George Bush was a throwback to a different era. A patrician figure not known for his eloquence, Bush readily dismissed ideology as "the vision thing." Yet, as Timothy Naftali argues, there was no person of his generation better prepared for the challenges facing the United States as the Cold War ended. Bush wisely shepherded Soviet reformers through the liberalization of their system and skillfully orchestrated the reunification of Germany. And following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990, he united the global community to defeat Saddam Hussein. At home, Bush reasserted the principle of fiscal discipline after the excesses of the Reagan years. It was ultimately his political awkwardness that cost George Bush a second term. His toughest decisions widened fractures in the Republican Party, and with his party divided, Bush lost his bid for reelection in 1992. In a final irony, the conservatives who scorned him would return to power eight years later, under his son and namesake, with the result that the elder George Bush would see his reputation soar.
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"Interesting account which enabled me to appreciate Sr for more than just his hilarious appearance on SNL, when I learned about his smooth and gracious handling of the fall of the Soviets. "
— Tony (4 out of 5 stars)
" This is a decent enough book. It is from the American President series, and these are basic bios. Like others in the series, there is no rythum to these works, they move along and with no warning, suddenly end. (Like that). "
— Peter, 10/21/2013" got screwed by his own party because he would not give into the crazys...fast forward eight years to see the results if he had chosen differently "
— Ryan, 7/13/2013" It was an ok read. I thought the author was objective about Pres. Bush's presidency. I wish they would have had more about his personal life, before and after being president. "
— Carol, 10/3/2012" This has been a great series that I have been reading over the last 2 years. I have learned a lot about American history from the many writers in this series. "
— Don, 12/21/2011" Interesting account which enabled me to appreciate Sr for more than just his hilarious appearance on SNL, when I learned about his smooth and gracious handling of the fall of the Soviets. "
— TrumanCoyote, 9/21/2011" A nice intro to GHW Bush "
— Jim, 4/18/2011" A nice intro to GHW Bush "
— Jim, 11/9/2010" got screwed by his own party because he would not give into the crazys...fast forward eight years to see the results if he had chosen differently "
— Ryan, 4/13/2009" It was an ok read. I thought the author was objective about Pres. Bush's presidency. I wish they would have had more about his personal life, before and after being president. "
— Carol, 9/17/2008" This has been a great series that I have been reading over the last 2 years. I have learned a lot about American history from the many writers in this series. "
— Don, 2/13/2008Patrick Frederic is an American actor whose film and television credits include The Big Easy, 200 Cigarettes, and Law & Order, among others.