41: A Portrait of My Father
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41: A Portrait of My Father Hardcover – November 11, 2014
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About the Author
George W. Bush is the forty-third President of the United States, serving from 2001 to 2009. He previously served as Governor of Texas. He and his wife, Laura, live in Dallas, where they founded the George W. Bush Presidential Center at SMU. President Bush’s previous book, Decision Points, is the bestselling Presidential memoir of the modern era.
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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.
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29 of 37 people found the following review helpful
By
Bassocantor
TOP 500 REVIEWER on November 11, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition
2 Comments
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I confess, after reading 41: A PORTRAIT OF MY FATHER, I have a new, deeper respect for the former president. This is one GREAT MAN--there is no other way to put it. Honestly, his record of service is astonishing, beginning with becoming a pilot at age 18, all the way to being elected President #41. I make no excuses about it--this man's accomplishments are mind-boggling!
President 41 is at heart, a decent, kind, family man. Not so much a partisan politician at all. That makes it all the more surprising that George H.W. Bush ever became a president. A few sections of the book I thought were really special. I really love the picture of President 41 in the plane, "Barbara III." My second favorite picture was 41 meeting Babe Ruth. I had no idea that 41 was president of the Yale baseball team.
Another fascinating section is his time at the CIA. "George Bush cared deeply about the CIA's mission and people. He found the work fascinating; his inquisitive nature was sated by the agency's cadre of brilliant agents. Remarkably, in just one year, he developed a strong bond with the people of the CIA. " And, "True to his word, dad stayed out of out of politics throughout his time at the CIA. "
41: A PORTRAIT OF MY FATHER is first of all, a story of a son's affection for his father. If you really dislike the Bush family, then it's doubtful this book will change your attitude. Much of this book is actually not even about politics--it's about family events, relations among the siblings, and the interaction between the two men. Even though 41 is not primarily a political book, there are still some very juicy, intriguing political historical notes. The events surrounding the resignation of Richard M. Nixon are perhaps the most interesting--at least to me.Read more ›
President 41 is at heart, a decent, kind, family man. Not so much a partisan politician at all. That makes it all the more surprising that George H.W. Bush ever became a president. A few sections of the book I thought were really special. I really love the picture of President 41 in the plane, "Barbara III." My second favorite picture was 41 meeting Babe Ruth. I had no idea that 41 was president of the Yale baseball team.
Another fascinating section is his time at the CIA. "George Bush cared deeply about the CIA's mission and people. He found the work fascinating; his inquisitive nature was sated by the agency's cadre of brilliant agents. Remarkably, in just one year, he developed a strong bond with the people of the CIA. " And, "True to his word, dad stayed out of out of politics throughout his time at the CIA. "
41: A PORTRAIT OF MY FATHER is first of all, a story of a son's affection for his father. If you really dislike the Bush family, then it's doubtful this book will change your attitude. Much of this book is actually not even about politics--it's about family events, relations among the siblings, and the interaction between the two men. Even though 41 is not primarily a political book, there are still some very juicy, intriguing political historical notes. The events surrounding the resignation of Richard M. Nixon are perhaps the most interesting--at least to me.Read more ›
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77 of 102 people found the following review helpful
By
the GreatReads!
TOP 500 REVIEWER on November 11, 2014
Format: Hardcover
7 Comments
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41: A Portrait of My Father by George W. Bush is a unique biography not only because it is written by a son about his father but it is also about a former president by another former president. It may be pertinent to point out that John Quincy Adams and George W. Bush are the only two U.S. presidents whose fathers also served in the White House. John Quincy Adams was the sixth president while his father John Adams was the second president of United States of America.
In his book, 41: A Portrait of My Father, former President Bush offers an insightful look into the life of his father, the 41st president of United States, George H.W. Bush. This truly remarkable portrait of Dad Bush by Son Bush is heartfelt and shows the immense respect and admiration the younger Bush has for his father. The biography covers many aspects of Bush Sr's life including the relationship he shared with his family, the early years, and the onerous road to presidency and beyond. As a book written by a former president about a former president, it is full of politics and what it means to be the President of United States of America.
While some may expect a bombshell, there is no earthshaking disclosure but the book is still full of surprises. It discussed many things from Bush Sr's decision to launch the first war in Iraq in 1991 to his comprehensive defeat at the hands of Bill Clinton in 1992 Presidential elections. As is his wont, George W. Bush is sincere and honest about his father, and the book makes for a compelling read, especially for those who admired the Bush family's brand of politics.
In his book, 41: A Portrait of My Father, former President Bush offers an insightful look into the life of his father, the 41st president of United States, George H.W. Bush. This truly remarkable portrait of Dad Bush by Son Bush is heartfelt and shows the immense respect and admiration the younger Bush has for his father. The biography covers many aspects of Bush Sr's life including the relationship he shared with his family, the early years, and the onerous road to presidency and beyond. As a book written by a former president about a former president, it is full of politics and what it means to be the President of United States of America.
While some may expect a bombshell, there is no earthshaking disclosure but the book is still full of surprises. It discussed many things from Bush Sr's decision to launch the first war in Iraq in 1991 to his comprehensive defeat at the hands of Bill Clinton in 1992 Presidential elections. As is his wont, George W. Bush is sincere and honest about his father, and the book makes for a compelling read, especially for those who admired the Bush family's brand of politics.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By
yescolleen
on November 16, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition
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The good thing about the Bush book is that it is easy to digest. Reading it feels like you’re walking down a country road with son George’s arm around your shoulders as he warmly relates his father’s larger-than-life life. Unfortunately, the narrative is coated with so much varnish that the not so glowing backstory is excised from history. Here’s but one among dozens of examples:
When President Ford passed Bush over for vice-president, he offered him the prestigious choice of ambassador to London or Paris. Young George says his father rejected these positions because he wanted a “new frontier” and he had “worn out the Washington scene” so that China was a “place to escape to.” Further, George, Sr. was brimming with prescience in his belief that “America’s relationship with China would be pivotal in the future – an insight that few had at the time.”
Russ Baker’s book “Family of Secrets” tells the backstory why Bush was forced to walk away from the coveted London and Paris ambassadorships, not to mention the vice-presidency: Bush would have had to face Senate confirmation hearings and at that juncture in his life his involvement in radioactive events precluded such scrutiny. (Since U.S. and China did not have full diplomatic relations, no confirmation process was required.) Senate landmine questions put to Mr. Bush would have included the Townhouse slush fund, attack on Carmine Bellino, and anything related to Watergate.
Yes, it is true China was “a place to escape to” as son George says, but not for the silly reason that his father didn’t want to “be stuck attending diplomatic dinners in London or Paris.” Rather, as Russ Baker explains, the China post was “a brief exile . . . [that] would keep him out of the line of fire, cleanse him of the [Watergate] stench, and burnish his credentials, too.”
When President Ford passed Bush over for vice-president, he offered him the prestigious choice of ambassador to London or Paris. Young George says his father rejected these positions because he wanted a “new frontier” and he had “worn out the Washington scene” so that China was a “place to escape to.” Further, George, Sr. was brimming with prescience in his belief that “America’s relationship with China would be pivotal in the future – an insight that few had at the time.”
Russ Baker’s book “Family of Secrets” tells the backstory why Bush was forced to walk away from the coveted London and Paris ambassadorships, not to mention the vice-presidency: Bush would have had to face Senate confirmation hearings and at that juncture in his life his involvement in radioactive events precluded such scrutiny. (Since U.S. and China did not have full diplomatic relations, no confirmation process was required.) Senate landmine questions put to Mr. Bush would have included the Townhouse slush fund, attack on Carmine Bellino, and anything related to Watergate.
Yes, it is true China was “a place to escape to” as son George says, but not for the silly reason that his father didn’t want to “be stuck attending diplomatic dinners in London or Paris.” Rather, as Russ Baker explains, the China post was “a brief exile . . . [that] would keep him out of the line of fire, cleanse him of the [Watergate] stench, and burnish his credentials, too.”
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