by James Mann
Clarke, Richard A. Against All Enemies: Inside America’s War on Terror. New York: Free Press, 2004.
Cramer, Richard Ben. What It Takes: The Way to the White House. New York: Random House, 1992.
DeYoung, Karen. Soldier: The Life of Colin Powell. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2006.
Draper, Robert. Dead Certain: The Presidency of George W. Bush. New York: Free Press, 2007.
Engel, Jeffrey A., ed. The China Diary of George H. W. Bush: The Making of a Global President. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2008.
Feith, Douglas J. War and Decision: Inside the Pentagon at the Dawn of the War on Terrorism. New York: HarperCollins, 2008.
Frank, Justin A. Bush on the Couch: Inside the Mind of the President. New York: ReganBooks, 2004.
Gates, Robert M. Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2014.
Gellman, Barton. Angler: The Cheney Vice Presidency. New York: Penguin, 2008.
Ivins, Molly, and Lou Dubose. Bushwhacked: Life in George W. Bush’s America. New York: Random House, 2003.
Kaplan, Fred. The Insurgents: David Petraeus and the Plot to Change the American Way of War. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2013.
Kennedy, Edward M. True Compass. New York: Twelve, 2009.
Mann, James. The Obamians: The Struggle Inside the White House to Redefine American Power. New York: Viking, 2012.
———. Rise of the Vulcans: The History of Bush’s War Cabinet. New York: Viking, 2004.
Mayer, Jane. The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals. New York: Doubleday, 2008.
National Commission on Terrorist Attacks. The 9/11 Commission Report. New York: W. W. Norton, 2004.
Paulson, Henry M., Jr. On the Brink: Inside the Race to Stop the Collapse of the Global Financial System. New York: Business Plus, 2010.
Powell, Colin. My American Journey. New York: Ballantine, 1995.
Rice, Condoleezza. No Higher Honor: A Memoir of My Years in Washington. New York: Crown, 2011.
Rove, Karl. Courage and Consequence: My Life as a Conservative in the Fight. New York: Threshold Editions, 2010.
Rumsfeld, Donald. Known and Unknown. New York: Sentinel, 2011.
Sorkin, Andrew Ross. Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System—and Themselves. New York: Viking, 2009.
Suskind, Ron. The Price of Loyalty: George W. Bush, the White House, and the Education of Paul O’Neill. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004.
Tenet, George. At the Center of the Storm: My Years at the CIA. New York: HarperCollins, 2007.
Toobin, Jeffrey. Too Close to Call: The Thirty-Six-Day Battle to Decide the 2000 Election. New York: Random House, 2001.
Weisberg, Jacob. The Bush Tragedy. New York: Random House, 2008.
Wessel, David. In Fed We Trust: Ben Bernanke’s War on the Great Panic. New York: Crown Business, 2009.
Zeldin, Charles L. Bush v. Gore: Exposing the Hidden Crisis in American Democracy. Lawrence: University of Kansas Press, 2010.
ARTICLES
Specific magazine and newspaper articles are listed in the footnotes. But I found the following articles and newspaper series of particular help in tracing the life and career of George W. Bush before he reached the White House.
Patricia Kilday Hart, “Don’t Call Him Junior,” Texas Monthly, August 1988.
David Maraniss, “The Bush Bunch,” Washington Post Magazine, January 22, 1989.
Patrick Beach, “The First Son: George W. Bush Had His Rebellions,” Austin American–Statesman, June 13, 1999.
The Washington Post series by Lois Romano and George Lardner Jr. entitled “The Life of George W. Bush,” which appeared from July 25 to July 31, 1999:
Lois Romano and George Lardner Jr., “1986: A Life-Changing Year; Epiphany Fueled Candidate’s Climb,” Washington Post, July 25, 1999.
George Lardner Jr. and Lois Romano, “A Texas Childhood; A Sister Dies, a Family Moves On; Loss Creates Strong Bond Between Mother, Son,” Washington Post, July 26, 1999.
Lois Romano and George Lardner Jr., “Following His Father’s Path—Step by Step by Step,” Washington Post, July 27, 1999.
George Lardner Jr. and Lois Romano, “At Height of Vietnam, Graduate Picks Guard; With Deferment Over, Pilot Training Begins,” Washington Post, July 28, 1999.
Lois Romano and George Lardner Jr., “A Run for the House; Courting a Wife, Then the Voters,” Washington Post, July 29, 1999.
George Lardner Jr. and Lois Romano, “The Turning Point; After Coming Up Dry, Financial Rescues,” Washington Post, July 30, 1999.
Lois Romano and George Lardner Jr., “Moving Up to the Major Leagues; Father’s Campaign, Baseball Provide Foundation for Own Run,” Washington Post, July 31, 1999.
The New York Times series by Nicholas D. Kristof that appeared intermittently from May through October 2000:
Nicholas D. Kristof, “A Philosophy with Roots in Conservative Texas Soil: Governor Bush’s Journey: A Boy from Midland,” New York Times, May 21, 2000.
______, “Earning A’s in People Skills at Andover: Governor Bush’s Journey: The Cheerleader,” New York Times, June 10, 2000.
______, “Ally of an Older Generation Amid the Tumult of the 60’s: Governor Bush’s Journey: Confronting the Counterculture,” New York Times, June 19, 2000.
______, “Learning How to Run: A West Texas Stumble: Governor Bush’s Journey: The First Campaign,” New York Times, July 27, 2000.
______, “How Bush Came to Tame His Inner Scamp: Governor Bush’s Journey: Midlife Redemption,” New York Times, July 29, 2000.
______, “For Bush, Thrill Was in Father’s Chase: Governor Bush’s Journey: The 1988 Campaign,” New York Times, August 29, 2000.
______, “A Father’s Footsteps Echo Throughout a Son’s Career: Governor Bush’s Journey: The Legacy,” New York Times, September 21, 2000.
______, “Road to Politics Ran Through a Texas Ballpark: Governor Bush’s Journey: Breaking into Baseball,” New York Times, September 24, 2000.
______, “A Master of Bipartisanship with No Taste for Details: Governor Bush’s Journey: Running Texas,” New York Times, October 16, 2000.
______, “For Bush, His Toughest Call Was the Choice to Run at All: Governor Bush’s Journey: The Decision,” New York Times, October 29, 2000.
Acknowledgments
When Sean Wilentz, the general editor of the American Presidents series, first asked me to write this book, I hesitated. I had already covered some of the ground, writing about George W. Bush’s foreign-policy team in my earlier book Rise of the Vulcans and wasn’t sure I wanted to return to a similar subject. Once I agreed to do the book, I saw how wrong I was; this project offered a wonderful chance to trace through a wealth of material about the Bush administration’s policies, both foreign and domestic, as well as the upbringing and career of Bush himself. So the first note of thanks goes to Sean for giving me the opportunity to do the book and for providing extremely helpful comments and reactions as the book was being written.
I am also especially grateful to Paul Golob, executive editor at Henry Holt and Company, who took the hands-on role in shepherding this book to completion. I had known Paul casually over the years, in part through the favorable comments of fellow journalist-authors, but had no idea how great an editor he is until he went to work on my own book. He is among the few editors who understand the internal structure and flow of a manuscript. His line editing and attention to detail are, as far as I know, unmatched in the publishing industry.
The next person to whom I am indebted is Christopher Appel. As a graduate student at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, he served as research assistant for much of the period in which this book was written. He helped me to think through in advance what the book needed to cover and to find the materials I needed. After he had graduated and started a new job, he contacted me again and volunteered to read and react to chapters. I h
ad never been willing to let a researcher do this before, but Christopher was so talented that I knew it would be helpful. I was right; it turns out he’s a good editor, too.
In addition, another SAIS student, Despoina Sideri, was of great value in the final month of the book, when I was nailing down the final details. These students underscore my good fortune in having been able to write this book at Johns Hopkins SAIS; it is now the fourth book I have written and published while at the school over the past decade. At SAIS, I am indebted to Dean Vali Nasr and former dean Jessica Einhorn, to Carla Freeman and Christine Kunkel in the Foreign Policy Institute, and to Erik Jones, Kathryn Knowles, and Lindsey Ohmit in the European and Eurasian Studies program for supporting me in my work.
As always, my wife, Caroline Dexter, is the bedrock of support for my life. My daughter, Elizabeth, and her husband, Micah Lasher; my son, Ted, and his wife, Kristin; and my grandchildren, Nate, Ben, and Ryan, all keep me in good cheer. Writing books is what I do in between our visits to them.
Index
The index that appeared in the print version of this title does not match the pages in your e-book. Please use the search function on your e-reading device to search for terms of interest. For your reference, the terms that appear in the print index are listed below.
Abbas, Mahmoud
ABC
Abizaid, John
Abraham Lincoln, USS
Abu Ghraib scandal
Acheson, Dean
Adams, John
Adams, John Quincy
Addington, David
Adger, Sidney
affirmative action
Afghanistan
Clinton attacks on
detainees and
September 11 and
war of 2001–present
Africa
AIDS
Akwai, Leilani
Alabama National Guard
Alito, Samuel
Allbaugh, Joseph
Allison, Jimmy
al-Qaeda
Alzheimer’s disease
American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
American International Group (AIG)
anthrax
antiabortion groups
Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM)
antiwar groups
Apple, R. W., Jr.
Arab oil embargo
Arab spring
Arbusto company
Armitage, Richard
Ashcroft, John
Atwater, Lee
Aung San Suu Kyi
Authorization for the Use of Military Force (2001)
auto industry bailouts
“axis of evil”
Aznar, José María
Ba’ath Party
Baghdad
fall of
UN headquarters bombed
Baker, James
Bakker, Jim
banks
Barclays bank
Barnes, Ben
Bear Stearns
Bennett, William
Bentsen, Lloyd
Berger, Samuel D.
Bernanke, Ben
Biden, Joseph R., Jr.
bin Laden, Osama
biological weapons
black sites
Blair, Cherie
Blair, Tony
Blanco, Kathleen
Blount, Winton
BNP Paribas
Bolton, John
Bono
Bosnia
Brazil
Bremer, L. Paul
Brennan, William
Brewster, Kingman
Britain
Brown, Michael
Brzezinski, Zbigniew
Bullock, Bob
Burma
Burns, William
Bush, Barbara (daughter)
Bush, Barbara Pierce (mother)
Bush, George H. W. (father)
China and
Cheney and
donors and
economic policy and
education of
Gates and
House campaign of 1966
Iran-Contra and
Iraq War and
oil career and
Persian Gulf War and
personality of
political career of
Powell vs. Cheney and
presidency of
presidential campaigns of
relationship with son George
Republican National Committee and
Scowcroft and
Senate campaigns of
September 11 and
Skull and Bones and
son George’s early career and
son George’s gubernatorial campaign and
son George’s presidency and
taxes and
as UN ambassador
as vice president under Reagan
World War II and
Bush, George W.
Abu Ghraib and
Afghanistan and
appearance of
Atwater and
auto accident of
“axis of evil” speech and
bin Laden memo of 2001 and
birth of
cabinet appointments and
campaign financing and
Cheney and
childhood and Texas roots of
China and
congressional campaign of 1978 and
corporate scandals and
daughters and
death of sister Robin and
debates and
democracy promotion and
Department of Homeland Security established by
detainees and interrogations and
diplomacy and
domestic policy and
drinking and
early business and political work of
early presidency of
economic policy and
education of
education policy and
elections of 1964 and
elections of 2000 and
elections of 2004 and
elections of 2006 and
environmental policy and
European allies and
evangelical Christians and
faith-based initiatives and
father’s presidency and
father’s relationship with
father’s Senate campaign and
FEMA and
final hours as president and
finances of
financial crisis and
foreign policy advisers and
foreign policy shift of second term and
as governor of Texas
gubernatorial campaigns of
Gurney’s Senate campaign of 1968 and
Hispanics and
immigration and
inaugural address of 2001
inaugural address of 2005
India and
Iran and
Iraqi elections and
Iraq War and
Katrina and
Libby and
marries Laura Welch
Medicare drug program and
memoirs published
“Mission Accomplished” and
mother’s relationship with
National Guard service of
national security team shaken up by
nicknames of
Nixon and
North Korea and
oil career of
painting hobby and
Palestinian elections and
personality of
political career of, launched
political skills of
popularity of
postpresidency and
preemptive war and
presidency of, and refusal to compromise
presidency of, and transition
presidency of, evaluated
presidential library and
presidential pardons and
Republican right and
Rice first meets
Rove
and
Rumsfeld and
Saddam capture and
SEC investigation of
September 11 and
Social Security privatization and
speaking style and malapropisms and
stem-cell research and
Supreme Court appointments and
surveillance and
tax cuts and
Texas Rangers and
travels to Africa
travels to China
travels to Egypt
travels to Europe
travels to Iraq
travels to Israel
unilateralism and
war on terror and
West Point address of 2002
Yale reunion and
Bush, Jenna. See Hager, Jenna Bush
Bush, Jeb (brother) 6–7
Bush, Jonathan (uncle)
Bush, Laura Welch (wife)
Burma and
Bush’s drinking and
Bush’s painting and
elections of 1988 and
marries Bush
Bush, Marvin (brother)
Bush, Prescott (grandfather)
Bush, Robin (sister), death of
Bush, Samuel (great-grandfather)
Bush Exploration
Bush v. Gore
campaign donations, bundling
Canada
capital gains taxes
Card, Andrew
Carter, Jimmy
CBS
Central Command
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
detainees and interrogations and
inspector general report on
Iraq and
surveillance and
chemical weapons
Cheney, Dick
ABM treaty and
climate change and
dark side and
detainees and
elections of 2004 and
financial crisis and
George H. W. Bush and
Iran and
Iraq and
Israel and
Libby and
North Korea and
Obama and
Powell and
power of, as vice president
September 11 and
surveillance and
tax cuts and
Chertoff, Michael
Chile
China
Chirac, Jacques
Christian Right
Christopher, Warren
Chrysler
Churchill, Winston
Cincinnati Reds
Citigroup
Civil Rights Act (1964)
civil rights movement
Civil War
Clarke, Richard
Cleland, Max
climate change
Clinton, Bill
Afghanistan and
al-Qaeda and
