Portrait of Dynasty
Throughout American history there have been few families quite like the Bushes.
So begins the book entitled, The Bushes; Portrait of a Dynasty. Written by Peter and Rochelle Schweizer, it is an exhaustive biography that looks into the lives of the Bush family, beginning in 1880 with Samuel P. Bush. Throughout its 547 pages the authors take us on a journey through the lives and times of the Bush family, ending in 2004 with the reelection of George W. as President of the United States.
From the beginning of the book the reader will learn about the Bush way of living, their hard working ways, and their stand for what they believe in. Since the beginning of their rise to fame in the government and in business they have chosen to put family and faith above their jobs. This book follows not only each famous Bush family member, but also lesser known Bushes like Marvin and Neil Bush, our President's two younger brothers. It looks into the more hidden aspects of this, at times, reclusive family with "over 100 hours of interviews with family and friends."
The authors explain how S.P. Bush made his millions working for Buckeye Steel with the support of the Rockefellers, another powerful family in the early 1900's. George H.W. Bush's grandfather, George Walker, was another wealthy man in the Bush line who made his money through a little luck and a lot of hard work. This book continues to follow in the wake of these extraordinary men as Prescott Bush makes his fortune again through hard work, and some nice connections. He then runs for the U.S. Senate a couple times, finally succeeding in 1952. His son, the 40th President of the United States, George H.W. goes to Yale, becomes a member of Skull and Bones, a secret elite society that has included George W. and John Kerry, to name two. He then, like his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, sets out from under his fathers shadow and in time becomes ambassador to the U.N., Vice President to Ronald Reagan, and, ultimately, President in 1988. His sons in turn forge their own path, Jeb Bush rises to become governor of Florida, and George Bush becomes Governor of Texas and then President.
Throughout their lives at the center of the political and financial world it seems that nothing will make the Bushes place work above family, or faith. I heartily recommend this book not only to people wanting a more in depth account of the Bush family as a whole, but also to readers looking for an enjoyable story of one family's rise to power. A word of caution, there are numerous times where a character will swear; I don't remember the words used because I read the book three months ago but they are there. Also, the authors of the book have an uncanny ability to turn every fault of the Bush family into something that is acceptable. The Bush family is human and, consequently, they make mistakes.
Overall I found The Bushes to be an accurate, descriptive account of our President's many powerful relatives, living and dead. At the end of this book you will most likely wonder, as I did, if the Bush family is done playing their part at the center of American politics.
Buy Portrait of Dynasty
So begins the book entitled, The Bushes; Portrait of a Dynasty. Written by Peter and Rochelle Schweizer, it is an exhaustive biography that looks into the lives of the Bush family, beginning in 1880 with Samuel P. Bush. Throughout its 547 pages the authors take us on a journey through the lives and times of the Bush family, ending in 2004 with the reelection of George W. as President of the United States.
From the beginning of the book the reader will learn about the Bush way of living, their hard working ways, and their stand for what they believe in. Since the beginning of their rise to fame in the government and in business they have chosen to put family and faith above their jobs. This book follows not only each famous Bush family member, but also lesser known Bushes like Marvin and Neil Bush, our President's two younger brothers. It looks into the more hidden aspects of this, at times, reclusive family with "over 100 hours of interviews with family and friends."
The authors explain how S.P. Bush made his millions working for Buckeye Steel with the support of the Rockefellers, another powerful family in the early 1900's. George H.W. Bush's grandfather, George Walker, was another wealthy man in the Bush line who made his money through a little luck and a lot of hard work. This book continues to follow in the wake of these extraordinary men as Prescott Bush makes his fortune again through hard work, and some nice connections. He then runs for the U.S. Senate a couple times, finally succeeding in 1952. His son, the 40th President of the United States, George H.W. goes to Yale, becomes a member of Skull and Bones, a secret elite society that has included George W. and John Kerry, to name two. He then, like his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, sets out from under his fathers shadow and in time becomes ambassador to the U.N., Vice President to Ronald Reagan, and, ultimately, President in 1988. His sons in turn forge their own path, Jeb Bush rises to become governor of Florida, and George Bush becomes Governor of Texas and then President.
Throughout their lives at the center of the political and financial world it seems that nothing will make the Bushes place work above family, or faith. I heartily recommend this book not only to people wanting a more in depth account of the Bush family as a whole, but also to readers looking for an enjoyable story of one family's rise to power. A word of caution, there are numerous times where a character will swear; I don't remember the words used because I read the book three months ago but they are there. Also, the authors of the book have an uncanny ability to turn every fault of the Bush family into something that is acceptable. The Bush family is human and, consequently, they make mistakes.
Overall I found The Bushes to be an accurate, descriptive account of our President's many powerful relatives, living and dead. At the end of this book you will most likely wonder, as I did, if the Bush family is done playing their part at the center of American politics.
Buy Portrait of Dynasty
Ted Bradley
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