The Fall of the House of Bush: The Untold Story of How a Band of True Believers Seized the Executive Branch, Started the Iraq War, and Still Imperils

by Craig Unger

Book Overview

The presidency of George W. Bush has led to the worst foreign policy decision in the history of the United States -- the bloody, unwinnable war in Iraq. How did this happen? Bush's fateful decision... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 074328075X
• ISBN13: 9780743280754
• Release Date: November 2007
• Publisher: Scribner Book Company
• Length: 437 Pages
• Weight: 1.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

The Fall of the House of Bush by Craig Unger

Craig Unger who also wrote the very informative book called House of Bush, House of Saud, which details how and why Americans became so dependent on oil thanks in large part to the closeness of the Bush family with the Royal Saudi family over a period of many years,(This made me see red especially listening to Bush 43 telling Americans that we "are addicted to oil." And whose fault is that?) has now published another explosive expose called The Fall of the House of Bush. In this book, Unger has given us not only a history of the evangelical movement and how it intersected and interacted with the neocons to produce this rogue Bush administration but a detailed account of its response to events leading up to and the aftermath of 9/11. From the flyleaf: "Why George W. Bush ignored the sage advice of his father and took us into war." "How George Bush was convinced he was and is doing God's will." "How Cheney and other members of the administration ignored or purposefully used forged documents to talk Americans into invading Iraq." Unger cites many heretofore unpublished documents written by such infamous neocons like Wolfowitz and how this shadow government that Cheney has created is alive and well today. How John and Joan Q Public has been duped by these people! While Unger's revelations make my blood pressure soar, he also sends his readers a clarion call to take up the gauntlet and do SOMETHING so this kind of rogue government is never allowed such power again in our democracy. A must read by every American. And then we must take action and send these people to jail.

Incredible book.

Craig Unger masterfully tells the story of how two sets of odd "bedfellows" came together in the late 1990's, creating an alliance to elect George W Bush president and begin this country's downfall. This is one of the best books I've read on Bush and Iraq, and the first one that goes into depth about the "players" who influenced aging frat boy Bush into taking our once-great country into the debacle called the "Iraq War". My main thought, while reading the book, is that the neo-cons and the evangelists who united in their joint desire to remake the Middle-East must have given very little thought to how the war was going to actually "work", since the results, from the very first day after "mission" was declared "accomplished" have been one scene of horror after another. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Now, go buy it and read it.

Best Non-Fiction Since "All the President's Men"

What a remarkable job Craig Unger does of pulling together disparate threads into what becomes the easily identifiable quilt that is the Bush-Saud relationship. I cannot think of a more important work of non-fiction written over the past thirty years.In part because of the conservative criticism they drew, my last three reads were Plan of Attack (Woodward), Against All Enemies (Clarke), and The Price of Loyalty (Suskind). I'd heard of House of Bush, but it didn't seem to be drawing much ire from the right. Now I see why: It's footnoted and chapter-noted to the extreme; its facts beyond reproach. There are simply precious few (if any) chinks in Unger's armor for the right to attack. I've yet to see any serious criticisms of Unger's work. (You can bet the book's been picked apart, yet I've not seen anyone publicizing factual inaccuracies. There's simply no spin to use against Unger's masterful marshalling of the facts.)This book -- and Michael Moore's movie -- should be made available free of charge to Republicans and Independents in battleground states. You can't read the one or see the other without being profoundly bothered (though I'll concede that Moore can be a tad over-the-top).In years to come, this book should be required reading in history classes worldwide. My thanks to Craig Unger for setting the record straight.

Why are Righties so up in arms over this book???

Because it looks at a KNOWN FACT and breaks it down for the average American. For the record, I am a Republican. In the eyes of some who gave this book 1 star, I might be termed a RINO. I voted for Ronald Reagan and George Bush Sr. I did NOT, however, vote for George Dubya Bush. Why? I don't like idiots. I don't like people who pander. I didn't like Bill Clinton for the same reasons. Why is it when the facts, which are clearly laid out brilliantly in this book, are always assailed by the FAR RIGHT WACKOS in my party? They complain about the PUBLIC SCHOOLS turning out idiots, but I wonder if people in my own party can even criticize it anymore?!?!?My liberal friends can criticize their party and I respect that. I never hear the Rush's and Hannity's EVER say one damaging word about our president of some of the Congress' most destructive members (Tom DeLay anyone?!?!?).READ THIS BOOK. IT OPENS SOME EYES. I, FOR ONE, CAN LIVE WITH JOHN KERRY AS PRESIDENT. SINCE MCCAIN WON'T RUN, MAYBE WE CAN SEE IN 2008.Real Republicans, like John McCain, Ronald Reagan and myself do not like the TRUE RINOs the ones who ignorantly poo poo any ideas or theories just because they don't fit into their rigidly small vision of the world. This partisan bull needs to stop now or books like this won't matter, our republic will have fallen and who knows what will happen.Read this book!

Blows your mind

The author, using solid and extensive references, demonstrates year by year and step by step the evolution of the relationship between the Bush family and their associates with the House of Saud, and by extension, the house of bin Laden. The weight of the evidence that such an association exists is the sheer number of shared business endeavors, business associates (who are later appointed government officials) and mutual interests - too much for it to be coincidence. The consummation of this association is the outright courting (and winning) by the Bush campaign of the radical Muslim vote in Florida in 2000 and the subsequent loosening of immigration requirements for Saudi Arabians. The last chapter (I will not give it away) will sweep the reader into a dimension where the game of playing both sides by the rich and powerful (both Bush and Saud) comes suddenly crashing down in a deadly tragedy for thousands of Americans. Now we can see why Richard Clarke maintains the Bush administration did little pre-9/11 to pursue Al Qaida - what he doesn't say (but this book documents) is that Al Qaida is the stepchild of Saudi Arabian royalty, and that it is Saudi Arabian royalty that has helped propel the Bush family into power. A chilling read that explains so many questions we have. Read it, share it.