for me.

The fist part of the book makes you think this is a love fest book put out by the GW campaign. To be honest, I really did not get that much out of all the details of him in grade school / high school. The book really started to matter to me when the author got into his time in College and later. Once GW started to move on in life the less then faltering facts started to populate the book. Given that that author gives you so many facts, both good and bad, you get a balanced look and the book, in its totality, comes off as a balanced report. I actually did think the author could have played up some of the questions on the Viet Nam issue and the business failures / bailouts to get a more sensational book.

The one area that I would have liked more detail on was the major successes of GW. The book does a good job of running down his less then stellar business career, but I also wanted more detail on his work on his father's campaign. What the book does say on that point makes GW out to be good at the roll he was a playing - I wanted more detail. I also thought we got shortchanged on his run for the Governor and his service in the office. I wanted more detail on his major accomplishments in office. Basically I felt the author rushed this part through to get to print.

This book will not be the end all be all biography of his years before he became President, it is a bit light for that. What the book is though, is a very readable and interesting look at GW and his relationship with his father. If you are interested in either of these two men then this is a good way to learn some facts and not get bogged down in a heavy work.

54 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not as unbiased as it claims, March 14, 2000

By 

Peterack (Alexandria, VA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: W: Revenge of the Bush Dynasty (Hardcover)

Unfortunately this book is a "white wash" meant to gloss over critical areas of its' subject, ignoring rather than dealing with certain questions.

The jacket of the book mentions in so many words that Ms. Mitchell writes an unbiased bio, presenting facts and this is what attracted me the book in the first place. I like to be knowlegable on the candidates and when choosing a book on one of them I look for a "middle of the road" or "fair" approach as opposed to a book written solely to tear down a candidate or one written to make them look like the next best thing to sliced bread. Unfortunatly, this book leans hevily towards the latter, while claming to be unbiased.

A couple brief instances:

The book glosses over the GW's public middle school years - something he brags about during his speeches on the campaign trail (leaving out of course that he only spent one year there and the rest of the time in very exclusive prep schools).

The book illustrates his acceptance in to Yale, but totally leaves out the fact that he was denied his first choice - Uni. of Texas!

To me a well rounded bio will show strenghths and weaknesses along with the subjects' wins and losses. Alas, this book ignores anything that could be as construed as negative as to make me doubt the validity of any other anecdote or life story told within its' pages.

Obviously, like many works, this was apparently rushed out - the authors' introduction talks about how GW easily swept the primaries, which it looked like he was going to do last summer - but as we know he didn't "sweep" the primary. Yes he won, but it was a long expensive primary for the candidate that was hard fought.

It appears to me that the author's intention with this book was to present a white washed look as opposed to a fair minded view of its' subject.