All the Best, George Bush: My Life in Letters and Other Writings

by George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush

Book Overview

Former President George H.W. Bush, revealed through his letters and writings from 1941 to 2010, is "worth its weight in gold...a valuable update of the life of an honorable American leader" (The... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 068483958X
• ISBN13: 9780684839585
• Release Date: October 1999
• Publisher: Scribner Book Company
• Length: 640 Pages
• Weight: 2.16 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.7" x 6.4" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

The Character of a President

In his letters former president George Bush shows us a great deal about who he is as a person, the nature of his character. We find a very gentle, articulate man with a deep sense of courage. These are shown in the two letters which stand out in my mind as I write this. The first is a tender letter about the death of his child, Robin. In it he shows himself to be a man who feels deeply, but also a man who has used his grief to grow into a compassionate person rather than one who is bitter. Another letter which showed me much about who this man really is was a letter he wrote in response to criticism he had received regarding what was viewed by one person, who had lost a loved one, as a cold and insincere attitude at the memorial service. His kindness and willingness to apologize for behavior which to me seemed to have been both appropriate and sincere said much about a man who is comfortable enough with himself to be humble in the true definition of that word. The letters in this book are interesting and uplifting. They gave me a sense of faith in this country's potential for great leaders.

The Real George Bush

As a collector of presidential biographies and memoirs, without a doubt All the Best by George Bush is the finest, most genuine, most personal look into the life of a President that I have ever encountered. The Bush letters, diary entries, official memoranda, and other sources cited offer the reader a "window on the soul" of our 41st President, and reveal a strength, an unrelenting decency, and an advanced sense of humor that many never knew existed (because the national media couldn't understand it). All the Best is a great book from one of the 20th Century's great statesmen.

A lighthearted and insightful book...rare from a politician

In an era where politicians are looked upon with a great deal of contempt and are portrayed (sometimes rightfully so) as cold and heartless, along comes a book to buck the trend. President Bush opens himself up to the reader to get a glimpse of his thoughts and the events going on around him. It is very revealing in parts, and generally shows his maturation and perhaps some change in perspective as the years progress. Pres. Bush does not hide the fact that he is an emotional man, and that is expressed very well in this book. One can't help but be touched by the humor, sadness, insightful opinion, and lightheartedness this collection of letters encompasses. Fair warning to those expecting a book that is "wonkish" in policy and serious reading: this is not that kind of book. Nor does it pretend to be, and that's what makes it enjoyable. If you were expecting more serious material from President Bush, I suggest you try "A World Transformed", which he co-authored with Gen. Brent Scowcroft. All in all, "All The Best..." is a nice read, and should appeal to a wider audience than most memoir/autobiographical pieces from our political figures.

tasteful and informative autobiography

This is an intriguing and enticing look at former President George Bush through five plus decades of letters and diaries. The writings demonstrate that Mr. Bush's personal life mirror his public demeanor as a quiet, uncomplicated individual who strongly believes in family values. The entries include impressions of world leaders of the past two decades, adding to the interest.Anyone seeking dirty laundry and partisan politics needs to skip this memoir. Instead, Mr. Bush treats everyone except the nagging press as a friend. The book serves as a refreshing look inside the guts of the former President as well as how he perceived some of his colleagues and events on the world stage. Fans of autobiographies, the American presidency, and American history will gain much pleasure from this memoir that is much more interesting than the sanitized version of greatness that many of the modern day autobiographies present. Mr. Bush shows his pride of simply being Mr. Bush. Harriet Klausner