Description
Book SynopsisThis book draws on interviews with senior White House and Cabinet officials conducted under the auspices of the Bush Oral History Project to provide a multidimensional portrait of the first President Bush and his administration.
Trade Review"41 successfully uses oral histories to provide insight into the George H. W. Bush administration, its composition, and its decision-making processes. The only one-term president since 1981, Bush faced a pivotal moment in history: a transition to governing in a post–Cold War era; and growing intra-party splits within a Republican Party upset with a budget compromise that raised taxes yet contributed to an historic surplus within a decade. 41 provides a valuable perspective into the intense polarization in Washington today." -- Janet M. Martin, Bowdoin College, author of
The Presidency and Women: Promise, Performance, and Illusion"The presidency of George H. W. Bush deserves more attention. The integration of new oral histories into the analysis throughout this book demonstrates that these oral histories will be a highly useful source for further scholarship." -- Thomas Langston, Tulane University, author of
The Cold War Presidency: A Documentary HistoryTable of ContentsForeword Philip Zelikow
Preface Michael Nelson and Barbara Perry
George H. W. Bush's Road to the White House
Introduction: History and George Bush Russell L. Riley
Part I AMERICAN CONSERVATISM
1. George Bush: Texan, Conservative Michael Nelson
2. George Bush and American Conservatism Hugh Heclo
Part II WAR AND STATECRAFT
3. Organizing Security: How the Bush Presidency Made Decisions on War and Peace Bartholomew Sparrow
4. When George Bush Believed the Cold War Ended and Why That Mattered Jeffrey A. Engel
5. Character and Consequence: The John Tower Confirmation Battle Robert A. Strong
Part III DOMESTIC POLITICS AND POLICY
6. The Offered Hand and the Veto Fist: George Bush, Congress, and Domestic Policy Making Barbara Sinclair
7. From Oral History to Oral Argument: George Bush's Supreme Court Appointments Barbara A. Perry and Henry J. Abraham
Conclusion: Navigating the Crosswinds of Modern Politics and Policy Sidney M. Milkis
Appendix 1: Interviewees for the George H. W. Bush Oral History Project
Appendix 2: Interviewers for the George H. W. Bush Oral History Project
