41 - George Herbert Walker Bush

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41 - George Herbert Walker Bush

1cyderry
Modificato: Giu 15, 2009, 8:51 pm




The Presidency of George Bush(American Presidency Series)
Prop2gether

Election Bush (426 electoral votes) vs. Dukakis (111)

Bush was the first president to publicly refuse to eat broccoli. Broccoli farmers got mad and began sending truckloads of broccoli to the White House. His wife, Barbara, accepted the broccoli, but Bush said, "I am President of the United States and I don't have to eat it.
After telling the press he was an expert in hand gestures, George Bush gave the "V-for-Victory" sign as he drove in his armored limousine past demonstrators in Canberra, Australia's capital in January 1992. In Australia, holding up two fingers to form a "V" has the same vulgar meaning as the middle-finger gesture in the United States. The Aussie demonstrators were very mad, and they signaled in the same manner back at the U.S. President. Bush later apologized.
Bush played first base for the Yale baseball team.
Bush, distantly related to Benedict Arnold and Marilyn Monroe, is also related to Presidents Pierce, Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and Ford, and to Winston Churchill.
When he received his commission in 1943, he became, at 19, the youngest pilot then in the Navy, flying 58 combat missions during World War II.
With Bush, the first president born in June, presidents have been born in every month.
He was named after his grandfather, George Herbert Walker, an investment banker.

2Prop2gether
Modificato: Mar 2, 2009, 11:05 am

The Presidency of George Bush by John Robert Greene is part of a series of histories of the presidents. It was well-crafted, although I did find it annoying that the University of Kansas press could not have the dates written in U.S. order--unless the purpose was sell outside of the U.S.

This book skims through Bush's early life and years prior to the presidency (covering through his vice-president days in about 30 pages or so). Thus, you get just a hint of what made the man before he got the office. The balance of the book covers the presidency in great detail, especially considering how slim (245 pp. including the appendices) the book is on the shelf. It's a good introduction to the man and his term as president, but not overwhelming in style.

3investory
Set 10, 2010, 9:50 pm

I read My Father - My President George Bush, Sr by his daughter Doro Koch. I enjoyed the book. One thing about the Bush family they do enjoy company!!! he seems to have a real love for his family which I like. Losing a daughter would never be easy on anyone.

4Bill_Masom
Ott 28, 2015, 3:37 pm

I have just completed -

41: A Portrait of My Father by George W. Bush. It was an E-library book.

You can clearly tell that "W" loves and admires his father greatly. Anyone looking for any kind of critical look at Bush Sr's policy decisions need not read this book. Devoted son wrote a book about his loving father. Good read, just no critical information in there at all.

5swimmergirl1
Nov 6, 2015, 9:16 pm

Glad to see someone is still reading too.

6barney67
Dic 4, 2015, 1:39 pm

There's a new one, Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush by Jon Meacham. I saw Meacham on Charlie Rose about a month ago and was impressed.

7Tess_W
Ott 16, 2016, 9:02 pm

I read 41: A Portrait of My Father by George W. Bush . I liked George W's informal style but most of all I liked the beginning of the book: "This book is not unbiased; this book is a love story."

8swimmergirl1
Apr 18, 2018, 4:19 pm

Rest In Peace, Barbara.

9swimmergirl1
Mag 26, 2018, 12:57 pm

Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush by Jon Meacham.

Really learned a lot that I didn't know about George Bush. He was someone who stood by their values and ethics, had grace to stand behind Reagan and support him. His service to country stood up throughout his life and transferred to his children. Visited his library in College Station a year or so ago, very interesting place.

10weejane
Mag 24, 2022, 8:49 pm

Highly recommend Destiny and Power!

11Hamburgerclan
Feb 24, 6:56 pm

I concur!
Destiny and Power
by Jon Meacham

George Herbert Walker Bush was the last American president from the "Greatest Generation" and, according to Jon Meacham, the "last gentleman." Mr. Meacham presents a portrait of George Bush as a man born to wealth and privilege, and raised to compete, succeed, but also to serve his community--be that be his immediate neighbors or the entire world.

Mr. Meacham starts by presenting Bush's ancestors, showcasing how they were driven to work hard and win the things they wanted. George faithfully followed his family's values, earning respect and admiration from the people around him. When America entered the Second World War, Bush enlisted and served. Afterwards, he chose not to seek an easy road, working for relatives and relying on family wealth and connections, but rather opted to seek his own fortunes in the oil industry and later in politics. (Granted, the Bush family fortune and connections did make that a lot easier than it would have been for someone coming from a background of poverty.) Even when things didn't go the way as planned--such as the 1980 Republican presidential nomination--Bush adapted and endeavored to succeed in the opportunities that followed.

Mr. Meacham argues that during his presidency, Bush was misrepresented. He recounts his reserved personality and patient actions were contrasted to the more flamboyant presidency of Ronald Reagan, and that Bush was portrayed as being a weaker leader. Mr. Meacham then goes on to show how Bush endeavored to reach his goals and conduct his presidency in the way that he intended, rather than bowing to other pressures. That part rang true, as I remember agreeing with the media narrative during those years that Mr. Bush was rather ineffective, but how I grew to respect him more as I compared him to subsequent presidents. (and subsequent Bushes)

All in all, I found Destiny and Power to be a good and enjoyable account of George Bush and 20th Century American history. Check it out.