Portland Public Library

Destiny and power, the American odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush, Jon Meacham

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 1303-1343) and index

individual biography

platesportraitsillustrations

index present

non fiction

Destiny and power

bibliography

907657342

Jon Meacham

the American odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush

He was the last of a kind, and his rise, his fall, and his rebirth in the twilight of his life offers a window on a great deal of American history.' Meacham creates an intimate and detailed life story of a man whom many know only through his politics, or from a distance. From interviews and exclusive access to Bush's presidential diaries, Meacham brings Bush and the great American family he came from, vividly to life, beginning with the family's story working in a tool company in the Midwest in the late 1800's and on through George H.W. Bush's childhood in Connecticut, his heroic service in World War II, his decision to strike out on his own and try to create an oil business in Texas, to his political rise to be congressman, ambassador to the U.N., head of the CIA, vice president, then president, and the only man since John Adams to see his son become president. Written with Meacham's trademark compelling narration and historical depth and contemporary insight, this stunning biography reveals the unusual self-reflections, as well as the distinctive American life of a man from the Greatest Generation who pursued a life of service as a guardian of America in the way of Eisenhower, and was one of the last gentlemen in our political world

The last gentleman -- A vanished universe : beginnings to 1942. The land of the self-made man ; A real son of a bitch ; He gets so intense over everything ; Not for self ; That's Barbara Pierce -- War and marriage : 1942 to 1948. Off I zoomed ; I wanted to finish my mission ; Life lay ahead of us -- Texas and tragedy : 1948 to 1966. Who had ever heard of Odessa, Texas? ; I push it away, push it back ; I was bleeding inside ; Goldwater's policies, Kennedy's style -- The wars of Washington : 1966 to 1977. Without a moment to stop ; A turn on the world stage ; This job is no fun at all ; Am I running away from something? ; George Bush, super spook -- The age of Reagan : 1977 to 1989. A President we won't have to train ; We have done the unthinkable ; It hurt like hell ; Is George Bush there? ; Well, what do we do now? ; The special relationship ; The President was struck ; George did it ; On the eve of the run ; Like you've been hit in the stomach ; We came out of the dead ; I'm stronger and tougher -- The awesome responsibility : 1989 to 1993. The sun started through ; If it weren't for the deficit ... ; Victory in Europe, terror in China ; The fall of the Wall ; I want to do the most good I can ; A nation reunited and a new NATO ; I've got to do what I think is right ; This will not stand ; No blood for oil ; Read by hips ; The threat of impeachment ; Nothing like it since Truman ; I'm just not sure I want to run again ; A coup in Moscow ; It was discouraging as hell ; God, it was ghastly ; The closing of an era -- In the twilight : 1993 to 2016. I'd like to see old George Bush ; The proudest father in the whole wide world ; It is not easy to sit on the sidelines ; The buck stops there -- I don't want to miss anything