The Bushes: Portrait of a Dynasty

by Peter Schweizer, Rochelle Schweizer, Rochelle Scwheizer

Book Overview

Get the inside story on America's most powerful political dynasty. President George W. Bush leads our nation in a time of unprecedented peril. But how well do we really know him or his remarkable... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385498632
• ISBN13: 9780385498630
• Release Date: April 2004
• Publisher: Doubleday Books
• Length: 574 Pages
• Weight: 2.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 3.0" x 14.9" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Book

Arrived on time as described

Very well written

This very well written and fascinating book is highly recommended -- and it has none of the "warts" and vendetta of Kevin Phillips' "American Dynasty," which pales by comparison and trashed the Bushes at every opportunity. Obviously the Schweizers benefited enormously from access to the Bush family, and the insights are terrific. George W. comes off better, in my opinion, than his father. I found it interesting that "Big George" had qualms about running for reelection, and the authors describe in vivid detail how the "fire" to win again had gone out of his belly (pp. 401 & 403). George W. seems to be cut more from his mother's feisty cloth, which may make the difference in the 2004 election. His rise to the top may not have been conventional, but he may have more staying power than his father did; and historians may treat his presidency better in the years to come. Perhaps George W.'s wisest decision was Laura. He wanted someone who was "steady and calm" (p. 260), and obviously she changed his life for the better. He is also genuinely religious, and took to heart Billy Graham's teaching that he was "created by God for a reason" (p. 333). Because of Colu Bush's understandable reticence, it is questionable whether Jeb will ever reach the pinnacle. George P. is still an unknown quantity, and therein may lie the end of the "Dynasty" unless other Bushes emerge onto the national political scene.

The Bests of the Bush Books

If you want history and accuracy, this is the best volumne on the Bush family, by far. This one will have a long shelf life. It solves many of the puzzles about the family. Self appointed critics who imagine that this project was sponsored by the family obviously don't know the family because it is all told here, warts included, and it is fascinating to find it in one epic volumne. I see some partisans are out in force during an election year - knocking this book because it so clearly debunks some of the more bizarre conspiratorial theories and focuses on what really happened. But in the end accuracy rules!

A Heartfelt and Honest Family Portrait of USA's First Family

You might actually wonder why it took so long for a family portrait of the Bushes to be published. I certainly have; certainly no comtemporary family has had such a prolonged and strong impact on our country. The Schweizers do a fine job balancing the many faces of this engaging family. Starting with SP Bush (W's Great, great grandfather), to Senator Prescott Bush, to George HW Bush (known to the family as 41) on through to George W. and Jeb, their account is fluid, easy to read, factual and balanced. While they are clearly admirers of the family, they are also honest. Foibles are as equally displayed as the fortes-- but all are shown in a even-handed and objective manner. Despite others reviews, the authors do not seem to have an agenda-- they simply paint a portrait. The result? A lengthy biography that reads like a novel. To anyone who is interested in American history, this account of the Bush family is a must read. If you are a Bush basher, no, you will not enjoy this book. If you are a fair-minded person going in, however, there is a lot to be gained from reading this throrough account of one of the most influential families of our time.

A New Standard Has Been Set

The Schweizers have managed to give us rare, behind-the-scenes access to the most private of families--the Bushes. Not only is this book top-rate scholarship, it reads with all the swiftness and intrigue of a novel. Moreover, it's fair. In our increasingly polarized political landscape, it's nice to see scholars who exhibit balance and objectivity. Historians and political scientists alike will be unable to write future books on the Bushes without relying heavily on this treatise. A new standard has been set.

Well Written and Objective History of the Bush Family

This well-written and meticulously researched book explores several generations of the Bush and Walker families, starting with President George W. Bush's great-grandfather, S.P. Bush. I was as impressed by the authors' detailed and intimate portraits of the Bush family members as I was by their overall balanced portrayals. Although clearly written by admirers of the Bush family - among whom I count myself - this is a no-holds-barred history and nothing of importance is left out. From the family's sometimes problematic foreign business relationships before and during World War II, to the complex and competitive relationships between President Bush, his brother, Governor Jeb Bush, and their father President George H.W. Bush, it is all explored here in great, yet always readable, detail.The Bush and Walker family business contacts (and admirers) have been incredibly extensive over the generations and have included, among others, the Kennedys, the Harriman's, Eisenhower, Nixon and of course Reagan, as well as an impressive list of world and business leaders from China, the Middle East, Europe and South America. The Bushes have established perhaps the largest network of supporters and financial contributors of any family in American history - rivaling or surpassing anything ever established by either political party itself.Most fascinating is the authors' exploration of the Walker side of the family. While the Bushes refuse to emphasize the individual over the family, the Walkers are presented as sometimes larger than life, brimming with self-confidence, charisma and the ability - and perhaps the need - to take great, yet calculated, risks. It is easy to see that President George Walker Bush gets more than just his middle name from this side of the family (although, as the authors point out, he also gets more than a little dose of that from his mother Barbara as well).Also interesting is the fact that numerous male Bush family members (Prescott, George H.W., and George W., among others) have turned not to their fathers but to their uncles and other male relatives for guidance at the beginning of their business and political careers. And, as each succeeding generation has drifted further away from the "elite Eastern establishment," the Bushes have become both more conservative and more open about their deeply held religious beliefs. Each has also married strong woman (Dorothy, Barbara and now Laura) who have melded seamlessly into the Bush family, but who have asserted powerful stabilizing influences over their husbands and children.Overall, this is a fascinating account of the Bush family. Those looking for a better understanding of what motivates the current President and his family, and how the family got to where it is today, will be richly rewarded. On the other hand, those looking to the Bush family history as a means to bash or criticize this President had best look elsewhere. You'll come away from this book with a deep respect for th