“Perfect, Dad,” I said.
Dad signed this photo of us on his boat Fidelity in the summer of 1991. “George—My idea of Heaven! Devotedly, Dad.” Mine, too. GBPLM/Carol Powers
The storm that gave my parents’ beloved home at Walker’s Point “a historic pounding” late in 1991 was a harbinger of the tumultuous year ahead for George Bush. GBPLM/David Valdez
Amid his own disappointment after losing the re-election, Dad invited Dana Carvey, who impersonated him on Saturday Night Live, to the White House to cheer up the staff. GBPLM/Susan Biddle
When the President-elect and Mrs. Clinton arrived at the White House on Inauguration Day, Mother and Dad received them with genuine kindness and warmth. As he wrote in a letter that he left for Bill Clinton on the Oval Office desk, Dad was rooting hard for his successor. GBPLM/Joyce Naltchayan
On the morning of my inauguration as Governor of Texas, Mother brought me an envelope from Dad with a handwritten card and his “most treasured possession,” cuff links given to him by his parents. David Woo/The Dallas Morning News
As I took the oath of office to become Governor of Texas, Dad wiped away a tear. It struck me that our roles had been reversed: After years of me supporting him in public office, he was supporting me. Fort Worth Star-Telegram/Rodger Mallison
Over my eight years as President, I would have many memorable meetings in the Oval Office. None compared to standing in that majestic room with my father on my first day. George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum (GWBPLM)/Eric Draper
After delivering an emotional speech at the National Cathedral three days after 9/11, Dad reached over and gently squeezed my arm. His simple, loving gesture brought me comfort, encouragement, and strength. GWBPLM/Eric Draper
41 and I didn’t talk much business during my presidency. Dad knew I had plenty of advisers; he also understood the pressure of the job. He provided love and laughter to ease my stress. (Looking on is President John Quincy Adams, President John Adams’s son.) GWBPLM/Eric Draper
I love this picture of Mother and Dad during Laura’s speech at the 2004 Republican National Convention. When I was re-elected, Dad’s wound from 1992 healed a little more. GWBPLM/Paul Morse
I asked former rivals George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton to team up and raise funds for disaster relief several times during my presidency. The odd couple raised hundreds of millions of dollars and developed a remarkable friendship. GWBPLM/Eric Draper
Our family at Camp David on Christmas 2008. GWBPLM/Eric Draper
For one of my final Oval Office meetings, I welcomed the living former Presidents and the incoming President, Barack Obama. The President-elect was gracious and particularly deferential to Dad, whom he later honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. GWBPLM/Joyce N. Boghosian
George Herbert Walker Bush and his first great-granddaughter, Georgia Helena Walker Bush, in 2011. Barbara Bush.
When Dad learned that one of his Secret Service agents had a two-year-old son with leukemia, my 89-year-old father shaved his head in solidarity with the boy. Barbara Allison
At the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center on the campus of SMU in Dallas. All my life, I’ve been laughing with George H.W. Bush. George W. Bush Presidential Center/Eric Draper
Seventy years after his torpedo bomber was struck by anti-aircraft fire and Dad plummeted into the Pacific Ocean, he jumped out of a perfectly good helicopter on his ninetieth birthday. CA Smith Photography
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ONE OF MY FATHER’S LESSONS is to share credit, and I am fortunate to have many people to thank for their help with this book. The list starts, of course, with its subject, George Herbert Walker Bush. By the time I started work on this project, my father’s memory had faded. Aside from an occasional flash of recall, he did not contribute to the research or writing. But his lifelong collection of letters and diaries proved an invaluable resource. I frequently found myself chuckling or wiping a tear.
I asked Mother a lot of questions for this book. She provided some facts and many opinions. She retains a dazzling memory of her nearly seventy years as Mrs. Barbara Bush, and her wit has not dulled a bit. She holds a place in history shared only by Abigail Adams, and she is worthy of a book of her own. I don’t plan to write it, but I will say this: My mother influenced me as much as my father did. Every day of my life, I have been grateful for her devotion, her humor, and her love.
I am not the first of George Bush’s children to write a biography of him. My sister Dorothy authored a fine book called My Father, My President that provided ideas and inspiration. My brother Marvin read the manuscript of this book, and it turns out that Marv is a fine editor. Some of the deepest insights come from him. My brothers Neil and Jeb provided stories, even though Jeb has a few other things on his mind these days. And my father’s siblings—my aunt Nancy, uncle Jonathan, and uncle Bucky—all took time to talk to me about this project. (Unfortunately, my uncle Prescott passed away in 2010.) I appreciate the memories they shared and the kindness they have shown to me throughout my life.
Like everything in my life, this book is better because my wife and daughters were involved. Laura, Barbara, and Jenna answered questions, volunteered ideas, and provided constant love and support—as did my son-in-law, Henry, and my granddaughter, Mila, who joined our lives on April 13, 2013 (about two months shy of her great-grandfather’s eighty-ninth birthday). As Dad says often, family is what matters most. That makes me a very lucky man.
I was also lucky to have help on this project from many people outside my family, starting with my dear friend Chris Michel. Chris has one of the great minds in our country, and I sincerely thank him.
I also thank Bob Barnett. In the world of political publishing, there’s Bob Barnett—and then there’s everyone else. I am grateful for his humor, his advice, and his patience (which always comes more easily when you’re billing by the hour). Bob is more than an agent; he is a friend.
When I started writing this book, I was unsure when (or even whether) I would publish it. One reason that it made it into print is the tremendous team at Crown Publishers. For the second time in four years, I have been fortunate to work with Maya Mavjee and Tina Constable. They helped make my last book a bestseller and encouraged me to try for the literary equivalent of reelection. This time, I also benefited from the superb editorial guidance of Mary Choteborsky and Molly Stern. Mary and Molly were unfailingly resourceful, encouraging, and responsive, often on short deadlines. I thank them and everyone else at Crown who helped make this project succeed, including deputy publisher David Drake and audio producer Dan Zitt, as well as the entire design and production team: Emma Berry, Amy Boorstein, Chris Brand, Linnea Knollmueller, Rachel Meier, Aja Pollock, Elizabeth Rendfleisch, and Neil Spitkovsky.
This book benefited from the research and assistance of many others. Emily Kropp Michel tracked down obscure historical data, turned up colorful stories and quotes, and verified countless facts. Two good friends, former Secretary of State Condi Rice and former National Security Adviser Steve Hadley, read the manuscript and offered many valuable suggestions.
Another trusted reader was the incomparable Jean Becker, my father’s Chief of Staff for the past twenty years and for all purposes a member of the Bush family. Jean supported this project from day one, and it could not have happened without her. I am grateful to the other members of Dad’s current and former staff who answered my calls for help, including Jim McGrath and Coleman Lapointe. And I appreciate the professionals at the George Bush and George W. Bush Presidential Libraries who spent many hours in the archives helping with this project, especially Bob Holzweiss, Debbie Wheeler, and Mary Finch at the 41 Library, and Jodie Steck and Sarah Barca at the 43 Library.
Finally, I thank the team at the Office of George W. Bush, led by my able Chief of Staff Mike Meece, who provided valuable advice on this book. Freddy Ford was not only a fine editor; he also compiled the wonderful photo section while serving as my communications director and
personal aide. Logan Dryden and Caroline Nugent made important contributions throughout the project, and everyone in the office helped to make the book possible: Brian Cossiboom, Harrison Horowitz, Christina Piasta, Carol White, and Tobi Young, as well as Caroline Hickey and Audrey Akers from Laura’s staff.
When I embarked on this project, I knew that many people like George H.W. Bush. What I did not fully understand was how many people adore him. My greatest challenge has been to capture the profound impact that my father has had on my life and the lives of many others. Following the advice that his mother gave him, I have strived to do my best. I hope the result is a good book; I know it’s a great story.
41: A Portrait of My Father Page 25