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George W. Bush

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41: A Portrait of My Father Hardcover – November 11, 2014

by George W. Bush (Author)

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#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the United States, has authored a personal biography of his father, George H. W. Bush, the 41st President.

Forty-three men have served as President of the United States. Countless books have been written about them. But never before has a President told the story of his father, another President, through his own eyes and in his own words. A unique and intimate biography, the book covers the entire scope of the elder President Bush’s life and career, including his service in the Pacific during World War II, his pioneering work in the Texas oil business, and his political rise as a Congressman, U.S. Representative to China and the United Nations, CIA Director, Vice President, and President. The book shines new light on both the accomplished statesman and the warm, decent man known best by his family. In addition, George W. Bush discusses his father’s influence on him throughout his own life, from his childhood in West Texas to his early campaign trips with his father, and from his decision to go into politics to his own two-term Presidency.

Print length

294 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Crown Publishers
Publication date

November 11, 2014
Dimensions

5.89 x 1.21 x 8.52 inches
ISBN-10

0553447785
ISBN-13

978-0553447781
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

George W. Bush is the 43rd President of the United States, serving from 2001 to 2009. He previously served as Governor of Texas. He and his wife, Laura, now live in Dallas, where they founded the George W. Bush Presidential Center at Southern Methodist University. President Bush is also the author of three #1 bestsellers: Decision Points, his presidential memoir; 41, a biography of his father, President George H. W. Bush; and Portraits of Courage, a collection of oil paintings and stories honoring the sacrifice and courage of America’s military veterans.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Crown Publishers; First Edition (November 11, 2014)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 294 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0553447785
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0553447781
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.17 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.89 x 1.21 x 8.52 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #145,322 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #223 in United States Executive Government
- #398 in US Presidents
- #735 in Political Leader Biographies

Customer Reviews:
5,026

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George W. Bush

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George W. Bush served as the forty-third President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. He had previously served as Governor of Texas. He and his wife, Laura, live in Dallas, where they founded the George W. Bush Presidential Center at Southern Methodist University. President Bush is the author of three #1 bestsellers: Decision Points, his presidential memoir; 41, a biography of his father, President George H. W. Bush; and Portraits of Courage, a collection of oil paintings and stories honoring the sacrifice of America’s military veterans.

Photo credit © Paul Morse

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4.6 out of 5

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Hummingbirder

I Love You More than Tongue Can Tell

Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2014

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Warrior, husband, father, businessman, statesman, public servant, President, humanitarian. This is George Bush, who was raised in a Christian household and taught, actually conditioned, to refrain from bragging. George Bush lives a very full and public life. At times he seems aloof, yet he bears a gentle dignity, born of the humility and discipline he was taught as a boy.

Bush suffered losses. He lost several elections. He lost fellow warriors when he served in World War II. He and Mrs. Bush lost a young daughter, Robin. Shortly before she died, she told her father, "I love you more than tongue can tell." The malapropism survived. Apparently, malapropism is congenital in the Bush family.

George Bush is always self-effacing. Given his upbringing, it is difficult to determine if this is how he was nurtured or his true nature. He is not given to lashing out at others in anger. Better to remain silent in the face of disaster or defeat, or be self-deprecating in an embarrassing situation. Bill Clinton defeated George Bush when he ran for a second Presidential term, yet they became friends. They traveled together and made television appearances and public service announcements to facilitate humanitarian efforts following natural disasters. And when Bush had that unfortunate reversal right in the lap of the Prime Minister of Japan, with cameras rolling, he made a joke at his own expense, then recombombulated himself. The world stopped and giggled at him, but he has true grit, and so does his wife.

George W. Bush is a decent artist and writes with casual elegance, a box of Kleenex near his right hand, and tongue firmly planted in his cheek. This is not an unbiased work. It is a biography written both from facts and from his heart. It is not an objective biography. This time, history is personal. Penned by the subject's eldest son, researched by family and friends, "41" is an intimate and loving history of a long life full of courage, suffering, wealth, success, and generosity.

Not to mention fishing with Vladimir Putin.

47 people found this helpful

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J. Groen

Excellent Book About an Excellent President

Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2015

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This is a excellent book written about an excellent president. Because the son wrote the book, of course it is biased, but then again isn't Hillary Clinton's books about herself biased. If you like the individuals, then you read the books. If you don't, then you won't.

I like the Bush's, both George W. (the author) and George H. W. George W. wrote the book because a historian mentioned that only one other time was their a father/son combination in the White House - John and John Quincy Adams and it was ashame that the son John Quincy never wrote a book about his father and the influences on the son. George W. decided he wasn't going to let that happen with his father.

And, this beautifully written book is the result of that effort.

What comes through in the book, were the reasons why George H. W. Bush was such a great president, after all he resided over the fall of the Soviet Union without any fallout (nuclear that is) and ended the Cold War. His steady, unflinching understanding and support of Gorbachev, the leader of the Soviet Union at the time. It could have ended much differently, and history will recognize him for that.

Also, what comes through is the love and support that George H. W. Bush had for his family, including the daughter who died of leukemia at the age of three. The humorous anecdotes are especially worth the read, for anyone who likes the Bushes of course. One that I was reminded of occurred on 9/11/2001 when George W. Bush called his parents and found out they were in Brookfield, Wisconsin. He asked his mother why an his mother said: "George, you grounded our plane!"

The book is full of these humorous anecdotes and for this reason I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it for anyone who can put aside their biases.

14 people found this helpful

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fritzc77

full of amazing insight and detail

Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2014

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I found this book written by the former President George W. Bush, about his father, former President George H.W Bush, full of amazing insight and detail. I especially was able to appreciate how the younger Mr. Bush was able to convey to me about what his father taught him, about not letting people define you, something that was especially helpful considering how they are portrayed in the media. and at the same time, not giving credence to false accusations by responding to them before it was necessary. It is a fine line and not always easy, but it is well worth the fight. The story is pretty straightforward time-wise, with occasional leaps forward to show some insight. If you have been conditioned to hate the younger Mr. Bush or his father, you probably won't enjoy this, but if you are forward to learning something new about this family you think you know, you will find something to appreciate.

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Amazon Customer

Würden Sie ein Buch kaufen mit dem Titel "Mein Vater"?

Reviewed in Germany on March 25, 2017

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Das kommt darauf an.

Präsident George Walker Bush ist in der veröffentlichten Meinung zur Unperson niedergeschrieben worden. Ich habe sein Buch "DECISION POINTS" mit Begeisterung gelesen, um -SEINE- Version zu lesen. Da fragt man sich hinterher, wo und was denn wohl unsere schlauen Journalisten abgeschrieben haben.

Nun hat der gute Mann also eine Biographie über seinen Vater geschrieben. Klar, dass er dies aus der Perspektive des Sohnes unter Einbringung seiner eigenen Geschichte getan hat, wo sich Berührungspunkte ergeben. Das vervollständigt für den geneigten Leser das Bild des Autors. Aber eigentlich geht es ja um das Leben des Präsidenten George Herbert Walker Bush. Woher er kam, wie er sich hochgearbeitet hat und seine Präsidentschaft. Eine Karriere, die so wohl nicht mehr möglich wäre und welche uns Einblicke gewährt in eine andere Zeit. Viele Namen sind auch uns sicherlich noch geläufig und hier wird noch einmal nachgeliefert, worum es eigentlich ging.

Das macht dieses Buch so lesenswert. Die Wahl des Titels ist mutig, denn sie könnte auch missverstanden werden. Dies ist KEINE dämliche Lobhudelei und hier arbeitet sich auch niemand ab an seiner misslungenen Kindheit. Es ist einfach Ausdruck des Respekts für seinen Vater.

Lesen Sie das Buch und bilden Sie sich Ihre eigene Meinung. Meine Empfehlung. DANKE.

2 people found this helpful

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P. Bruno L. Araujo

Admiração merecida pelo pai.

Reviewed in Brazil on July 21, 2015

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Ainda não terminei o livro mas já estou impressionado como foi bem escrito. Logo no começo o autor diz que não é um livro objetivo. Ao longo da leitura dá para perceber a extrema admiração que o filho sente pelo pai e também por seus ascendentes. E, certamente, há razões de sobra para isso. Claro que não daria para escrever um livro objetivo. O autor diz claramente que deixa isso para outros. O que ele avalia é sobretudo o caráter admirável do pai.

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Rule 62 Ken

Unique Perspective on a Fascinating Life

Reviewed in Canada on January 15, 2015

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Author and former President George Walker Bush acknowledges that there is nothing objective about the biography he writes about his father, George Herbert Walker Bush, the 41st President of the United States. Many times in this book, the younger Bush acknowledges the deep love that he has for his subject. He also acknowledges that this book is not a critical analysis of the first Bush presidency. There are no stark secrets exposed nor any controversies explored. The book is, at its core, an expression of affection by a son for his father as the father approaches the sunset of his life. But it a mistake to dismiss this book as literary fluff, particularly because of the fascinating life that its subject has led and the content of its subject's character.

Author Bush cites, as the inspiration for the book, a conversation he had with the daughter of the outstanding historian David McCullough, famous for his epic biography of President John Adams, also the father of a subsequent president. McCullough notes, with regret, that President John Quincy Adams never wrote a biography of his father, and how history was poorer for it. Unlike the Adams family, Bush 43 has the added advantage of being able to do so while his father is still living. His enthusiasm for the task is very apparent.

It is an understatement to say that the elder Bush has lived an interesting life. Born to a prominent family, George H. W. Bush's life story is not that of someone who always took the easy path. He enlisted in the Navy the moment that he was of age to do so and became the youngest pilot in the US Navy at the time. He did not seek the safety his connections might have afforded him, and instead courageously participated in a number of combat missions, leading to an escape from death when his plane was shot down during a combat mission. He was an accomplished athlete and was captain of his baseball team in a college world series. He passed up on the opportunity to take advantage of family connections, instead plunging into the oil industry in an unfamiliar part of the county. Throughout his career he held a number of interesting jobs: congressman, Ambassador to China, Chairman of the RNC during Watergate, Director of the CIA, Vice-President and ultimately the big chair in the White House. During that time he had his share of triumph and defeat. His oldest son describes all of these events from the vantage of a close family member, giving the reader a perspective unavailable to most historians.

A recurring theme in the book is that of family. George H. W. Bush and his wife, the former Barbara Pierce, recently celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary, the longest of any president and first lady. The couple also experienced the death of an infant daughter from leukemia. More so than most biographies, all of the subject's milestones are recounted within the context of the family, and doing so reveals much about the man's stellar character.

As a writer, George W. Bush has a very conversational style. He writes well and the book flows easily and is very readable. One criticism is that many times, the author drifts into writing about his own presidency, explaining some of the difficult decisions he had to make. This is understandable at times, given some similarities in the issues the two presidents confronted (e.g. war with Iraq, the hurricanes Ike and Katrina). The author also shies away from a number of controversies. For example, he says very little about how his own turbulent years of substance abuse affected his father. But he is bipartisan in his avoidance of these issues. Ironically, both Presidents Bush have developed a close friendship with President Bill Clinton, the man who prevented the 41st President from serving two full terms. The 43rd president also glosses over Clinton's indiscretions, despite the importance of the 1992 election in the life story of the book's subject. This is not a book about any sort of meanness. Bush takes the high road throughout.

Any prejudice that the reader may have against the book's author should be set aside in favor of a delightful reading experience. The story of a man with such a fascinating set of experiences, which include skydiving on his 75th, 80th, 85th and 90th birthday, and who has such a wonderful outlook on life, is too good to pass up on. That it is told by a close family member from a loving perspective makes it all the more interesting. George H. W. Bush's life is a wonderful example of how to age with dignity, grace and with a marvelous attitude and for that reason alone it is a pleasure to read.

2 people found this helpful

Julian Bedale

Affectionate portrait of George Bush Snr by his son

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 21, 2015

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Affectionate portrait of George Bush Snr by his son, incorporating fascinating background details on GWB's parents, with their emphases on making & maintaining friendships, & "never being seen to brag". GB Snr's life was obviously on "fast-forward" from day 1, with him becoming the youngest fighter pilot in the US Navy in 1943, then getting married to Barbara in January 1945 (they have now just celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary - incredible!), before going on to Yale & becoming an outstanding student & sportsman.

His courageous decision in 1948 to move into the oil business meant moving to hot, dusty west Texas & away from the family's comfortable lifestyle on the east coast - this was then followed by him starting up Zapata Petroleum, which proved to be highly successful in the oil exploration business. With his affable personality & vast range of contacts, he then moved into politics (his own father had by then moved from investment banking to becoming a Senator), & helped move Texas towards becoming a state dominated by the Republicans.

As is well documented elsewhere, GB Snr then moved his way up the political ladder over the ensuing decades by holding a key series of jobs, such as becoming the US's Ambassador to the United Nations, then the first Head of the US Liaison Office in mainland China, followed by Director of the CIA, & finally Vice-President for 8 years.

Although he could be said to have been born with "a silver spoon in his mouth" through having wealthy, pro-active, well-connected parents, he certainly made the most of it, & undoubtedly arrived in the Oval Office as the best-ever prepared President-elect. This book is a really good insight into America's premier political family, & an excellent read.

Cairns

A heartfelt homage!

Reviewed in Australia on March 4, 2015

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An easy enjoyable read, with a folksy style and a heartfelt vibe. Definitely written with love. Gives a warm insight into a great man - a humble High achiever who never gave up and had the courage to do the right thing!

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