J's Pages

George Herbert Walker Bush was the last American president from the "Greatest Generation" and, according to Jon Meacham, the "last gentleman." Mr. Meacham presents a portrait of George Bush as a man born to wealth and privilege, and raised to compete, succeed, but also to serve his community--be that be his immediate neighbors or the entire world. 

Mr. Meacham starts by presenting Bush's ancestors, showcasing how they were driven to work hard and win the things they wanted. George faithfully followed his family's values, earning respect and admiration from the people around him. When America entered the Second World War, Bush enlisted and served. Afterwards, he chose not to seek an easy road, working for relatives and relying on family wealth and connections, but rather opted to seek his own fortunes in the oil industry and later in politics. (Granted, the Bush family fortune and connections did make that a lot easier than it would have been for someone coming from a background of poverty.) Even when things didn't go the way as planned--such as the 1980 Republican presidential nomination--Bush adapted and endeavored to succeed in the opportunities that followed. 

Mr. Meacham argues that during his presidency, Bush was misrepresented. He recounts his reserved personality and patient actions were contrasted to the more flamboyant presidency of Ronald Reagan, and that Bush was portrayed as being a weaker leader. Mr. Meacham then goes on to show how Bush endeavored to reach his goals and conduct his presidency in the way that he intended, rather than bowing to other pressures. That part rang true, as I remember agreeing with the media narrative during those years that Mr. Bush was rather ineffective, but how I grew to respect him more as I compared him to subsequent presidents. (and subsequent Bushes) 

All in all, I found Destiny and Power to be a good and enjoyable account of George Bush and 20th Century American history. Check it out. 

LibraryThing link

Labels: CheckItOut, PresidentialBioReadingList

// posted by John @ 3:45 PM