First Son: George W. Bush and the Bush Family Dynasty [ILLUSTRATED] (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The first of several Y2K biographies on Texas governor George W. Bush offers an in-depth look at both the Republican presidential candidate and his political family: Bill Minutaglio interviewed more than 300 people for First Son, including Bush and many members of his inner circle. The book focuses on the life of "Dubya" (the nickname used by the press and others to distinguish him from his father) and includes a combination of original material and information that has been reported elsewhere. It is neither pro- nor anti-Bush, simply reportorial and largely nonjudgmental. Readers won't find an answer to one of the season's most burning questions: Has Bush ever used illegal drugs? In a preface, Minutaglio piously says he won't stoop to such low levels. Yet one gets the sense that he won't go there because he doesn't have any hard evidence, as stories of Bush's heavy drinking are related without apparent reservation. Minutaglio, a writer for The Dallas Morning News, spends most of his time describing Bush's amazing and unexpected rise to fame. Dubya's own family, for instance, thought that younger brother Jeb would be the first to win an important public office. Yet Dubya exploited his family ties and personal charisma to have a successful business career in the 1980s and then beat a popular incumbent in 1994 to become Texas governor. (Jeb became governor of Florida in 1998, while his brother won a second term in Austin.) Minutaglio's narrative goes light on Bush's gubernatorial record and ends before his formal entry into the presidential race in 1999. Readers hungry for an overview of the man who would be president, however, could do much worse than start by looking here. --John J. Miller

From Publishers Weekly

How did George W. Bush, "the turbulent cosmos inside every family gathering in Maine," rein in his impulsiveness and his temper, his resentment and his considerable wild side, to become the smiling prophet of "compassionate conservatism," two-term governor of Texas and current front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination? In a detailed but poorly organized biography, Minutaglio, a reporter at the Dallas Morning News, delves sympathetically into the blessings and disadvantages that George "Dubya" experienced growing up as the grandson of the formidable Connecticut senator Prescott Bush and as the son of the 41st president of the United States. Bush's youth was not normal: President Nixon once ordered a military plane to pick up Bush for a date with his daughter. Minutaglio presents Bush as a man who has overcome the burdens of crushing expectations and a recurrent identity problem, a man with strong Texas roots, superior political skills and hot emotions. Readers who care about the summer's most popular political question (Did Bush snort cocaine?) won't find an answer here, though Minutaglio is quite candid about the first son's former proclivities for liquor (Bush says he has been sober since 1986). In the end, however, the book is diminished by Minutaglio's apparent inability to separate important points from inconsequential details. More personal than political, this slightly unfocused character study makes no strong assessment of Bush's performance as governor and no predictions about what a Bush presidency might look like. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Crown; 1st edition (October 6, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812931394
• ISBN-13: 978-0812931396
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,274,463 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific and well-balanced, November 27, 2000

By A Customer

This biography ought to be read by everyone, "W" supporter or not. It's insightful, clear, colorful and gives a great sense of background about this man's early years. Minutaglio is a real WRITER who doesn't have any apparent political agenda other than giving readers the information they need to make their own decisions. Since it looks like the man may be president, this book will -- without doubt -- become THE info. source. I've lent it to several friends who also praise it highly. If it were out in paperback, they would have bought copies for themeselves...

34 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars well balanced, well written, well thought out, November 2, 1999

By	Mark (Newark, NJ) - See all my reviews

If you are looking for tabloid like Bush Bashing, don't look here (you might try The Father's Son, that one is quite good at trying to instill some what outdated class war fare dribble). This particular book is extremely well balanced. If you love the Bush clan, or hate them, you will find something within. Personally, I found it an insightful and interesting tale of one of our nations most powerful pollitical families. Is George W qualified to be President? Well that is a question that only time will answer. My thoughts are he is as qualified as the guy we have recently given the nod to twice, except, maybe George will actually care more for the country than himself. He does seem to learn and grow. Now that would be a pleasant change. However one thing is for certain, the Bush family is a political dynasty (now more impressive than the Kennedys) and the people of Texas sincerely love both of their Georges.

5.0 out of 5 stars Actor Roscoe Born Reads This in Audio, December 3, 2008

By	Unforgetable "unforgettablesongs" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: First Son: George W. Bush and the Bush Family Dynasty (Audio CD)

Actor Roscoe Born who is Best known for his Emmy Award nominated roles of Robert and Quinn from 1990 and 1991 in the soap opera Santa Barbara reads this audio book with the same acting style and talents he showed in his acting roles.