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The Family (Abridged): The Real Story of the Bush Dynasty Audiobook
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(3.04) - 340 listener ratings
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They have wielded enormous financial power and dominated world politics for more than half a century. They have been appointed to positions of great power and have been elected as governors, congressmen, senators and presidents. They have shaped our past and, with our country at war under the leadership of their number one son, they are, more critically than ever, shaping our future. As the Bush family has risen to dominance, so too they have been master orchestrators of their own public image, acting and operating under the shield of privacy their money and status have always afforded them. Until now. Number One bestselling author and investigative biographer Kitty Kelley has closely examined the lives of Jacqueline Onassis, Nancy Reagan, Frank Sinatra, and the British Royal family. Now the First Lady of unauthorized biography reckons with the first family of the United States—and the result is at once a rich and shocking history and a very human portrait of the world’s most powerful dynasty. An important polemic on wealth, power, and class in America, The Family is rich in texture, probing in its psychological insight, revealing in its political and financial detail, and stunning in the patterns that emerge and expose the Bush dynasty as it has never before been exposed. Ms. Kelley takes us back to the origins of the family fortune in the Ohio steel industry at the turn of the last century, through the oil deals and international business associations that have maintained and increased their wealth over the past hundred years. The book leads us through Prescott Bush’s first entrée into government at the state level in 1950s’ Connecticut, to George Herbert Walker Bush’s long and winding road to the White House, to his son’s quick sweep into the same office. Along the way, we see the complex relationships the Bushes have had with the giants of the century—Eisenhower, Nixon, Joseph McCarthy, Kissinger, Reagan, Clinton—as well as the often ruthless methods used to realize their goals. Perhaps most impressive—and surprising—is the way the book delves behind the obsessively protected public image into the family’s intimate private lives: the matriarchs, the mistresses, the marriages, the divorces, the jealousies, the hypocrisies, the golden children, and the black sheep. At a crucial point in American history, Kitty Kelley is the one person to finally tell all about the family that has, perhaps more than any other, defined our role in the modern world. This is the book the Bushes don’t want you to read. This is The Family.
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"An interesting look at the First Family of America. After Seven years of Bush in the White House, I thought it'd be interesting to find out what makes his family tick. After reading this book, I have come to the conclusion that they are all totally crazy, but that's my opinion and I digress. The author shows how the Bush Family got it's start in politics and money through the Grandfather, Prescott Bush. It should have stopped with him. Instead, we had one president who was constantly vying for his father's love by being likable, athletic, and a goof and another who grew up with deep emotional scars and turned into the man we all love to hate. Bush "41" failed his way to the top and sold out his ethics to do it. This saga continued with the son, Bush "43", who found God, gave up cocaine and booze, and then climbed to the highest office to play God. Chilling story of how someone in this country can fail all the way to the top without Americans even realizing what they are getting themselves into."
— Melissa (4 out of 5 stars)
Awards
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A #1 New York Times bestseller
The Family Listener Reviews
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" I admit I have not read this cover to cover - but even dipping in and out has left an oily feeling; an uncomfortable family that has had much too much power for our own good. "
— Murray, 2/19/2014 -
" Excellent account of the Bush dynasty. The author uses sources to illustrate the degree to which family members feel entitled, use family connections to get what they want and get out of trouble, lie to the American public, demonstrate racism and sexism, and harbor dirty secrets about generations of drug and alcohol abuse. The book also demonstrates well the large role the Bush family played in the financial collapse of the American economy at the end of George W.'s reign. People should read this book to be aware of the ugly secrets of politicians and look out for such vapid, conscious-less people aiming for power and money. The family members like to present themselves as self made yet each generation has relied on family connections to achieve any degree of success and to get out of trouble. "
— Amatullah, 2/17/2014 -
" Kitty is a crotchity bitch with an axe to grind! I read her book about Oprah, too! AWHH! "
— Daylynn, 2/16/2014 -
" Well, this was pretty much trash. Since I listened to it on audio, I guess that it could be classified as "ear candy". In my defense, I needed a book to listen to while en route to Hilton Head that wouldn't distress my husband. So I stooped to his "Bush is an idiot" mentality and picked this up at the library. I will admit that he stayed awake and listened to it on the trip down I-95. Most of the book is a rehash of rumors about the Bush family that have circulated for years. But the information about George Bush's strained relationship with his father was revealing. Aha! The "can I ever make my father proud of me" syndrome. Know it well. This has been widely reported in the press, but you have to feel bad for George W. in his attempts to gain his parent's attention. It must have been horrible for him the evening that he won the governorship of Texas and his brother Jeb lost in Florida to have his father say publicly, "We're proud of George, but our heart is in Florida." Ouch! The other note here, is that it's not always a good thing to have the author read her own book. That voice of Kitty's! Yikes! Maybe Disney should consider her for the voice of one of their new female villans. I need to remember to be checked for scars on my eardrums when I get home. "
— Judy, 2/1/2014 -
" Some interesting things, but not well written. "
— Allison, 1/22/2014 -
" Her entire purpose seemed to humiliate and ridicule rather than reveal and inquire...she's a small-minded, cheezy, hack. "
— Katherine, 1/21/2014 -
" Way too biased and not politically substantive. "
— Jai, 1/19/2014 -
" Page turning ... No great surprises for me regarding the family dynasty ... "
— Polly, 1/17/2014 -
" really enjoyed reading it! "
— HEA, 1/5/2014 -
" Reading this I got a different perspective of Barbara. Not a good one. "
— Trudyg, 1/5/2014 -
" Kitty Kelly's unauthorized autobiographies are my guilty pleasures, at least until the new season of Desperate Housewives begins. "
— peg, 12/26/2013 -
" If you want to know the real story of the Bushes, read this! "
— Diane, 12/8/2013 -
" Fascinating, informational "
— Sharon, 4/10/2013 -
" Although many segments of this attempt at Bush family history-telling ring true, I felt throughout that Ms Kelley hates the Bushes through and through. For that reason, I cannot trust her "spin" or place faith in her interpretation of fact. "
— Luckngrace, 3/31/2013 -
" I learned so much about the Bush family from this book! I feel I now understand a lot more about the Bush presidents than I did. Sometimes it helps to understand. :-) "
— Linda, 3/6/2013 -
" I really enjoyed reading about Prescott Bush, the father of George Bush the elder. Once that period finished, though, it was a pretty boring read. I finished it only out of spite. "
— Coleen, 10/2/2012 -
" Reading a Kitty Kelley book is very similar to reading something by Jackie Collins. All in all, an interesting read and if facts are indeed true, very alamaring to learn the sordid details of the Bush family. "
— Eryn, 6/30/2012 -
" Undocumented but credible and disturbing story of the warped family history of the Bush family. A primer on how NOT to raise your children under perverted "family values" "
— columbialion, 4/10/2012 -
" In the middle of this one. If has it's slow moments and it can be hard to keep the family tree straight when you're reading it but it's fairly entertaining. "
— Lisa, 9/28/2011 -
" I got a little bogged down with some of the facts but found this book very interesting. Perhaps some is real and some isn't but Oprah is still fascinating. Can't help but feel that I might do some of the same stupid things this books claims she does if I ws suddenly very rich. "
— Jackie, 5/2/2011 -
" Like a People Magazine... You don't know why you're so interested. You just can't quit reading it. I'm glad someone decided to write honestly about Oprah. I like her, but I'm tired of her being made into a god. "
— Lara, 4/20/2011 -
" I shouldn't have bothered but I have to admit I was curious about this kind of book - I'd not read one before. And can happily go forth not doing so again... "
— Pam, 4/2/2011 -
" Kitty Kelly definitely has a "point of view" - to be as provocative as possible - and it's pretty transparent technique. Still, I cannot help but consider her observations everytime I interact with harpo productions "
— Karen, 3/14/2011 -
" Enjoyed reading this behind the scenes story...it was well-researched and very interesting to learn more about the icon and how she made it big. "
— Laurel, 3/9/2011 -
" I was impressed by the thoroughness and depth of Kitty Kelley's research, and I found the resulting biography very readable and very credible. Highly Recommended!<br/> "
— Sandra, 3/6/2011 -
" I'll admit I didn't finish this....100 pages in, and I'm just not enjoying it. Why torture myself?! "
— Jennifer, 2/28/2011 -
" I liked Oprah until I read this book. Either it was poor spirited or she isn't cool at all. Sigh. "
— Katherine, 2/27/2011