Jenna Bush Hager is a woman of many talents, and we connect with her over a shared love of books. Smith offers up another refreshing presidential biography, turning his attention to a recent resident of the Oval Office and one who brought much controversy to his two-terms. Refresh and try again. Smith's well-rooted biography puts George W. Bush in three camps throughout his life to date: the good, the bad, and the downright ugly. Download The Book Of The Bush free in PDF & EPUB format. Print & ebooks. Terrifying in its eloquent depiction of the first term of what was arguably the most damaging executive administration—economically, environmentally, and relationally—in US history. A biographer has to be able to discuss their subjects in compelling fashion. He presided during the terrorist attacks on 9/11 and soon after started a preemptive war in Iraq based on faulty intelligence and a preconceived desire for war. It's a lot less so now, but still interesting. Washington Post Notable Nonfiction Book of the Year Distinguished presidential biographer Jean Edward Smith offers a “comprehensive and compelling” (The New York Times) life of George W. Bush, showing how he ignored his advisors to make key decisions himself—most disastrously in invading Iraq—and how these decisions were often driven by the President’s deep religious faith. Only six months ago, there was a dearth of good books on George W. Bush's presidency. Have to admit, Bush was not exactly my favorite president in history, and one only has to read Smith's opening line in the book to understand his feelings as well. The Philippines used to be a colony of the United States so even our constitution was based on the U.S. Constitution. While I still consider his administration a calamity for this nation, I can no longer disparage him as I once did. This book is very well written and engaging and Mr. Smith's conclusions are hard to deny. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Bush Hager wrote of the book: “I suspect that a lot of our book club members will be rereading this book for the first time since high school or college. His boosters, with a kind of unintended oxymoronic flourish, vigorously maintained that “he kept us safe.” The reality was instead an ongoing rebuke to that assertion, a tragically comic counter-intuitive timeline of disaster. This is an excellent biography of the worst president of our lifetime. Have to admit, Bush was not exactly my favorite president in history, and one only has to read Smith's opening line in the book to understand his feelings as well. Military spending totaled $350 billion, or 3 percent of GDP—a low not seen since the late 1940s—and not one American had been killed in combat in almost a decade. But as a well-executed dunk on what I believe to be a disastrous president that inflicted an enormous amount of harm on the country and the world, the book is a success. Still, he discusses Bush's life and presidency in sympathetic ways. Beat about the Bush Birds R360 Beat about the Bush Mammals R300 The very first sentence reads: “Rarely in the history of the United States has the nation been so ill-served as during the presidency of George W. Bush.”Clearly, Smith views Bush as a failed, and even a disastrous, president. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. This book is one of the most successful biographies I've ever read. As can be see in the biography, some are surely indelible and will have adverse effects for a generation at least. In summary, I was able to glean much from this biography, however I cannot in good conscience rate it higher than 3 stars given my concerns noted above. Unemployment stood at 9.3 percent and was rising; two million Americans had lost their homes when a housing bubble burst, and new construction was at a standstill. Jean Edward Smith, in the top tier of presidential biographers, leaves no doubt about his feelings concerning his last subject: George W. Bush. Bush." His actions. Sticking to the facts, and only the facts, this is an indictment of the policy disastors of George Bush's first term of office. The Bramble Bush is a 1960 American drama film, based on the controversial novel of the same name, directed by Daniel Petrie and starring Richard Burton, Angie Dickinson, Barbara Rush, Jack Carson and James Dunn.It was released by Warner Bros. Thousands died in the conflict, and in the end, no weapons of mass destruction were ever found. Combined with Bush's contempt for the Supreme Court, Congress, the Geneva Convention and basic human rights, his insistence on torture, his neglect of the Karina hurricane and its displacement of hundreds of thousands as well as his ignorance of his policies of taxation and spending on the American economy makes a compelling argument for placing Bush at the bottom of the list of American presidents. Fool me — you can't get fooled again. Bush was an effective governor of Texas, albeit somewhat lazy working just a few hours per day. 1-8 years ago: I would recommend the audio version, listen to it while driving, travel to a Republican neighborhood, and toss copies out of the window labled 'Jesus/Stock Market says you should listen to this.'. The book is both astonishing and devasta. Helpful. I was in tears for the last 20. Error rating book. Either way, Smith presents a thorough view of the man and his time from birth to the wonders of life after the spotlight shifted elsewhere. Going through all the Bush years in one book like this can be very … A week before her death on April 17 at the age of 92, Barbara Bush gave a last interview for Sosa’s book, George and Barbara: A Great American Love Story, out Friday. All of these meld together to create a man who sought to use his time as POTUS to leave America (and the world) a lasting impression of his decisions. If “W” kept us safe, danger seemed like a welcome respite. Welcome back. Smith, clearly, does not share the position of the legendary biographer David McCullough, who said he wrote only about men he admired -- though his past bibliography is largely a catalog of more estimabl. His actions during the 2008 financial meltdown show him as realizing the consequences of his policies and willing to change for the good of the country. Even the space shuttle exploded! This expanded version has, however, been revised to cover mammals in a much more comprehensive manner with updated classifications, new questions and answers, a more user-friendly format and more than 600 full-colour photographs. It usually succeeds. Not an uncommon verdict, to be sure. I learned a lot that I didn't know. was a #1 New York Times bestseller- Alterman's most recent book, What Liberal Media?, ap, - Both authors are well known and have appeared on the Today show, Larry King, Oprah, The Tonight Show, The Daily Show, Book Notes, Charlie Rose, Crossfire, Nightline, and NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, as well as on NPR's Fresh Air and All Things Considered- Mark Green's Who Runs Congress? Like the dozens of similar books that came out around the same time, it's a shame this book wasn't more successful. I lived through the entire eight years of the George W. Bush presidency, paying careful attentions to the events and their echoes. HILLARY Clinton revealed George H.W. To see what your friends thought of this book, The footnotes are perhaps the richest part of the book and add to the primary commentary in a tremendous way. However there were several problems with Smith’s overall analysis of the President. The very first sentence reads: “Rarely in the history of the United States has the nation been so ill-served as during the presidency of George W. Bush.”Clearly, Smith views Bush as a failed, and even a disastrous, president. Bush, Vice President Cheney and others authorized multiple forms of torture of enemy combatants. Published in November 1st 2002 the book become immediate popular and critical acclaim in politics, history books. Published in November 1st 2002 the book become immediate popular and critical acclaim in politics, history books. The stock market had taken a nosedive, the dollar had lost much of its former value, and gasoline sold for $3.27 a gallon.2 The United States remained the world’s only superpower, but its reputation abroad was badly tarnished.”, “Unprepared for the complexities of governing, with little executive experience and a glaring deficit in his attention span, untutored, untraveled, and unversed in the ways of the world, Bush thrived on making a show of his decisiveness. The firing of the Baathists and the military created an impoverished, radical class of hundreds of thousands that spurred the creation of ISIS and sectarian violence and destabilized the rule of law. It's quite comprehensive, though now probably outdated since it was published before the 2004 election. Bush’s apparent affair with his assistant – sparking his wife’s battle with depression, a new book has … Tell me about the Schweizer book. Bush was an effective governor of Texas, albeit somewhat lazy working just a few hours per day. I made it 2 chapters in. Smith's ambivalence toward George W. Bush comes through clearly. Books for the Bush Last updated: Jul 10, 2014 [For those intrigued or potentially offended by the title of the book title on the left, see the note at the end *] The bushveld is the home of many stories of heroism and bravery; where only the toughest survive the harshness of the wild. This book will make you sick. Those two terms of Bush were instead marked by: the most significant attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor, with a greater loss of life, months after the termination of the previous administration’s program to target those adversaries; the invasion of Afghanistan to bring those attackers to justice, who instead slipped away, leaving American troops endlessly bogged down in a conflict that defies resolution; the expense of much more blood and treasure in the gratuitous invasion of Iraq on the false pretense of weapons of mass destruction that never existed, permanently fracturing that nation, and effecting a dramatic destabilization of the Middle East; the death of nearly two thousand Americans in New Orleans in Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath as the nation stood by paralyzed by inaction; the first detonation of a nuclear bomb by North Korea; the reignition of the Cold War with Russia marked by hostilities in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia, sparked by NATO expansion and American unilateralism; and finally, a near cataclysmic economic collapse in the most significant financial downturn since the Great Depression, in the wake of rash deregulation that included the crippling of the net capital rule. But while this biography may be a bit premature, it provides a critical and fascinating insight into Bush's eight years in the White House. That is, Rumsfeld seems to have been allowed to maintain positions of being against this and against that, without being questioned or refuted by the record? Every month our team sorts through... - Both authors are well known and have appeared on the Today show, Larry King, Oprah, The Tonight Show, The Daily Show, Book Notes, Charlie Rose, Crossfire, Nightline, and NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, as well as on NPR's Fresh Air and All Things Considered- Mark Green's Who Runs Congress? Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. and other low points during the Bush term (Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the looming financial meltd. I suspect that most politicians wouldn't stand up to this level of scrutiny. Alterman and Green do a nice job of explaining how Bush is not just a bad president, but has misled the country at nearly every turn. A very insightful, informative, and engaging biography of a president who spearheaded a gradually tarnished administration. Sadly, seasoned biographer Jean Edward Smith (who also wrote FDR and Grant, both of which were excellent) was not neutral or fair when it came to evaluating the Presidency of George W. Bush. Read 14 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. Some of his research is surprising. Family friendly stories for all ages from Australian Outback writers. But while this biography may be a bit premature, it provides a critical and fascinating insight into Bush's eight years in the White House. July 5th 2016 As a balanced cradle-to-grave bio, it's garbage, as Smith doesn't even remotely aim for objectivity or detachment and excoriates Bush from the first sentence ("Rarely in the history of the United States has the nation been so ill-served as during the presidency of George W. Bush") to the last ("Whether George W. Bush was the worst president in American history will be long debated, but his decision to invade Iraq is easily the worst foreign policy decision ever made by an Amer. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. He was driven to make decisions contrary to the advice of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Donald Rumsfeld, Colin Powell, the generals in charge in Iraq and trusted academic experts. 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. Then, beginning in late summer 2003 a spate of books started coming out, from Paul Krugman's THE GREAT UNRAVELING to Joe Conason's BIG LIES to Al Franken's LIES AND THE LYING LIARS and Molly Ivins and Lou Dubose's BUSHWHACKED and Scott Ritter's FRONTIER JUSTICE and David Corn's THE LIES OF GEORGE W. BUSH. I really enjoyed reading it. The book is very good and I've learned a bit about Mrs Bush that I didn't know before. We’d love your help. Bush Versus the Environment Since becoming president, George W. Bush has walked away from the Kyoto Protocol, pushed for oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, undermined protections for endangered species and wilderness, and retreated from his … The author described the Bush family as the "the most successful political dynasty in American history." GWB paved the way for Trump. Smith, clearly, does not share the position of the legendary biographer David McCullough, who said he wrote only about men he admired -- though his past bibliography is largely a catalog of more estimable holders of public office, such as John Marshall, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Dwight D. Eisenhower (said bibliography also comes up a lot in terms of comparison between Bush and others; there have been many books written about George W. 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