A review by tyberius
Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush by Jon Meacham
WWII fighter pilot, US Congressman, UN Ambassador to China, RNC Chair, CIA Director, 2 term VP, 1 term POTUS. If only all leaders had a similar breadth and depth of experience.
After reading this, I've never had more respect for a Republican, particularly on the foreign policy front. Bush was a diplomat and a statesman. I enjoyed reading about his interactions with Thatcher, Major, Mitterand, Kohl, Gorbachev, and Yeltsin as they related to the fall of the Berlin Wall, dealing with Soviet satellite state independence, and a Soviet coup. I also found his day to day evolving thoughts on Desert Shield/Storm fascinating.
While his domestic policy legacy is a bit murkier, mostly due to image problems regarding his an inability to articulate a clear agenda, the "Read My Lips" reversal, and the rise of the Gingrich brand of partisan conservatism, he did make a lasting impact on environmental issues and disability rights that would have a hard time making it onto a GOP platform today.
While the author deserves credit for his research and ability to craft a quality narrative, it should be noted that much of this book was possible due to GHWB's extensive written correspondence and diaries. It is a shame that the age of Men of Letters has so diminished.
After reading this, I've never had more respect for a Republican, particularly on the foreign policy front. Bush was a diplomat and a statesman. I enjoyed reading about his interactions with Thatcher, Major, Mitterand, Kohl, Gorbachev, and Yeltsin as they related to the fall of the Berlin Wall, dealing with Soviet satellite state independence, and a Soviet coup. I also found his day to day evolving thoughts on Desert Shield/Storm fascinating.
While his domestic policy legacy is a bit murkier, mostly due to image problems regarding his an inability to articulate a clear agenda, the "Read My Lips" reversal, and the rise of the Gingrich brand of partisan conservatism, he did make a lasting impact on environmental issues and disability rights that would have a hard time making it onto a GOP platform today.
While the author deserves credit for his research and ability to craft a quality narrative, it should be noted that much of this book was possible due to GHWB's extensive written correspondence and diaries. It is a shame that the age of Men of Letters has so diminished.